Followup on my last post

A couple of people responded to my last Blog post on Facebook where others had linked to the post.  I am going to respond here because, well, I can. If you haven’t read it, you should before reading this.

 

JB: First off, a union is a lot less powerful than a corporation, and has always stood on the side of people interests, not the interests of a made up organization that cannot actually experience suffering or punishments in any meaningful way. Fining a corporation for breaking a law, or a corporation losing money on a deal, is far different from an employee losing a limb due to unregulated conditions or losing their job and still having to feed children.

Response:  You make a point here that really ignores a major point. Today, unions are in fact corporations in every sense of the world. They were born out of a necessity, true, which you allude to in the statement about an employee losing a limb, but these days there are regulations for these things. And those regulations were brought about because of protests of the workers during the birth of the unions. But, to return to your first point, in many senses the unions have more political power than any single corporation as they are able to skirt the donation rules. That will likely change now that some of those rules have been eased but that is yet to be seen. But, in some cases the unions now have exorbitant power over the companies they are in contract with, and are as abusive in that the use of that power as the companies were during the birth of the unions, sans the working conditions obviously.

But we also need to look at the history of unions. They were born out of necessity and I agree that they were needed. The working conditions and the way some people were taking advantage of their workers were deplorable. But you can’t sugar coat it either. The protests were violent and destructive. And after the Mob joined in to support it got more so. And they were not just attacking the bosses, they attacked workers that crossed the lines as well as workers at companies that did not take advantage of their people yet did similar jobs. And there are still instances to this day of union agitators intimidating people, and the lobbying by unions to make votes to unionize be through public ballots is one of those. There are also incidents of union leadership making back room deals in order to pad their own pockets while selling their members interests short. So don’t make an absolute statement like unions have always stood on the side of people interests as it is just not true. They have stood for some people interests at the cost of others.

JB: The bailouts were given to the banks and corporations that were essentially placed into the system by the same banks and corporations that received the bailouts.

Response: Had a hard time following that sentence. I think you are saying that they created their own regulations that caused them to fail. That is untrue, they took business risks (and in the case of GM also have a very unfavorable contract with the UAW) that were foolish; coupled with regulations placed on them (in the case of the banks at least) as to how much in “risky” loans they had to maintain. Add the housing bubble and a recession and boom! And bailing them out was the absolute worst thing to do.

JB: His quip about the haves and have-nots shows a lack of understanding about how the system works. They don’t have a job, they haven’t been able to get a job despite trying, and if they did get a job somehow, then their wages would remain stagnant, while they got to watch a system tilted in favor of the rich help the rich get even more wealthy. He’s chasing a dream, and the barriers to keeping him there are the barriers that the 99%ers are against.

Response: Pretty sure my “quip” shows that I do understand how things work. I am responsible for me. If I want more then I need to get off my butt and go get it. I do not want a handout. Even when I was poor as dirt I never took anything that I did not earn. I suppose I was poor but proud. I agree that the unemployment situation is bad, but it is a government meddling issue, not a corporation issue. If the government creates an environment where corporations not only want to hire, but need to hire, domestically, then they will. Right now that is not happening, and since the majority of the Obama “jobs” bill is just “Stimulus 2.0,” i.e. high investment for low return jobs going disproportionately to union work for short term positions, that climate is not being created. As for watching the rich get richer, why is it anyone’s business? If they spent more time working on themselves and less drooling in envy at other people’s stuff they would be much happier.

JB: This started off as a grassroots movement of college kids, and now unions are involved, and unions at one time were themselves grassroots movements.

Response: Yes, it started that way all right. A bunch of disaffected people that wanted to protest because corporations are evil made up entities that aren’t doing their civic duty by doing what the protesters think they should be doing. I think. Maybe. But the thing is, the unions taint the message. Which is exactly what happened when the unions were forming, if you recall, organized crime got involved in the workers movement thereby tainting them as well, interesting is it not? Grassroots movements sometimes get hijacked, and just saying something is grassroots does not somehow make it right.

