Remembering Labor on Labor Day

Most people alive today can't remember a time when the history of American labor was actually covered in high school history classes.  But, yes, there was a time when the people who actually worked hard for their measly wages were considered important enough to mention in history classes.  And it wasn't so long ago, either.  Only a few decades.

Labor was recognized back then because it was a known fact that the American worker made things and then turned around and bought things.  And that movement of cash and goods was what put money in the pockets of the business owners.  Back then, the myth of the self-made millionaire was recognized as being a myth.  After all, who became rich without relying on the people who made the stuff and then bought the stuff?  It was all common sense, of course.  How could labor be written out of the history books of America?

That recognition, though, was a long time in coming.  There was a lot of suffering along the way.  It wasn't easy... not by a long shot.  It's hard to gain recognition when you don't have enough money to buy it.

The labor movement in the United States arose from a need for people to live safer, healthier, and somewhat pleasant lives.  Before the labor movement, which spanned the better part of a century, people worked in horrible places and lived, often ten to a room, in dirty hovels and tenements.  They worked six, even seven, days each week from sunup to sundown.  Children worked.  Women worked.  Everyone worked (except the rich, who did relatively little except complain about the people doing the work).  It was grueling.  It was dangerous.

Back in those good old days of unbridled capitalism, there was no OSHA to tell the bosses that their workplaces had to be safe. As a result, people were getting killed at work all of the time.  In mines.  In foundries.  In dressmaking factories.  There were lots of people getting killed.  Some were killed quickly when their workplaces would collapse on their heads.  Some were killed slowly by breathing in all sorts of stuff that they shouldn't have been breathing in.  Some were killed in fires because the buildings weren't safe.  But most of the rich resisted any attempts at reform or .regulation because it would cost them money (and regulation was anti-capitalist), of course.

But workers persevered and eventually organized themselves into labor unions and came to dominate a political party called the Democratic Party.  No, that Democratic Party was not today's Democratic Party.  It had the same name, but that was about the only similarity.  But back then, even the Republican Party was drawn along different lines.  Teddy Roosevelt was a Republican who signed anti-trust legislation!  That would never happen today.  Poor Teddy couldn't get elected dog-catcher nowadays.

Labor had to stand up for itself because the greed of the greedy knew no bounds, but any attempt at organizing meant things were likely to get pretty ugly.  And sometimes, even supportive politicians couldn't save the workers from the murderous wrath of the business elite.  If you'd like an example, consider the 1886 Haymarket riot in Chicago.  Even Chicago's mayor had attended a mass meeting and given the meeting his blessing.  But somebody threw a bomb after he left, and everything went to hell in a hand basket.  Eight were convicted of conspiracy, even though there was no evidence that any of them had thrown the bomb.  Seven were sentenced to death.  Of those, four were hanged, one committed suicide, and two had their sentences commuted by the governor.  It didn't matter that none of them had thrown the bomb.  They organized the meeting, and that was enough.  It didn't matter that the mayor had been there and had blessed the event, either. Again, they organized the meeting, and that was enough.  The people who lived in rows of mansions on lush tree-lined streets, and the newspapers, insisted on the executions.  You just can't have that sort of thing going on.  Violence was never acceptable, even if all the workers wanted was an eight-hour workday and that their co-workers not be killed.

The Haymarket riot was just one event in a continuum of unpleasant altercations.  Just a few years before it, there had been the Molly Maguires in Pennsylvania, who were fighting for their rights to be treated like human beings.  Many of them were executed, too, of course.  Mind you, not all of the rabble-rousers were pleasant people.  Desperate people do desperate things, after all.

One of the most deadly disasters in labor history was the fire at the Triangle Shirt factory in New York in 1911.  It killed 146 garment workers, almost all of them women and children who worked 52- hour workweeks.  Many were forced to jump out of windows from the ninth and tenth floors of the building in which the factory was located.  They couldn't escape because the doors had been locked to prevent unauthorized breaks.  The disaster was so horrific that it spurred union membership and legislation in New York that required certain safety features.

Is it any wonder that such things used to be covered in high school history classes?  So this Labor Day, let's remember labor.  Let's treat Labor Day with the same respect we give to Memorial Day. Let's remember the sacrifices of the workers who went before us. Let's remember that a living wage, safe working conditions, and a bit of free time are basic human rights.  And let's not assume that today's business leaders are somehow less greedy or more compassionate than those of previous generations (there is no reason to believe that they are).

