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We all know that The Wall Street Journal would never say anything bad about unions.
What's amazing to me is that the wealthy corporate/financial power structure in The United States has been able to economically rape this nation, then turn around and convince the middle class tea-bagging crowd that the fault actually lies with unionized middle class workers.
This seems to be part of a much larger proposition, in which some people (tea baggers) in the middle class are energized to work passionately against their own best interests. After all, if we have nationalized health care, we might interfere with the profit-streams of insurance and pharmaceutical companies. No real American could be that evil. We can't accept global warming because it might lead to restraints on commerce and industry. We need to get rid of labor unions because it's a bad thing to cut into the profits of corporate America by raising the living standards of workers.
It might be easy to refer to those who accept this lunacy as "sheep", but they have more in common with the metaphor of the lemmings and mass-suicide. I really don't care if corporate sycophants destroy themselves, but stop trying to take the rest of us with you!
An incredibly small percentage of people have benefited from the economic turmoil of the last few years. None of them are economically middle class or lower class. The few people who economically exploit the rest of us are feasting and laughing while we consume one another.
No--lets tell the truth. Wisconsin elected a radical as governor on a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment over the economy--they want job creation. Now that they've figured out what they really got instead, they're not too happy. Polling that came out yesterday from Wisconsin shows he'd lose the election hands down today if the election was run again, 60% of the voters disagree with him both in the state and nationally (numerous polls) and in case you haven't been following the news--they had nearly 40 thousand people showing up at the capital before this even became national--now it's at the hundred thousand mark, and it's going on it's third week. Are you living under a ROCK?
So what ........how many times over the last 2 years would obama have lost the election if it were to happen again ......it doesn't matter.
A unionized public employee, a Tea Bagger, and a CEO are seated at a table. In the center of the table is a plate holding a dozen cookies. The CEO reaches across and takes eleven cookies. He looks at the Tea Bagger and says, "Watch out for that union guy, he's going to want part of your cookie".
Quote:
Four men were bragging about how smart their dogs were.
The first man, an engineer, had a dog named "T-Square". The second man, an accountant, had a dog named "Slide-Rule". The third man, a chemist, had a dog called "Measure". The fourth man was a Union member.
To show off, the engineer called to his dog, "T-Square, do your stuff." T-Square trotted over to a desk and, with a pen, promptly drew a circle, a square and a triangle onto some paper.
Everyone agreed that that was pretty good. The accountant, though, insisted his dog could do better. He called to his dog and said, "Slide Rule, do your stuff." Slide Rule went out into the kitchen and returned with a dozen cookies. He proceeded to divide the cookies into four equal piles of three each. Everyone agreed that that too was pretty good.
The chemist, though, proclaimed that his dog could do even better. He called his dog and said, "Measure, do your stuff." Measure got up, walked over to the fridge, took out a quart of milk, got a ten ounce glass from the cupboard, and then poured exactly eight ounces into the glass without spilling a drop. Everyone agreed that that was pretty good, as well.
Then, they all turned to the Union member and said, "Hey, pal, what can your dog do?"
The Union member stood up, called his dog and said, "Coffee Break, do your stuff." Coffee Break jumped to his feet, ate the cookies, drank the milk, crapped on the paper, screwed the other three dogs, claimed he'd injured his back while doing so, filed a grievance report for unsafe working conditions, put in for Workers' Compensation, and then went home on sick leave.
Working as an intern at OSHA was an eye-opener. You wouldn't believe what the government has to go through to fire turd workers, because of the rules the unions force upon the government.
Roy, it seems to be the "joke" making the rounds on the liberal sites. Showing up on Kos and Huffpo.
Thanks. I never go to either of those places so I never would have known. Liberal = progressive and progressive = socialist so I guess they would be doing something like this.
Nobody said the public unions are to blame........"you left out politicians by the way". Stop with the "on the backs of the middle class already" I too am a small business owner , I also am middle class and at the end of the day........ you tell me why people working for the government getting paid by the middle class should have a much better deal than those who are busting their asses to pay them!!! That is what this is really about!
