I’ve been reading more than a little nonsense of late from those who owe some sort of emotional fealty to the corporate world, as if this held the answer to most – if not all – of our problems, completely looking over the problems that the corporations in our midst have created. Said problems range from the environmental to the loss of life in work-places in this country.

Places you have a right to feel safe.

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It’s rather in bad taste to bring that sort of thing up, I know.

One of the favorite past times of many writers is to bash unions and decry the “benefits” that union workers enjoy, many of which have eventually trickled down to nonunion workers.

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Okay, which ones do you wanna get rid of? Which benefits do you currently enjoy on the job – which were probably originally fought for by folks you never met in a union somewhere) are you willing to give up?

Which “benefits” shouldn’t your family enjoy? Or your co-workers? Or better yet, your employees?

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Human beings enjoy rights and privileges in the workplace because men and women had the courage to band together and say, “You know, things could be better.”

Nothing ever improved for workers in this country – or anywhere around the world – because employers were suddenly visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. Things got better, and you and your friends have their wages and benefits (some of which are being lost) because folks decided they wouldn’t be treated as just another “resource,” human or otherwise, and stood up together for what was right.

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******

Just a little something lost in the BP mess

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Eleven human beings lost their lives that terrible day. The hole may have been filled, but where are the criminal indictments? Where are the perp walks?

When all of the sycophantic members of Congress and the conservative commentators were defending BP last year, not a word escaped their lips about the loss of the life or the loss to the families.

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Ah well, plenty more where they came from. That’s why they call it human “resources.”

*****

Quote of the Day

You can’t conserve what you haven’t got. – Marjory Stoneman Douglas

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rsdrake@cox.net

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