JB: It’s when he got to his red points that I honestly stopped reading. It was just sad to read through, and I’ve got better things to do. Does this person do anything besides watching Fox news? Did he pay attention at all in history class?

Response: So you stopped reading when I started discussing the actual points from the occupy.org site? That was the best part. And I don’t watch Fox news at all. And yes I paid attention, but I also went to schools that actually taught history.

SB: The second red point was ignorant. There are, indeed, successful companies that are run democratically. Your friend basically coughed up a biased point of view without doing any research. Bless his heart :(

Response: Biased? Well yeah, it is my blog. And this is an opinion piece in response to another opinion piece. But I have done my research, and I am hardly ignorant. There are lots of successful companies that run through organizational democracy. But they still have leaders that make decisions without putting each and every idea to a vote and going on consensus. So they are not truly run democratically as the protesters are demanding, which is where my point comes into play. Anyone that has ever served in a group that is democratically run knows how hard it is to pick what to have for lunch, much less run a company.

 But they are also not limiting their demands to any type or size of business. So, based on their statements, if I had a small business and I hired someone then that person should then have an equal say in the direction of the company. And that is ludicrous.

I have a few other things I want to say but I will make those in another post.

The Occupy People

I just read an article talking about the Occupy Wall Street folks that really got my back up. You can read it here

Let me start by saying I find the fact that these people claim to speak for me absurd, because I am certainly not one of the 1%. But I apparently am not one of this 99% either. Because I find many of things they stand for, and make no mistake they do stand FOR quite a few things, according to their statements on the web and elsewhere, totally misguided and offensive. So the premise many people espouse, that they stand AGAINST things, but not FOR things is just wrong.

Yes, there is a problem with money essentially buying politicians. But some of the biggest groups doing just that are the very same unions that are protesting WITH them. And as others have noted, those unions are trying to bolster their numbers as well. So, apparently for them it is only when CERTAIN groups buy politicians. But through this their message is already tainted.

Yes, it does annoy that banks took bailouts and then sat on it. But I don't really blame the banks for this. I blame the idiots that gave them the money that so naively ASSUMED that they would use it as they thought it would be used. And did it more than once! Have they never heard the fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me mantra? But again, a lot of that money essentially went to the Occupy groups bed buddies, the unions. Why aren't they enraged about the millions of dollars wasted that went there? And the taint spreads.

But they also apparently believe in so much more.

They believe that the existence of “haves” and “have nots” is unfair. But how is it fair to expect that those that “have,” should give everything to the “have nots?” Based on this belief it is not a question of whether you are a bad person or not, it is simply that you have what they want. And this ticks me off. I started out with nothing, but I have worked my butt off to get where I am now. And while I am still not a “have” (in my opinion, something tells me these people might not agree) I am really hoping to get there someday. And my work should be for me and my family. Not for others that people like this think are worthier of the fruits of my labor. My grandfather would have put this very clearly. GO GET A JOB! Any job is better than none. If you can’t afford what you want either do without, or go get either a better job or a second one.

Oh, and the idea that this is a grassroots movement is silly. If it was then the unions would not be trying to recruit people for it. If it was then the reports out of Chicago that many of the protestors are being paid for their time would not exist. Professional protesters! Hello hypocrisy, are you there?

The OWS website has numerous lists and such and moving on I want to touch on some of them.

This one seems to be who can be one of the 99%. Never mind that logic would say if you are not in the 1% you are by default in the 99. And then there is the simple fact that there is no way 99% of Americans agree with all this. But hey, it looks great on a sign.

1. If you agree that freedom is the right to communicate, to live, to be, to go, to love, to do what you will without the impositions of others, then you might be one of us.

Yeah, I pretty much agree with all of that. But aren’t they trying to impose on the “haves?”

2. If you agree that a person is entitled to the sweat of their brows, that being talented at management should not entitle others to act like overseers and overlords, that all workers should have the right to engage in decisions, democratically, then you might be one of us.