John McCain's Real Legacy

John McCain is dead.  At a time when we're all looking for honesty in our politicians, Democrats and Republicans are singing his praises... now that he's dead, of course.  No politician from either party in Arizona dares to say anything critical about the man ...now that he's dead, of course.  And very little bad was ever said publicly when he was alive, either.

John McCain was the son and grandson of admirals, and he was captured and tortured... much like Jesus, of course, regardless of the motives of the military-industrial complex that profited so wonderfully from that war in that puny country - a country that no American had ever heard of until people started coming back in flag-draped caskets.  Yes, he was an American hero... just like everyone else who went over there.

And he was lauded for "reaching across the aisle." That was nice, wasn't it?  Despite his famously salty language, he was relatively civil in an era of increasing polarization.  Somehow, he could find that middle ground... or so the legend of the maverick goes.

But what was his real legacy?  Frankly, he really didn't have much of a legacy.  Despite the eulogists on radio and television, there simply wasn't much positive that could be said for what he actually did do.

Clean Elections

He verbally supported clean elections and "taking the money out of elections," of course. He even sponsored a bill to that effect.  Sounded good, didn't it?  So who could blame him for taking so much money while the getting was good?  And the getting was very good (and still is, although he no longer has need of it).  Let he among you who is without  since reject the first buck.  Big donors loved John McCain just like they loved Hillary.

Minimum Wage

The lion of the Senate was extremely wealthy, so who can blame him for not doing anything to improve the lots of the working poor?  Time after time, he voted against increasing the minimum wage.  The only time that he voted for increasing the minimum wage was when it was tied to a defense spending bill.

Military Spending

He was very much opposed to waste in the military, but that didn't stop him from repeatedly supporting increases in the military budget. In fact, he didn't simply support the increases; he advocated for them.  He was all for throwing money at the military... as long as it wouldn't be wasted (and probably even when he knew it would be wasted).  It would take a lot of money to support U.S. involvement in so many wars all over the world.

Equal Rights for All

Being a red, white and blue 'merican, McCain supported equal rights, except for the gays... of course.  And the working poor, of course.

Healthcare for All

He verbally supported better healthcare for the veterans, but if you weren't a veteran, you couldn't expect him to care much about your healthcare.  Yes, he famously broke with his party and voted against getting rid of a horrible healthcare system for a return to the pre-Obama chaotic money grabs... but he really wouldn't know what it's like being part of the working poor, having seen so few of them.

There were times when he seemed not to object to socialized medicine, though.  He certainly didn't vociferously oppose it for those in Congress or those who ever were in Congress.  It's a wonderful entitlement that the taxpayers afford to their Congressmen.  Maybe we should all have it.

Rest in Peace, John McCain

May John McCain rest in peace.  We wish him only the best in the next life.  We harbor no malice.  Maybe if we could have met him, we would have understood why he didn't want to help us. But we didn't run in his circles, and he certainly didn't run in our's.  He lived in a different America, a fairyland that we will never see.

Jesus to U.S. Christians: "Cut it Out!"

Dear U.S. Followers,

I have chosen this humble venue for my open letter because, frankly, nobody else would publish it.  I considered sending this to all of the churches so that my message would be read in churches from sea to shining sea, but my words would be viewed as heretical and offensive to the oh-so-easily-offend flocks – and no pastor wants to offend his flock.  Similarly, I considered radio, but people have the attention span of a gnat and the memory of a locust.  So I settled on this tiny blog.

It seems to me that after two-thousand years of bad arguments based on bad premises, I should clear up some misconceptions.  I am mad.  Furious, really.  I intend here to turn over a few tables in your sacred temples.  Unpleasant, but it must be done!  That said, here are some clarifications of my expectations of you church-going Christians.  I number them here for your convenience.

I.  Don’t say, “I know Jesus!”  You don’t.  So, cut it out!   You wouldn’t know me if I came up to you on the street and slapped you silly (and believe me, if I wasn’t so enlightened, I would).  You can bet that those who say they know me don’t know me at all.  Even atheists don’t do that!

II.  Don’t say, “I love God” or “I love Jesus,” when what you love is the creation of your ill-informed imagination, which is inaccurate at best and a cesspool at worst.

III. Don’t praise me.  I’m not a dog or a young child.  I don’t need my ego stroked or my self-esteem built.  And besides, it doesn’t impress me favorably.

IV. Don’t worship me.  Worship is what people do instead of doing what they should do, which is following the path God has provided, loving one another, and cherishing the good.

V. Don’t get “washed in the blood of Christ” confused with “washing the blood of Christ off your hands.”  Focus on the second, and the first will take care of itself.

