CARNIVAL OF THE UNCAPITALISTS XVII

COME ONE, COME ALL The Seventeenth Carnival of the UnCapitalists Is Here. Sprung like ATHENA from the forehead of CN TODD, The Carnival now slides across the surf of August like APHRODITE.  But enough myth, it’s time for reality.

The Carnies here may not agree with each other on all things Uncapitalist, on all things relating to dollars and cents and you need not agree either.  Some things, however, to all make sense.  Every person in this world has dignity and deserves respect.  The fruits of labor should not go rotting while there are people to be fed.  Labor, capital, corporations, oligarchy and greed are large concepts that may hide a simple truth. People must be fed.

THE HERETIK on FAMILY: My grandfather now and again would open his wallet.  He would hold it open like it held the world, like he was catching the wind for a moment.  I would look at what he had in his wallet.  The union card.  I remember the picture of him with more hair.  I remember the driver's license.  A chauffeur's license.  My grandfather took work as a chaffeur driving cars for others when others would not hire union workers.  When I would ask him why, he wouldn't say anything for a minute. Or so it seemed.  Then he would put his hand on me.  I remember the imprint of his hand on my shoulder, on my life.  Why a chauffeur's license?  Because what you have now, you may not have tomorrow.   Then he would hand me a buck.  I would ask him what is that was for.  He would say for nothing.  Such nothing means everything to me now.

AGITPROP on FORGOTTEN PLACES: So far in 2005, the stories that have received 24-hour MSM coverage have included a DYING BRAIN-DEAD WOMAN, a LIVING BRAIN-DEAD WOMAN, an exonerated CHILD MOLESTOR, and the dying and death of a POLISH HERO.  If the media is so "liberal" as most conservatives claim, then why doesn't the media focus more on widespread issues of human rights and human suffering--typical points of liberal fascination--rather than sensational tales of personal drama?

IRON MAN at POLITICAL CALCULATIONS on Labor DOUBLING DOWN: Sometimes, when a gambler has had a long losing streak, they will bet an amount equal to the amount they've already lost, hoping that their luck will change and that they will be able to fully regain their losses with just one bet. This kind of betting is often called "doubling down" and it's a very high-risk strategy - one that may restore the gambler's losses, but far more often leads only to ever greater losses.
It's also part of why the AFL-CIO, the largest umbrella of organized labor unions in the U.S., is now fracturing. Back in March 2005, AFL-CIO PRESIDENT JOHN J. SWEENEY made a huge bet in setting the strategic direction of the union.

ZWICHENZUG  at THE BELLMAN:  It's folk wisdom in the labor movement that unions most often fail, if they do, because they fail to secure a first contract. Management knows this, and knows as well that by dragging out negotiations they can create the appearance that the union isn't benefitting workers. In the Scripps-Encinitas case, the hospital delayed the start of negotiations by bringing in a new management team following the initial election and has weathered day long walkouts twice without budging on key issues. Whether or not management also, as is alleged, urged employees to sign a decert petition and provided legal advice to anti-union employees, it's clear that their strategy is to treat the negotiation as a delaying action in the hopes of exhausting the union.

THE MUTUALIST has got THE MATERIAL ISSUE DOWN: The business union bureaucracies are an integral part of the corporate liberal coalition because they have an interest in common with the corporate players in that coalition. That interest is to impose order on the rank and file, and let the bosses manage without interference. That's not so bad when there's a large manufacturing sector that's willing to pay comparatively high wages in return for stability, as was the case before 1970 or so. But when most corporations decide that cutting a deal with the unions is no longer in their interest, and they prefer union-busting instead, that old Taylorist-Fordist bargain is a recipe for suicide.

ALSO CANADIAN has the THE C THRU BACK PACK
to get you through security at airports without getting shot. Disclaimer: for the C-thru pack to work properly the wearer must not wear any other clothing or footwear.

GUERRILLA SCIENCE documents the PLIGHT OF THE UNDOCUMENTED: If the corporations don’t have undocumented workers to exploit, they will find somebody else to screw out of a buck, or send the work overseas.

LA REVUE GAUCHE announces: The right wing in Canada has a new cheerleader, it's none other than the last Chretienite left standing; Warren Kinsella.

THE BIONIC OCTOPUS on WHAT’S WRONG WITH LIBERALS?  Hahahahahahaha. Where to start, right? No, but I want to talk about a specific issue, because it represents a glaring discontinuity in the values program of the 'decent' liberal left in America, and we need to be aware and be working on it. I'm talking, big surprise, about Palestine.

BUERMANN at FLAGRANCY TO REASON goes off on CAFTA: I see another investor rights and corporate protectionist racket has been passed by congress. What I wouldn't do to see them sign off on a two page agreement for reciprocal tarriff and subsidy reductions, that might actually be interesting. THIS THING is, as they all are, hundreds of pages of technocratic jargon and somewhere in there you might dig up something not entirely dissimilar to part of a free trade agreement. Among all its TWISTING AND CHURNING of existing trade relations we have the usual provisions . . .

SCADAPALY on THE FUNDAMENTAL FLAW:
So what is this underlying fundamental flaw in our system? It is something that cannot be legislated nor regulated. It has to do with character, honesty, and a desire to do what is best for America.

THE HERETIK INVITES ALL UNCAPITALISTS to Continue the Carnival throughout this week. This can be a strong week long thing here so keep sending submissions and The Heretik will re-post throughout the week.

 

 

Comments

[Kevin Carson]

I figure giving birth to a full-grown woman in armor has got to be pretty damn painful, regardless of what orifice she comes out of.

That "living brain-dead woman" reference fooled me: I was expecting a story about Jessica Simpson.

[gretchen]

Great job by all this week! Please send your blog entry submissions to [email protected] for publication in future carnivals.

Check out the UnCapitalist Journal for submission guidelines and announcements on future carnivals:

http://uncapitalist.com/blog

[Richard Cranium]

And a stellar intro it is, Heretik! Tanks for picking up us slackers this week.

[christian louboutin]

You blog is so lovely that speak the words right out my month. The familiar perspectives on this topic really calls for a drink. I bookmarkt you so that we can talk

about it in details, see ya, pal!

[skytop supra shoes]

That interest is to impose order on the rank and file, and let the bosses manage without interference. That's not so bad when there's a large manufacturing sector that's willing to pay comparatively high wages in return for stability, as was the case before 1970 or so.