If you want workers’ rights – move to South Africa...
By louisehartmann
American workers are screwed. If you want workers’ rights – move to South Africa. Wal Mart just inked a new deal to open up stores across South Africa – but in order to get the deal done – Wal Mart had to make some concessions –honoring union contracts among workers. And it’s not only in South Africa – Wal Mart lets workers unionize all over the world in Brazil – Argentina – China – and the United Kingdom – everywhere except…here in the United States.
In America – Wal Mart is considered one of the fiercest opponents of unionization – spending millions of dollars to defeat pro-union legislation in Congress – and resorting to underhanded tactics to kill off any organizing attempts among its American workforce.
Since America embraced so-called Free Trade – American workers have seen their wages and rights collapse.
Comments
#2
It's all over! Yes, it's all over!
#3
Thom - you mentioned on your show today your upcoming book, "The Crash of 2015" (did I get the title right?).
According to what I've been hearing primarily from Mike Ruppert, if he's right, you're timing may be unfortunate as you may be releasing your book right when the crash is actually ocurring. He's predicting that the crash will come next month, due in large part to repercussions of Fukishima, though the fundamental cause of the decline is Peak Oil. I wrote more about it last month here.
Be that as it may, I love your show, listen to it every day, and find you the most credible and intelligent voice on the radio.
#4
Its NOT OVER UNLESS WE ARE WEAK WIMPY AND DO NOT FIGHT BACK WITH ALL WE HAVE . We must ALL Speak out and demand they listen and Keep it up not just a few times but weekly . Folks get busy, lazy lose interest whatever Please do your part go to www.whitehouse.gov www.congress.gov www.senate.gov then call WH line 202 456 1111 to 5 pm M-F Never give up Look what Wis has done Many states are standing up. recalls as we speak. WE have the power of the vote IF enough of us act / speak out We can change this . Our forefathers did not give up We can at least try What will you tell your kids if you do not give it your all Show them what perserverance means They will be proud and so will you Do not be wimpy quitters Thats too EZ .
#5
STARTING WITH COMMISSIONING OF PRODUCTION OF THE REQUIRED BUMPER STICKER:
" IF YOU'RE SO RICH, WHY AREN'T YOU SMART?"
It seems to me that the real peril we face is that the ultra rich have succeeded only at totally corrupting our legislatures, elected executives, and many members of the bench. Cunning, yes. But not really smart. The foolish financial managers: the ones who brought us the series of major financial crises we've endured since the latter half of the 20th century, at least. Remember Silverado Savings and the construction of hundreds (were they thousands?) of un-needed condos, residential and commercial structures? 2008, the housing bubble, and the frantic creation of mystery investments to satisfy the "hunger" of people with more money than they knew how to invest were the latest dramatic and destructive failure.
If they were smart, the wealthiest of the capitalists would surely be investing creatively in alternative non-oil fuels for energy, green housing, efficient micro lending at dramatically lower costs than high-interest personal loans and credit cards, etc. etc. etc.
Leaving the stinkin' rich in control will surely drive the ship of state onto the proverbial rocks. Whattayasay we all start just, saying it. A lot, to everybody.??
#6
Louise, I, personally, believe that today's Republicans are totally brilliant.
PLEASE NEVER MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE NOT BRILLIANT!!! TODAY'S REPUBLICANS ARE THE MOST BRILLIANT GROUP IN AMERICAN HISTORY!!!!! We are now a banana republic and a third world country!!!!! IT'S ALL OVER!!!!! I have been singing this song for several years!!!
Once we are in the Greatest Depression in history whether it is 2015 or not, the books will be clean and the Anti-Life Party can dictate to the American peasants and slaves. They will impoverish us so that the transnational corporations and the American rich as well as Anti-Life politians can pay and treat us as they desire. Yes, it's truly all over for you and me.
#7
gerald, are you referring to the Bob Dylan song, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Van Morrison also did a great version with the band THEM!
I got to tell you though, there is nothing brilliant about greed and selfishness, in fact I think it stems from a dysfunctional childhood.
#8
2950-10K, I do not recall who either sang the song or did just the music. 2950-10K, I agree with you about greed and selfishness. If we have studied the American psyche, greed and selfishness is America and Americans.
Here is the true answer for our problems.
#9
Thom, Walmart fears the union in this country for the same reason republicans fear the public employee union I belong to, most of us vote Democratic/Progressive! One of the big reasons I made a career change 17 years ago was because I wanted to belong to a union after being jerked around for 19 years in the private sector. The difference in the workplace environment is like day and night. I would never go back to nonunion.
You know how the Walton family and related corporatocracy feel about Democrats running the show, they might get legislated into paying their fair share! They have no concerns with this issue outside of the country.
#10
2950-10K, I googled Bob Dylan and Van Morrison and I did not find "It's all over. My recall after about 46 years is not as sharp.
dianhow I wish it was not all over but money talks and we are a one party country with the name, The Money Party. American politicians are bought and sold like cattle. When I look at American politicians, I see the dry rot close to their exterior skin.
Vitter can apparently have sex with several women prostitutes and the Anti-Life Party gives him a standing ovation. The same party wants Weiner to hang in the wind. This Party is truly despicable.
#11
dianhow, it can't be said enough, "never give up", if we each convert just 10 rightwingers into voting for their own best interest, the cause can be won,democracy restored! Fight on!
