This blog is cross-posted at StewartAcuff.com
Yesterday was May Day and Thom Hartmann built his show on RT TV around the global worker’s and union’s celebration that is May Day. His longest panel was AFL-CIO economist Bill Spriggs, Working America’s Karen Nussbaum, and me. We had a great discussion about the economy, the state of the labor movement, and new organizing happening around the country including the Walmart fight and fast food workers. We also discussed the possibility of a new progressive government in Canada if the New Democratic Party wins elections in British Columbia. Despite the struggle we all feel, we had a good, positive celebratory May Day discussion. Check it out by CLICKING HERE! My segment starts at the 30:03 mark.
Thom was very kind. He gave a big, very good plug for Playing Bigger Than You Are: A Life in Organizing. He said it’s a great book.
Thom also gave a great plug for my BOOK READING AND SIGNING AT 6:30 PM TONIGHT AT BUSBOYS AND POETS at 2021 14th Street NW Washington, DC, USA. PLEASE IF YOU’RE IN DC COME TO THE READING AND MAKE SURE YOU SAY HI.
The Huffington Post is reporting that “The ratio of CEO-to-worker pay has increased 1,000 percent since 1950, according to data from Bloomberg.” The AFL-CIO estimates that today the average CEO makes 400 times as much as much as his-her average workers. These numbers once again smack us in the face with the reality of inequality. The “job creators” are soaking up the wealth of the nation, but not creating jobs. They are investing but not in jobs or the real economy. They are investing in the paper economy, the financial economy. And the stock market has just soared to a new high.
Right-wing radical Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey has just admitted yesterday that his Republican colleagues voted against gun background checks just because President Obama was for it.
Can anyone remember a time when the Congressional opposition party based their vote on a critical issue solely as a tactic to weaken the American President? That’s something to think about.
It is time we stop pretending that the all-out opposition from radical right-wing Republicans to President Obama is not related to race. That universal opposition is definitely related to the President’s race. We got a ways to go.
Photo: Thousands of people marched through the streets of Milwaukee in support of immigrant and worker rights on May Day, 2013.
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