As we prepare to break out the hot dogs and other paraphernalia to have a Labor Day barbecue, it would be worthwhile to reflect on the state of labor in the United States and for that matter the rest of the world. What we see is not a pretty picture. A beautiful planet that is being ruined by the greedy one percent. But it is not as simple as just calling it the 1%. The problem is globalization (the free movement of capital around the world) of every country and every aspect of our lives. And when people rebel against this Global Heist, they get either austerity or military intervention, witness Greece and Egypt for starters. And I think it is fair to say that our country continues to act as the cop of the world, as it prepares to launch whatever type of military escapade it wants to in Syria. This military-industrial complex in our country is a blessing that we could surely do without, as Pres. Eisenhower warned famously in 1960.
This Global Heist manifested itself in the United States in the decline of the organized labor movement, the creation of a Rust Belt in the Midwest beginning in the 1980s, until now finally the entire country has become one large Rust Belt. And as the rust deepens, we see the bankruptcy of Detroit demanded by the financial rulers of this country, unionized public workers being attacked for wanting to have a decent living wage and retirement and a workplace that is unionized. Unfortunately, in the near future, more and more workers who see themselves in safe jobs will find that their jobs too are expendable and can be outsourced.http://www.cio.com/...
On the other hand, as income inequality deepens, we are beginning to see workers organizing in the fast food industry with the aid of unions that still exist, as well as organizing at Walmart, the biggest company in the United States in terms of how many workers it employs. And I certainly applaud and support the workers who are risking their jobs to organize for a living wage that they and their families can live on.
So how then shall we respond to this current state of affairs? It seems to me that the first thing we must do is to recognize that all of the many hundreds of groups fighting over their single issues need to recognize that the unifying enemy is corporate monster-hood. When that awareness becomes sufficiently great, there will come a time, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, when all of these many groups can assemble together in one place to discuss how to combat and replace an economic system that is broken and no longer works, if it ever did, for the rest of us. If and when that assembly takes place, a strategy must be developed, with a set of demands that are achievable in the next 5 to 10 years, that must include the right of everybody to a living wage, living on a sustainable green planet, and the right to dignity and respect for one's labor. There are of course other demands that can be made, but this is not the place nor am I the one to offer them.
However, I would alert you that you can watch my film, Heist:Who stole the American Dream FREE through labor day at www.Heist-themovie.com.It does lay our problems out for all to see, and even has ideas about policy and actions to take on this Labor Day weekend to support all working people.