That is exactly right! The public workers seem oblivious to the fact that by squeezing the middle class they are endangering their own livelihoods.
It's the story of the turtle and the scorpion. In this case the middle class is drowning as they are stung by the unions, causing mutual destruction from greed.
Thanks. I never go to either of those places so I never would have known. Liberal = progressive and progressive = socialist so I guess they would be doing something like this.
Roy--I hate to tell you buddy, but you think everyone left of the John Birch society is a socialist or a communist. You have to put things into perspective.
Yes, they are. But they can also be incredibly deceptive when not all of the facts are considered. Your statement, as well as the Professor's (who himself is part of a collective bargaining unit and is tenured) is not entirely true. The cost for the lower-cost (to the government) collective bargaining health insurance is not set by collective bargaining. It is set by the very powerful insurance companies who bid for state and local contracts.
As an example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon was shut out of the bargaining process because they demanded far too much money for the state's contracts (several different bargaining units). In other words, they refused to bargain with both the state and the unions. The loss of those contracts cost BC over 33% of their business. After that contract loss, their rates for individual plans skyrocketed; they're going to make their money up somehow.
The middle class and the working class include those who are Union members. These are working people. Most on this forum cite extreme cases and abuses of the system, where a person makes a lot of money in retirement. 50 or 60K a year in retirement is a lot when you live in a small town, but it's not if you're in a high-cost city.
There are flaws in every system. The idea should be to right what's wrong, not try to obliterate the retirements and benefits (benefits: dental care) of American's working class.
Last year our financial mess was the fault of Wall Street and financial managers. Now, it's magically shifted to the Unions and collective bargaining. You are sorely mistaken if you believe that occurred naturally. It is a planned, coordinated political attack by the real power elite, the money brokers. Not the working class of this country.
Speaking of demagoguery: The professor worked for three Republican governors of the State of Massachusetts. Do you wonder if he has a state pension, benefits from that service? Or if he partakes in 'perks' from his "endowed chair"? I'm not attacking the source, but his stance in blaming unions seems suspect to me.
I am not trying to be a smart aleck but it seems that every soul from the left that is on this thread tends to try to mix water and oil when they write.
This thread is about Wisconsin and their problems as a state and you throw in national things when you discuss the problem. I really don't believe that many of you understand that the states are broke, and unlike the US, none of them can print money to make up for some of their problems. Of course, that practice will eventually get the whole country so deep in the hole that we won't be able to dig our way out.
Also, you all keep up with the class oriented struggle that everything socialist is based on. Does that not tell us something?
How about those poor people with the barely get by pensions moving out into the hinterlands where that is enough money? Could be done that way.
The problem here is many posters are capable of thinking for themselves and cutting through the Republican rhetoric....we all heard Walker's phone call and know what his true intent is(well I knew without the phone call). Would you like to hear what he's really trying to accomplish>>>>> To break the unions in Wisconsin.....hoping the trend will spread to other states and fuel his political ambitions by furthering the Republican AGENDA!
I see now that the far righties have reverted to attack and label the messenger mode, it always happens when they have no argument left. They throw their own under the bus the second one dares disagree with their warped mind set, since after all the far right sees the world in black and white with no colors or shades of grey allowed. Keep up the good work, you always know you are doing good when they start attacking you personally.
Casper
Throw their own under the bus. This one is surely not one of my own.
For god's sake, will you people lighten up. It's just a joke and befits this thread. Is it untrue?
As I said, last few years this financial mess was the fault of the banking industry and big business - now it's the fault of the unions. Is it that all of a sudden people came to a realization that the evil unions started it and it's all their fault? If you believe that you should try reading more "facts" that you are so interested in. There're always two sides and often many more to an issue.
And all the "facts" I got on the author of the OP's link were from conservative web-sites. Are they lying?
I believe that one could easily see that the teachers' union in Wisconsin is doing what it has been accused of. In my state I paid a monthly amount toward my pension to the state every month and today my wife is paying much more to hers than the zero amount those in Wisconsin are paying. I don't blame all unions for our problems but I do believe that they have served their real purpose and now are just working to increase the power of the bosses and to hell with the members.
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