And after I said such nice things about the Republicans just the other day, too.
The Southern Republican senators *could* have said that they were simply looking out for the best interests of their constituents employed in the foreign auto plants in their states. That would have been reasonable and right - it's their jobs to look out for their constituents.
But they didn't. Not once. What did they say? That the automakers in their states are fine (they're not. US sales are down for all automakers - people don't want to buy cars and they can't get credit if they do) and it's all the fault of the unions anyway. That union workers get paid too much and that's why the US industry is failing.
They are saying that American workers need to make *less* money and get *fewer* benefits (and, you know? The workers agreed to do that in their new contract. Not immediately, perhaps, but they agreed to do it.)
They mean that unions are evil. That collective bargaining is bad for this country. That workers should have no rights except what their employers. Because the workers provide no benefit to their employers at all. And even if it costs this country 3 million jobs at one shot, it's worth it to break the unions.
(I wonder. Do they think the people in Chicago who sat-in for their rights are wrong, too? Because they showed that organization can work.)
And they won, or believe they did. Fortunately, and I'm finding this hard to say, but the White House itself doesn't agree with them - perhaps Bush knows that bad as things are for him, they could get worse, or maybe he actually cares - and they will help. Because this is not a blow we can weather right now.
Maybe later. Maybe there might come a time when we have to let the US auto industry fail. Goodness knows, when I rent cars, I usually will choose a Japanese car over an American one. But right now, we as a country can't afford this.
Scary times out there, and we're pinning everything on a man not even in power yet.
Any guesses or leaks as to whom Obama is choosing as Secretary of Labor?
The Southern Republican senators *could* have said that they were simply looking out for the best interests of their constituents employed in the foreign auto plants in their states. That would have been reasonable and right - it's their jobs to look out for their constituents.
But they didn't. Not once. What did they say? That the automakers in their states are fine (they're not. US sales are down for all automakers - people don't want to buy cars and they can't get credit if they do) and it's all the fault of the unions anyway. That union workers get paid too much and that's why the US industry is failing.
They are saying that American workers need to make *less* money and get *fewer* benefits (and, you know? The workers agreed to do that in their new contract. Not immediately, perhaps, but they agreed to do it.)
They mean that unions are evil. That collective bargaining is bad for this country. That workers should have no rights except what their employers. Because the workers provide no benefit to their employers at all. And even if it costs this country 3 million jobs at one shot, it's worth it to break the unions.
(I wonder. Do they think the people in Chicago who sat-in for their rights are wrong, too? Because they showed that organization can work.)
And they won, or believe they did. Fortunately, and I'm finding this hard to say, but the White House itself doesn't agree with them - perhaps Bush knows that bad as things are for him, they could get worse, or maybe he actually cares - and they will help. Because this is not a blow we can weather right now.
Maybe later. Maybe there might come a time when we have to let the US auto industry fail. Goodness knows, when I rent cars, I usually will choose a Japanese car over an American one. But right now, we as a country can't afford this.
Scary times out there, and we're pinning everything on a man not even in power yet.
Any guesses or leaks as to whom Obama is choosing as Secretary of Labor?
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4 comments:
Nat and I were talking about this. The problem (or one of them anyway) with NOT bailing out the automakers right now is going to be the absolutely hellish cascade effect.
Near as we can tell, Chrysler is just doomed, period. GM could survive, with restructuring. Ford is in OK shape. But if Chrysler goes, GM probably goes, and if THOSE two go than all their suppliers go, and if their suppliers go then Ford goes. And if the Big 3 go, it will screw the Japanese manufacturers in the US because of further depressing the economy and screwing up THEIR supply lines, and so on and so forth.
This is what we call GOOD TIMES.
And if the foreign automakers fail, which, yes, they easily could just for lack of supply, that's not going to do Alabama much good, either.
Everything's connected.
This all comes down to the politics-as-business model, and why it fails.
It is nothing shy of union busting. And why? Because the unions don't support the GOP. If, like wall street, they donated to the GOP they would be shoving cash at them.
Casey:
No question there. GOP hates unions.
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