VI. Don’t say “God wants to see” or “God is testing.”  The Creator is not an idiot or a mad scientist.

VIII. Don’t trust any politician who uses my name; it will always come back to bite you.

IX.  If you must paint a picture of me, paint me as someone from the Middle East.  And don’t forget the scars of torture and the headdress.

X. Do not say the Bible is a “manual.”  It is NOT.  If it were, it would be no more than two sheets of papyrus long and would read like a soup can.

XI. Don’t be mad at people who only come to church for solace and a service when they feel the need; they have chosen the better part.  They have no obligation to take part in your pot lucks, bake sales, and the thousand things that you all do to convince yourself that you’re doing something very important for God.  Not everyone wants to spin their wheels the same way, and some have better things to do.  So stop attacking them.

XII.  Do not adorn your vehicle with bumper stickers that say, “Jesus Loves You” and then cut people off in traffic.  It almost seems as though you are trying to ruin my reputation (and, besides, someone might get killed).

XIII.  If you’re going to pray, do it alone.  I may have said, “When two or more of you are gathered in my name…” but I didn’t say, “Build a big church and contribute to the building fund.”  I was thinking more along the lines of friends talking about my teachings over a pitcher of beer.

XIV.  Don’t say, “I am a Christian.”  Say, “I am your friend” (and mean it).

XV.   If the only thing that keeps you from killing someone is a Commandment or “Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone,” get a clue, because you really need one.

There, I’ve said it.  I know that those are hard truths, but it doesn’t do anyone any good to ignore them.   We are not amused by what we’re seeing done in our name.  Let those who have eyes see.  And let those who have ears hear.   Straighten up, American Christians.  Right now, I’m feeling a lot better about the atheists!

Regards,

Jesus, Nazareth

Climate Change: Discerning the Hoax

If you keep telling people what they already know enough times, most will believe you when you tell them what they can’t know.  As any successful, confidence man, politician, business leader, preacher, and radio commentator knows, once you can build that confidence, you can lie about almost anything.  It’s a fact of life.  And, as Hitler argued in Mein Kampf, the bigger the lie, the more it will be believed.

To understand why people take different positions regarding climate change, then, we need to understand how the believers and deniers think.

We all have one thing in common:  We weigh the truth of what we hear against what we see or experience. We dismiss what doesn’t “compute.” We tend to believe what we see in our own neighborhoods over what is reported about distant places on the news.  We respect our own experience more than we trust the reporting of others.  

Similarly, we tend to trust people who seem to have something in common with us.  Those of us who express honest opinions in vulgar or crass terms tend to believe that people who use the same terms are simply “being honest,” even though style and honesty are two totally separate things.  We see this repeatedly in diverse groups.  Religious people will believe almost any religious person (of the same faith tradition) over an atheist, even when it comes to non-religious topics.  Those who believe that research is necessary will tend to believe research over casual observation, even if the research is manipulated.  To some extent, we are all sheep looking for support from other sheep.

With such a diversity of groups, each getting its information from different sources and filtering out information that contradicts their personal experiences, it is easy to see why the country is so divided.  And anyone who taps into that division can use it to his/her advantage.  Add to this bubbling cauldron the belief that opinions don’t have to be related to fact and ... tick-tock, tick-tock, KABOOM!

Which is where we are now... about two tick-tocks from KABOOM.

For those who don’t base their opinions on facts, only a radical change in their experience will change their minds. 

Keeping these things in mind, we should ask ourselves WHY we believe what we believe about climate change.  In areas hit repeatedly by unusual and terrible weather events, educated people may be easily convinced by the climate science data.  However, in those areas where the changes are more subtle, less-educated people may be less likely to believe in climate change.  Each will gravitate toward the evidence that seems most believable, most consistent with what they are experiencing.

Now here’s the rub:  Somebody is right, and somebody is wrong.  You can’t average out the opinions expressed in a poll.  And the opinion of the majority does not change the facts.  So maybe we should be asking the following questions:

• Who profits from inaction regarding climate, and by how much?

• Who would profit from acceptance that climate change is a reality?

• Is it likely that 97% of climate scientists are wrong?

• What are the arguments on both sides, and what evidence are they NOT including in their arguments?

• How could the burning of fossil fuels NOT impact the environment?

