Debate, and discuss, just dont Bore me.
Unions are the "Fat Cats"
Published on August 18, 2010 By Dr Guy In Politics

George Orwell was a very insightful man.  Who had a gift of taking complex or confusing rhetoric and boiling it down to the bare essentials so that even the most obtuse of us could understand it.  Or maybe not.  He wrote 2 novels about the evils of government, 1984 and my favorite, Animal Farm.

The quick and dirty of Animal Farm is that the animals on a farm revolt against the farmer and take over.  At first, there is an egalitarian type of society formed, but very soon, the pigs, acknowledged to be the most intelligent, take over and the farm reverts back to its old ways under Farmer Jones.  One of my favorite passages is when they take the old horse, Boxer, to the glue factory and of course the pigs, Napoleon (who has ousted the other head pug by this point, Snowball) have the other animals singing the praise of Napoleon even as he makes the same cold hearted decisions that Farmer Jones had made.  The animals (people) were the perfect tools and dupes for the "super intelligent" leaders.

Recently we had Orwell gone wrong.  Over a year ago, Obama took over 2/3 of the US auto industry.  To attain this socialist agenda, he enlisted the unions and made them part owners.  What could be more Utopian?  Now the workers are running the show and the big bad bond holders (owners) have been banished!  Right?

A funny thing happened on the way to utopia. The union appears to be splitting between barnyard critters (the workers) and the pigs (the union bosses).  It seems recently the pigs tried to go in and force a new contract down the throats of the critters that would cut the starting salary in half (along with other concessions).  And the critters revolted!  This time chasing the pigs out of the farmyard!

There is hope for American workers.  for in reality the only difference between Union bosses (pigs) and Corporate Management (Farmer Jones) is who has the power.  The intent and actions are the same once the former has the power.  The worker is merely a pawn to be used, abused and sent to the glue factory once their usefulness is done.  And the utopia of a workers paradise is just an illusion as the 6 figure salaried pigs still slop up the gravy at the expense of the workers.  Except this time, they are even more brutal than before because they have nothing invested in the company.  Indeed, their power does not derive from an investment of their toil, but simply how fast they can bleed the assets of the company to fatten their pockets with more money.

The development of this situation gives me hope that perhaps the rhetoric of the "super smart" that want to tell us one thing while doing the opposite is no longer sweet music to the ears of American workers.  Now that they can tell the difference, perhaps we can actually start educating them about true economics, and not socialist policies that only grab OPM  - until the OPM runs out.


Comments
on Aug 18, 2010

"The development of this situation gives me hope that perhaps the rhetoric of the "super smart" that want to tell us one thing while doing the opposite is no longer sweet music to the ears of American workers. "

The problem is that the 'super smart' just give enough to make it seem like the workers are getting some where.  In reality, if you treat people with diginity and respect, give them pay raises on productivity, and help them feel some what invested in the company for most part these workers are/will be of higher work ethic.

1948 is good but I agree with your assessment about Animal Farm being on a different level.  I haven't read animal farm in awhile but my favorite quote is at the end.  I can't remember who says it but its 'All animals are created equal some are created more equal than others.' 

That statement has many meanings on different levels.  Doc, it seems that we think similar and have similar likes, maybe we're brothers that were separated   Or just brothers from a different mothers.

on Aug 18, 2010

The problem is that the 'super smart' just give enough to make it seem like the workers are getting some where. In reality, if you treat people with diginity and respect, give them pay raises on productivity, and help them feel some what invested in the company for most part these workers are/will be of higher work ethic.

No, the problem is that the "super smart" got the power so quit pretending.  Well, it is a problem for them, not the american worker. As long as we have elections, they can be voted out.  I am just wondering when the "super smart" will suspend the elections in order to maintain power over the country.

1948 is good but I agree with your assessment about Animal Farm being on a different level. I haven't read animal farm in awhile but my favorite quote is at the end. I can't remember who says it but its 'All animals are created equal some are created more equal than others.'

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

It was on the commandment wall.  Where once had stood the rules for the equality of all, now stood one commandment.

(p.s. I do not have the book memorized, but it is available on the Internet in its entirety).

on Aug 18, 2010

Don't forget that it was a trade union that brought down communism.

 

on Aug 18, 2010

Leauki
Don't forget that it was a trade union that brought down communism.