#12
Gerald, they don't make it "music" like they used to! I recently watched the Last Waltz, a great DVD about The Band on Tour, oh how I long for those days again!
#13
@2950-10K, I married into a family of Reichwingers. They are so indoctrinated with nonsense that you can never convince them to vote for a Democrat. How do you convert persons with bipolar mental disorders, self-centered egotistical snobbishness, and sociopaths???
#14
I do not believe Wal-Mart or any other huge corporation is afraid of the American worker. What I see and feel is contempt towards the workers accompanied by an endless sense of entitlement to take more than their fair share of resources and money. They shall bide their time in these other countries and soon enough they will have manipulated (or attempted to), the labor forces in all these different countries into whittling away their rights, just like in this country. The contempt and political dishonesty here concerning unions and their policies and leadership caused people to find fault and ultimately throw the baby out with the bath water.
Unions are not inherently corrupt, but have been infiltrated by those who would see them destroyed and/or have been damaged by corrupt individuals. A truly effective worker union is completely capable of dealing with corruption, correcting and removing the guilty parties. It is the same principle as any other entity in society.
It is the capitalist greed and contempt that has eroded our standard of working conditions and pay scales, along with the phenomenon of voluntary servitude. Rousseau wrote about this. There is no way a population of people can be subjected to a dictatorship unless they submit and cooperate.
As Kucinich said at the Democratic Convention, "wake up America!"
It is time for us to act, GET INVOLVED
#15
@2950-10K, what I miss is to know what is being sung. I cannot even understand the words that we hear.
#16
I face the same thing in my family, my youngest sister mails me books by Glen Beck and Tea-Party rally T-shirts! Go figure! Although I have had pretty good success converting those who are willing to listen to the facts. This would all be much easier if like Thom suggested the United Nations would step in and do a intervention for us. I used to joke about this with a co-worker, but it's no joke really!
#17
Walton’s Mountain
I want to start by saying that I commend John Walton for his philanthropic efforts. I also want to say that there is more to philanthropy than giving money away. A person can be philanthropic by giving of their time. Others can be philanthropic of advice. Some people are so blessed that they can give money, time, and advice.
John Walton was killed shortly after taking off from an airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wanted no part of the management side of Wal-Mart and that is his right to be part of management or not to be part of management. Yet, he could have offered more advice to have the Wal-Mart Corporation reevaluate their policies toward their employees and their community practices.
Wal-Mart practices have put many community businesses out of business and their policies toward employees are questionable. Of course in America where her people have no hearts or souls and any thing or every thing goes. We all know that in America money is her god.
A fair profit in business is correct and right practices but what is a fair profit? Should excessive profits be on the backs of the employees and other businesses? Are some of these profits coming from slave labor in foreign countries or in certain America Commonwealths that do not have the same labor practices as American states?
I hope that this open letter shares with you the idea that the word philanthropy is just not the giving of money. People in corporations cannot remain blinded to injustices or blame others for a corporation’s questionable and possibly immoral practices. Can Ken Lay plead stupidity as a defense with Enron? When much is given, much is expected. Yes, we can thank God for our blessings but let us thank God through actions and deeds that enhance His vision of Shalom.
#18
@2950-10K, consider yourself lucky!!!
#19
Americans are so stupid that we cannot compete with foreign immigrants.
#20
You nailed the problem with you lefties. In addition to all the name calling you do, you want someone else to step in and do the heavy lifting. I'm not impressed nor influenced by all the nastiness or name calling. If you want me to join you, give me a reason to join. Don't tell me I'm selfish or greedy for holding the views I do. If you want an intervention, than you need to do it. No one is going to do it for you. That one point is the major difference between what I believe the left thinks, and what I think. If I want something, I'll go out and get it. If lefties want something, you want someone to give it to you.
#21
We working class citizens are doing all of the heavy lifting, where have you been ? If people like you based their voting habits on facts and reality instead of Fox News and people like Glenn Beck we wouldn't be in the mess we're in! Speaking of wanting someone to give you something, do you have any idea what corporate welfare is?
I'm not trying to impress anyone, but I am very impressed by most of the folks that contribute to this blog. Sorry about the name calling rightie!
#22
2950-10K You have no idea what my voting habits are, or for that matter, anything else about me. I'm glad you not trying to impress anyone, you've succeded at something. Why don't you re-read my post (you can read can't you?) think about it, and engage your brain before you engage you mouth.
#23
bicyclingjroad thinks that insults substitutes for intelligence. ad hominem attacks - A+! Intelligent discussion or comments - a great bug F!
#24
Did you read my post? People with your political ideology vote a certain way, thats a fact. Unless you don't understand your own rhetoric, I find it very easy to grasp what you're up to! By the way I respect everyones opinion on this blog including yours, but the idea is to exchange these in a constructive manner, as opposed to attacking one another!
#25
And what is my Political Idelogy? Like I said you know nothing about me.
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I remember doing the line dance to the music and lyrics of "It's all over!" I cannot not remember the lyrics. I was probably 20 to 25 years of age. PLEASE NEVER MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE NOT BRILLIANT!!! TODAY'S REPUBLICANS ARE THE MOST BRILLIANT GROUP IN AMERICAN HISTORY!!!!! We are now a banana republic and a third world country!!!!! IT'S ALL OVER!!!!! I have been singing this song for several years!!!