I don’t mean to imply a false equivalency of positions.  Reality is reality, regardless of what we think of it. I absolutely believe that the climate is changing rapidly.  The evidence confirms my own experience.  I believe the 97% of climate scientists who have come to same conclusion.  I do not believe these scientists because I’m a fan of Al Gore (I’m not a fan).  I don’t believe them because the position seems to be embraced by many Democrats (who cares?). I don’t even believe them because the fossil fuel industry has a lot to gain from debunking the scientific arguments and a lot to lose otherwise.  I believe that climate change is real because the propensity of the evidence, the logic of the scientific arguments - and my own two eyes - compel me to believe it.

White Lies Matter

It’s tough out there for honest people, isn’t it?  It’s so hard to maintain any personal integrity when the entire system relies on lies.  Downer, huh?  If you’re honest, you may wonder why you can’t succeed when so many around you seem to sail through life.  You might wonder whether you’re just a loser.  You may wonder… but perhaps you shouldn’t.  There are reasons why good guys finish last and why honest people find life so hard.  And often no amount of cleverness will part the sea for you.  One thing is certain, though:  The only thing that you can take with you when you die is your soul, so don’t lose it in a blizzard of white lies.

White lies are socially acceptable lies, and they are everywhere.  We usually think of white lies as harmless, undeserved compliments or defensive lies that we tell to people who had no right to ask in the first place.  Those white lies may not be so white, but those are not the kind of white lies that are damaging society beyond its ability to repair itself.

No, there are other kinds of white lies, and they do REAL damage.  They don’t rise to the level of criminal perjury, and they aren’t punishable under the law, but they are as malignant as the blackest of lies.  They are everywhere, but they are perhaps most common in any field related to employment, because employment affects our personal economic survival.  From resumes and interviews to being a “team player” in the workplace, white lies are required by most employers.  Of course, employers would never admit it (another white lie).

After the economic bubble burst, many found themselves looking for work.  The process often began with outplacement counseling.  The counseling used terms like “strategy,” of course – since no self-respecting outplacement counselor really wants to admit to offering courses on “how to fluff your resume” or “how to lie to get that job.”  The newly depressed and desperate were told how not to look so newly depressed and desperate … even though they were newly depressed and desperate, and it would be quite natural to be so.  They were told to tailor their resume to each recipient… even though it would be impossible to tailor the resume for every potential job.  They were told that key words were important, since company computers would only kick out resumes that had certain words.  They were told to grab the attention of the reader in just a few seconds, because readers will spend less than 20 seconds to judge your whole life and determine your fitness for the job.  They were told that, if you don’t hit every single expected buzz-word in a few seconds, you won’t get the call.  .

These messages were elaborated upon by a flood of experts, often associated with job fairs, on TV.  They claimed to know what “employers look for.”  From the shine of your shoes to the trim of your nails and hair, there were rules.  From the firmness of your handshake to the twinkle in your eyes, there were rules.  Never let them see you sweat.  Never appear nervous.  Look confident but not too confident.  Stand up straight.  When sitting, lean forward.  And if they ask you why you want to work there, NEVER say, “Because I need a job” (never mind that it might be the only honest answer). 

Now, what if you’re a very competent but shy person, as many are?  Too bad.  Lie.  Fake it.  What if you’re creative, have some tattoos or jewelry?  Cover the tats up, and take the jewelry out of your ears (unless you’re a woman, of course).   Show the human resources judge how well you can lie.  If you can lie well, the company can probably trust you not to make waves.  Let that conformity SPARKLE!

In recent years, some human resources departments have even added the psychological test to their arsenal of “tools” to filter out people who might think too much.  You might be given a test in which you are asked general questions and given a choice of vague answers.  If you are in the habit of thinking, you will want greater clarity in the questions and potential answers.  Case in point:  A very qualified applicant for a position in a medical device company applied for a job.  He had done the job for 15 years in a different company, and his old boss would be his new boss in the new company.  He had jumped through all the hoops except the psychological test, which was administered by a chirpy young human resources representative.  She asked, “Are you a big picture person or are you detail oriented?”  The man answered that the big picture is made of a lot of little details.  She then asked, “Would you rather have a purely professional relationship or work with friends?”  He answered that most of his friendships started out as purely professional relationships and that he guessed it depended upon the people.  After several silly questions and thoughtful answers, the woman told him that he would be contacted by the end of the week.  After a few weeks without the promised call, the man called his old boss.  “I haven’t heard from H.R. yet,” he said.  “Well,” said the old boss, “you apparently didn’t do too well on the psychological evaluation.  They thought you were evasive.”  The man then said to his old boss, “So I should have lied?”  Yes, lying was required. 

Anytime someone asks a question and tries to make you choose from answers that do not reflect what you believe, they are requiring that you lie.  