Yeah, you are entitled to the sweat of your brows. But you are not entitled to the sweat of mine. And this idea that all decisions in a business should be made democratically is ludicrous. No company could ever survive like that. You have to have leadership.

3. If you agree that freedom for some is not the same as freedom for all, and that freedom for all is the only true freedom, then you might be one of us.

I think I already covered this. Freedom for all means you can’t take from me and give it to others. Go out and get your own stuff, you have the freedom to do that now. Sheesh.

4. If you agree that power is not right, that life trumps property, then you might be one of us.

Power is not right? Does that mean no one with power is ever right? Because, if so, that is a rather asinine statement, some people with power are right, some are wrong. Look at the power being exercised by some of the union groups. The companies they work for are not able to be competitive because of the insanely high people costs they are being forced to absorb. That is a power being used wrong, but by groups that are welcomed and supported by the members of this movement. And life trumps property? On the surface that seems obvious, but in a bit we will get a little more insight on that one.

5. If you agree that state and corporation are merely two sides of the same oppressive power structure, if you realize how media distorts things to preserve it, how it pits the people against the people to remain in power, then you might be one of us.

The same oppressive power structure? Huh? We aren’t perfect but I have lived all over the world and seen some pretty oppressed places. And America doesn’t even begin to be so. Don’t these people even realize that if it were, they could not be doing what they are doing! Now about how the media distorts things I have to agree. For instance, the media keeps talking about how this is a popular grassroots movement. That’s why there are millions of them. Oh, wait.

After that clever list of inanities they move on to a call for action. So let’s look at that next.

1. We call for protests to remain active in the cities. Those already there, to grow, to organize, to raise consciousnesses, for those cities where there are no protests, for protests to organize and disrupt the system

So basically we want more people. And we want to disrupt things. So essentially calling for civil disobedience. Got it.

2. We call for workers to not only strike, but seize their workplaces collectively, and to organize them democratically. We call for students and teachers to act together, to teach democracy, not merely the teachers to the students, but the students to the teachers. To seize the classrooms and free minds together.

Workers should all strike and seize their workplaces collectively. Wait, I thought they were only against the bankers and rotten politicians. Based on this they are against pretty much ALL businesses that operate for profit. So essentially that picture pointing out the hypocrisy of the protesters using cameras, wearing clothes, using phones, is actually true, and not a straw man statement as some have stated. What makes it even better is how many of these young people seem to have REALLY expensive stuff. 99% huh? Oh and seize the classrooms. Why? Most classrooms are liberal brainwashing centers already. Why would you want to change that? Some issues with self loathing perhaps?

Haven't seen the picture? Here it is...



3. We call for the unemployed to volunteer, to learn, to teach, to use what skills they have to support themselves as part of the revolting people as a community

Well yeah, they should use their skills to support themselves. As opposed to expecting others to support them. I have to be honest here though, I know what they are saying about people being involved in a revolt, but I can’t help but chuckle at the revolting people. Take a shower!

4. We call for the seizure and use of abandoned buildings, of abandoned land, of every property seized and abandoned by speculators, for the people, for every group that will organize them.

Ok, so again with the promoting of civil disobedience. Seizing property? With no real thought to who may own it?

Well that was one of the posts on the official site. Basically these people are a mixture of anarchists and communists. Which is a pretty interesting mash-up in my opinion.

But wait, there’s more!

On September 21st, 2011, roughly eighty percent of Americans thought the country was on the wrong track.

Ending the modern gilded age is our one demand.

On September 21st, 2011, roughly 15% of Americans approved of the job Congress was doing.

Ending political corruption is our one demand.

Yes, most Americans do believe that the country is on the wrong track, and yes they don’t approve of the job Congress is doing. But what the majority of them disagree with are the socialist policies coming out of the current government. Not an end to a modern gilded age, but I do like the idea of ending political corruption. But I would guess that the country will go in a radically different direction than these people expect if it were.

