Working Life

The pastry of my childhood might still survive. That’s good for the workers — if not for general good health.

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Cheap. Low prices. Bargains. It’s the American way of recent decades–a promise we’ve been given by everyone from politicians to corporate marketing campaigns. And most people find it hard to see the devastating cost to us as a society. But, sometimes things happen at once that can give a very clear picture, if you look. For your consideration.

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If a company promotes an environment that endorses attacking its workers, violates the law and thrives on the poverty of its workers and its consumers, it’s an easy step from that to bribe someone to advance the agenda of the company. So, why would anyone be surprised by the growing scandal at Wal-Mart?

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This will be, for some, a tough one. But, if we are really to change the system, we have to be unsparing to people, no matter what political persuasion they come from.

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There is a public sham underway, disguised by the sides taken by both sides in the phony obsession over the debt and deficit crisis. The shame is not simply that there is no actual economic crisis, only a political crisis created by the stupidity of a mutual “death pact” on spending and taxes. It is that taxes on the rich are far too low — even if the Bush tax cuts expire.

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This is no great shakes, which I will point out in an upcoming post. But, ok, it’s better than nothing.

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This is not entirely surprising, at least if you spend the time to talk to people and show a little courage. People do not mind raising taxes — if it’s done for the right reasons and if the burden is put in the right place. That’s what the 2012 elections showed.

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Since there is no money in being right about the election, pardon me while I strut for just a few hours, having nailed on the nose the Electoral College vote weeks before (Florida is going to end up in Obama’s column—the remaining votes are from heavily Democratic areas). But, moving quickly on to an important lesson, because bragging only carries you as far as the first yawn from a friend, there is a lesson to consider.

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All in all, it was a pretty nice night for the forces of pretty good — as opposed to the excellent Wellstone-like leaders we need. But, a note from the front-lines of collective bargaining where it matters long term– an initiative to lock in collective bargaining in Michigan was soundly defeated.

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Barack Obama will be re-elected president Tuesday night, and probably by a relatively comfortable electoral vote margin. The question for workers in the US, and around the world, is: does it matter who wins?

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