In life, throughout humanity, there is but one consistent filter, one consistent question that marks man’s individual evolution and that of nations. That question; do you believe in Organized Labor?
I have paraphrased Julian Jaynes in my past missives. In his work, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind Jaynes tracks mankind’s evolution as an exercise in the development of language and communication.
Let us redefine the definitions of the words, labor, capital, and material/objects, in a much clearer and crisper way, a way that speaks to us in each moment in a continuously changing world. We are ALL labor, capital, and material/objects in every moment. In this respect there is no difference between us. We are all connected. Just as in every union is connected to every other union we are ALL sisters and brothers.
In this respect, Dr. Martin Luther King was able to foresee that labor rights are connected to civil rights.
Let me recap in my mind what exactly partners and believers in Organized Labor support; communication in the marketplace and in the workplace, community development in openly supporting in and belief in the inherent good of government, a stake in local community and in the ability for a man, a breadwinner, to be able to support a family where the woman is ably to take care of her motherly duties in a solid family structure. In essence, as the heroic Samual Gompers poetically wrote in his noble, What Does Labor Want?
"What does labor want? It wants the earth and the fullness thereof. There is nothing too precious; there is nothing too beautiful, too lofty, too ennobling, unless it is within the scope and comprehension of labor's aspirations and wants."
"We want more schoolhouses and less jails, more books and less arsenals, more learning and less vice, more constant work and less crime, more leisure and less greed, more justice and less revenge. In fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful and childhood more happy and bright."
Aug. 28, 1893
In my country, America the frayed, old definition of capital has aggressively fought the same framed labor to what avail? America enjoyed the highest standard of living in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, when Organized Labor represented a record percentage of our population. Today, America has the 18th highest standard of living for its citizens and by no coincidence we support the 18th highest percentage of free, independent union membership.
Lassie fare free market non-regulating mentality for the old concept of capital and the present devastation that is about to take place is an outgrowth of the outdated definitions of capital and labor when applied as a blanket and not as a multitude of complex points and crossroads to each individual and our individual moments.
There is but one filter for individuals and for nations: Do you believe in Organized Labor?
We cannot have a strong middle class without strong labor unions. We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests.
President Barack Obama
Friday, January 30, 2009
If Samual Gomper’s prayer to the bravest and noblest could be updated perhaps it would sound like this...
"What Does Organized Labor Provide?"
Organized Labor provides more school houses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more constant work and less crime; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful and childhood more happy and bright."
These in brief are the primary provisions created by members and supporters of Organized Labor. These are the gifts created by Organized Labor upon modern society and in these considerations determine the fate of civilization.
Do you believe in Organized Labor?