On September 21st, 2011, roughly one sixth of Americans did not have work.
Ending joblessness is our one demand.

I think learning math might need to be their one demand. 9.2% is way too high, but it is just under one tenth, not one sixth. But demanding it won’t make it happen. We need to have a government that is pro business in order to create jobs. Being pro union is not going to do it. Neither is this crazy idea of creating a democratic workforce that has a say in all decisions.

On September 21st, 2011, roughly one sixth of America lived in poverty.
Ending poverty is our one demand.

That sounds great, but how? If you take from me and give to someone else that just brings me down to the poverty level. You cannot pull someone up that is not willing to work for it themselves. It sucks, but there it is. Creating massive welfare states such as in Europe is proving to fail again and again. It just does not work. But these same people also claim to support Greece’s people in protest of that countries austerity measures. They are broke, and they are finally having to fix that. And they are broke because they tried to end poverty through the creation of a welfare state.

On September 21st, 2011, America had military bases in around one hundred and thirty out of one hundred and sixty-five countries.
Ending American imperialism is our one demand.

That requires a very broad use of the word base. Not to mention that there are 196 countries in the world. We actually have personnel in 148 countries, but in 56 of them there are less than 10 total people present. But I do agree we need to stop being the world’s police. Another thing that the OWS folks ignore is that the majority of those countries we are there by invitation of either the country or at the request of the UN. There are only 13 countries in the world where we have more than 1000 personnel. And considering the fact that we could have turned Iraq into a new US territory and instead turned around and gave it back, the imperialism statement is laughable.

Conclusion

These people are not truly against what they say they are. If so they would not be in bed with the unions that have skirted the giving limits again and again by donating to candidates in the name of each of their members. By allying with groups that use intimidation and corrupt practices constantly they show that they are in fact just what many accuse them of. They are hypocrites.

What cracks me up is their continued support for the people of Greece and other European countries that are either going, or have gone, broke through attempts to do exactly what they desire. How dare they stop paying for things with money they don’t have. Things that they cannot pay for because the tax base is so diluted because there is no incentive to actually work for a living. And even better, they are ticked off at the possibility that America might cut back as well, to try to keep from completely failing like Greece. But hey, who cares if we can actually afford to pay for this crap. That matters little to these folks.

The big thing for me is simply this. There is only one country like America. There are lots of countries that are much more like what they are calling for, granted they are all going broke because of it but they do exist. I propose a trade, we will send the OWS people to them, if they send willing workers that want to make something of themselves to us. Seems fair right?

I'm Back!!

Ok, I have been seriously remiss in my blogging. In fact, it has been over a year since I last wrote anything. But perhaps it is time to start again. And maybe Melissa will as well.

I graduated from Liberty University with my Masters degree, and now I am left with the same thing that assails graduates everywhere of every age. Now what! I would like to teach, online or in the classroom would be fine. I have considered writing; I do have a novel kicking around in my head. And I have thought of starting my own business. But for the summer at least I am mostly just relaxing. After 7 years of school, on top of full time work and full time parent, it is nice to have a break this summer. But I can’t rest forever.

Midget is doing well, and still working hard at gymnastics. She has taken great strides into truly owning her sport and has shown some amazing dedication. But she is struggling with a bar skill called a kip, and without it she cannot move up to level 5. The only way she will get it is if she continues to increase her dedication by working on certain things at home, which she hopefully will start doing today. Otherwise it will be another year of level 4, which in itself is not really a bad thing, but I would love to see her move up.

On a personal note I decided last month to follow in my Sister-In-Law’s footsteps and take Taekwondo. At 41 this is NOT an easy feat. But so far things are going pretty well, though I am about as flexible as a tree. I am belt testing on Thursday, for a yellow belt. Lets hope I don’t blow it.

Anyway, just a rambling post for my return to the blogosphere, more to come soon, especially on the political front, since there is so much going on.