 

We can only hope that their encore is as successful.

on Aug 19, 2010

Or maybe not. He wrote 2 novels about the evils of government, 1984 and my favorite, Animal Farm.

Mine too. But Orwell was writing about a Stalinist, Totalitarian state and its contrived politics of posturing and disimulation.

I am not sure whether Obama has a socialist agenda.

on Aug 19, 2010

Bahu Virupaksha
Mine too. But Orwell was writing about a Stalinist, Totalitarian state and its contrived politics of posturing and disimulation.

He was using the model of the USSR for Animal Farm, there is no doubt (Napoleon being Stalin, and Snowball being Trotsky).  But he was also showing the evils of "do gooders" and socialism in general.  The lesson is that once you give up your freedom for "a greater good", you are off to the glue factory with no remorse from those who 'care" about you.

I am not sure whether Obama has a socialist agenda.

That is a fair statement.  However, even the horses are seeing it now (the UAW).  The pigs (owners of GM - Obama and the Union Leadership) tried to ship them off to the glue factory, but instead of being old boxer, they wised up!

Nationalizing 60% of a private economy IS Socialism.  Obama has done it.  So while you may not see his agenda as such (the animals did not see the agenda of the pigs either), the evidence is irrefutable.  Obama has even gone so far as to at least state they also nationalized Ford - although he was booed on that faux (really? or just Freudian slip?) pas.

on Sep 01, 2010

The biggest problem we have today is that there is a segment of the population that actually does believe that bigger, more powerful government really is the best way to go. Many people in this country actually want a more socialist form of government and honestly believe it would be better.

When driving through various parts of the country I often listen to whatever talk radio is available. Sometimes it's conservation and sometimes it's progressive. I think it's good to listen to both sides of any issue to make intelligent decisions and form intelligent opinions. Invariably, those on progressive radio are very much for a socialist style government system and if one really listens to what they are saying you realize that they have a very low opinion of the majority of people in this country.

They want to force their ideals and ideology on the majority whether we want it or not. That is the part to which I must strenuously object. If the majority in this country wanted to adopt such a style of government then that is the way we should go whether I personally like it or not, but to try and force a minority ideology upon the majority is not acceptable at all.

on Sep 01, 2010

When driving through various parts of the country I often listen to whatever talk radio is available. Sometimes it's conservation and sometimes it's progressive. I think it's good to listen to both sides of any issue to make intelligent decisions and form intelligent opinions. Invariably, those on progressive radio are very much for a socialist style government system and if one really listens to what they are saying you realize that they have a very low opinion of the majority of people in this country.

Around here, I do not know of any "progressive" show, although in the past There was a canned one that played on the weekends.  I guess I could stream it, but I really only listen when driving - and that is not all the time like your occupation.

They want to force their ideals and ideology on the majority whether we want it or not. That is the part to which I must strenuously object. If the majority in this country wanted to adopt such a style of government then that is the way we should go whether I personally like it or not, but to try and force a minority ideology upon the majority is not acceptable at all.

I think Obama is one of them.  He was always a socialist, but got elected because of the recession.  But he took it as a mandate for socialism.  Even when such a large majority of Americans hate what he has done, I do not see that galvanizing them to get out and vote and ensure we never have another Obama.  They are just too apathetic - until they come for them.  But then there will be no one left to speak up for them.

on Sep 01, 2010

Sometimes it's conservation and sometimes it's progressive.

Errr, of course that should have read "Sometimes it's conservative..."  

Stupid typing mistake on my part.

on Sep 01, 2010

Around here, I do not know of any "progressive" show, although in the past There was a canned one that played on the weekends. I guess I could stream it, but I really only listen when driving - and that is not all the time like your occupation.

There is a progressive station in Chicago that I hear every time I pass through there. I come across a few others here and there around the nation.

 

Even when such a large majority of Americans hate what he has done, I do not see that galvanizing them to get out and vote and ensure we never have another Obama. They are just too apathetic - until they come for them. But then there will be no one left to speak up for them.

And that, my friend, is the real problem.

on Sep 01, 2010

MasonM

Sometimes it's conservation and sometimes it's progressive.
Errr, of course that should have read "Sometimes it's conservative..."  

Stupid typing mistake on my part.

Both work for me.