When people find work, though, a whole new set of white lies is required.  To refuse to play ball is to refuse to be a “team player.”  What used to be called "go along to get along" has now been re-termed in more positive nomenclature as "teamwork."  Annually, one state agency gives a computer survey regarding job satisfaction.  The answers can all be traced back to the individual computers, and everyone knows it.  Very few questions allow for a negative answer, but most employees won’t take a chance on being perceived as negative, as a non-team player.  Generally, the employee is only given a way of saying that he/she is happy or very happy and that management is doing a good job or a very good job.   In fact, many state workers who have taken the survey will admit privately that they lied on the survey because they want to keep their jobs. Your tax dollars at work….

The agency's annual how-extremely-happy-are-you? survey is not management's only attempt to coerce statements of happiness from the workforce.  Employees were recently asked to select, from a list of about 50 positive descriptions, the five or six that best describe his/her boss.  Even an ax murderer would come out looking pretty good.  The exercise is presented as a "something fun to do," and the employee is not forced to take part in this "fun" exercise - but who dares not to?  Again, lying is required.

White lies occur every single day in almost every cubicle across the country.  When a birthday card for someone whom you detest crosses your desk, what do you write?  You write, “Happy Birthday,” don’t you?  You want to be pleasant, after all.  And what would happen to you if you were honest, after all?  And so the card, and everything written in, ends up having little or no meaning to the person who receives it.  Because kind words are a political requirement, they mean nothing.

White lies do matter.  People have come to accept lying, expect lying, and require lying.  In this vast white wilderness where truth is buried under six feet of white lies, the honest person shivers and struggles to survive. Although we seem to be forced into expedient lying, maybe we need to push the envelop to the point of discomfort.   Honesty is still worth the grief.  After all, we can only take our souls with us. 

Welcome to Hard Truths America!

The chances are good that, if you’re not crazy, you think that most of the world is.  You’re probably upset with the loonies on the right and the loonies on the left.  You may know a few of them.  They are the bane of holiday meals, the spoiler of parties, and they are completely incapable of reasoning.  They are the brainwashed ones, the Kool-Aid guzzlers.  But, unless you’re in certain geographic pockets, you probably don’t know many such people.

Most of us would consider ourselves to be slightly right or left of center.  And most of us would prefer not to be lumped in with the loonies.  Unfortunately, many in the corporate media would have us believe that we in the vast middle abyss are all lonely and isolated, that we have no support, that our voices cry pointlessly in wilderness.  We often hear from the corporate media how supposedly polarized our countries are.  We may be polarized, but we are not polarized along the lines that are so commonly and sloppily drawn by so many in the corporate media.

The corporate media seems to make a lot of money from sloppily lumping together different sets of ideas, labeling them as “right” or “left,” and then pitting us against one another.  And as we are manipulated into believing that “the other side” is the enemy, somehow the real news, the real issues,  and the real travesties aren’t reported.  On the right, the churches, which too often have replaced honesty and compassion with reasonless “faith,” have become the propogandists of that tightly bundled set of ideas called “the Right.”  And to make matters worse, they claim the right is the CHRISTIAN right.  On the left, we have news people who smirk at the name of Bernie Sanders or report endlessly on Trump’s divisive non-issues (e.g., abortion, affairs) while ignoring the fact that so many people are being victimized by the crushing disparities in income.  

The truth is that most of us can, and do, sit down with one another and discuss issues.  We are the silent majority, and we’re getting pissed off.  We’re becoming radicalized.  We are becoming subversives, finding that the political establishment has no moral authority.  We wish nobody harm.  We do not want violence, but our illusions are quickly being dispelled.

Ultimately, we want the same things:  personal freedom, a safety net that is there but not abused, peace, prosperity, an educated population, economic justice, safety, and a certain amount of mercy.  In short, we want “life, liberty, and the American way.”  We want the American dream back; we sometimes just can't figure out the best way to get it back.  Once we do figure it out, though, there will be change for the better.  But we’ve got to unite.  The reasonable middle MUST become the radicalized middle.

Imagine a country without corporate media manipulation.  Imagine a country where big business can profit without oppressing the workers and where the workers are paid justly.  Imagine a country where crooked politicians of any stripe go to prison.  Imagine a country in which the poor get the same healthcare as the rich (as is the case in other civilized countries).  Imagine a country where respect is based on the honesty of the job and not on economic affluence or political influence.  Imagine a country in which memes are replaced with reason and compassion. 

We can unite.  We must unite.  We can build a new country, a new world.  But we will have to fight.  And if we lose a battle or two, we must keep fighting.  The war never ends.