SocraticGadfly: Scattershooting Labor Day: Bourgeoise unions, more

September 02, 2019

Scattershooting Labor Day: Bourgeoise unions, more

Nothing new to blog about, but offering a roundup of some of my past thoughts on labor issues.

First, an unpopular, but carefully considered cold take that will resonate popularly to the left of the Democratic Party but not within it, nor within AFL-CIO type unions. Per the header? American labor unions arguably don't even go along with duopoly politicians in claiming Merika is a class-free society. From their early days, the AFL half actually believed in climbing the ladder then pulling it up. That remained a problem for decades and still is to some degree. That same post reminds you that the AFL-CIO types opposed Harry Truman's push for national health care cuz they figured "bennies" was a great union drive recruiting tool. (The first possible push for national health care was actually pre-Truman.)

Second, even those types of unions continue to be ignored by national neoliberal Democrats. I wrote this five years ago, but Hillary Clinton, among others, showed it's still true.

Third, and related, the Dem-neoliberals continued to kowtow to China.

Fourth, Hillary and Barack were hypocrites on NAFTA in 2008 while running for election.

Fifth, and related to one and two? The "Protestant work ethic" is bullshit and management exploits your belief in it.

Sixth, given all the above, and per Janis Joplin's definition of freedom, why does US organized labor still enserf itself to the left half (or sometimes the right half) of the duopoly? I said eight years ago you need to free yourselves!

No comments: