The Working Class Gets A Wake Up Call—-With Side Effects
Greg Jones has a job that is critical to human survival. He feeds us. Not literally of course. This New Jersey truck driver goes to work at 8 pm and driving by night until 4 am, brings us the food we eat. He has become a nocturnal (nighttime) mammal with a diurnal (daytime) body. He knows what this means. Many of his co-workers have persistent health issues that indicate body deterioration. He has a daily discipline of 2 hours of exercise that he hopes will keep his body going without constant pain and grim trips to the hospital.
Because you see, trying to be a nocturnal mammal in a diurnal body can mean a weakened immune system with a tendency toward diabetes, heart disease and perhaps even cancer. Humans are social mammals. Shift work means one’s family and social life are impaired. If they are parents, shift workers may drag themselves to important milestones in their children’s lives in a mist of fatigue, all the time pushing themselves to show enthusiasm in a way that a stage actor might. Read more
It’s Time To Say It Out Loud: America Needs More Socialism
Filed under: Global Economy & Politics, Society & Economy, U.S. Politics, Workplace
When I was a kid I played in a pasture and what a playground that was. There were weird bugs and colorful plants to play with, birds to look at and even box turtles to pick up and admire. Then there was also a lot dull looking but benign tall grass that made finding the interesting stuff more challenging and fun. In short, a diverse stimulating environment.
But it also had hazards, like piles of horseshit, which were definitely to be avoided. In that way, it reminds me of textbooks I’ve seen over the years, both as a student and as a teacher. Some fairly dull stuff, some very informative stuff and piles of intellectual excrement that you don’t want to step in.
Which brings me to the following textbook-style dictionary definition of socialism:
“Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.”
The South Will Rise Again
Filed under: Global Economy & Politics, Job Safety & Ecology, U.S. Politics, Unions, Workplace
On April 9, 1865 General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. It ended the Civil War. The surrender was actually a great victory for the American South because it was another nail in the coffin of slavery.
On July 27, 2011 Southern workers at Danville, Virginia’s Swedish-owned IKEA plant voted overwhelmingly for union recognition with the International Association of Machinists (IAM). This was another great victory for The South. Although both slavery and legal segregation are gone, the scourge of cheap labor & poor working conditions remains. These are not just material hardships for Southern workers, but an insult to their honor and self respect as human beings.
Fer Cryin’ Out Loud! Why Don’t You People Speak English!
Filed under: Discrimination, Global Economy & Politics, Society & Economy, U.S. Politics, Workplace
Press 1 for English. Para español oprima numero dos.
When some Americans hear that recorded message they go ballistic. It’s as if a perfect stranger walked up to them on the street and insulted their mother, their spouse, their children, their dog, their goldfish and their entire ancestry going back to Adam and Eve. If this is you, we need to talk. It’s not like you don’t understand what “Para español oprima numero dos” means, even you don’t get all the words. Read more
Shaping Up the 21st Century
On the docks of the USA it was called “the shape up”. Each morning hundreds of desperate men would assemble to compete for a day’s work unloading ships. Whoever would work for less or gave the biggest kickbacks to the port bosses was hired. The rest were sent away. It was a system rife with corruption, bribery & favoritism. Every day was a race to the bottom. Watch Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront” to get an idea of how bad it was. Read more