


Cartoon:
Individual liberty anywhere is a threat to the Progressive-Collectivist Cause everywhere.
"Oh [Muslim] brothers, the nation that excels in the death industry, and knows how to die a noble [death], Allah grants it a precious life in this world and eternal bliss in the Afterlife. The only weakness that shall humiliate us is the love of this world and hating death. Therefore we have prepared your souls for great action, strive for death - and life will be given to you."-- From Palwatch translation of The Muslim Brotherhood handbook.
Something about public employees' unions certainly feels different from private-industry unions, as my colleague points out. But I'm not sure I follow the way he draws the distinction. In private industry, my colleague thinks, unions make sense because they compensate for uneven bargaining power between owners and workers in the struggle over how to split up profits. Public-sector unions, he thinks,(from economist.com)...don't work like this. They aren't bargaining against capitalists for a fair cut of the cooperative surplus. They're bargaining against everybody who pays taxes and/or benefits from government spending. The question of distribution in democratic politics isn't about splitting up jointly-produced profits. It's about interest groups fighting to grab a bigger share of government revenue while sticking competing groups with the tax bill.
Fifty percent of manufacturers refuse to consider Missouri as a place to locate new jobs because Missouri law has no protection against forced unionization of their workers, according to testimony given Tuesday (2-8) in the Senate General Laws Committee. Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senator Luann Ridgeway (R-Smithville) would change that by giving employees the freedom to choose whether or not to join a union as a condition of getting or keeping a job.(from joplinindependent.com)Ridgeway said recent census data shows that businesses with jobs and the workers who take them are fleeing to states with worker protection laws, also know as "Right-to-Work" laws.
"With an unemployment rate at nearly 10 percent, Missouri must consider every obstacle to put our citizens back to work," Ridgeway said. "It is clear that job producers and the workers who take those jobs are voting with their feet on the 'Right-to-Work' issue because they are moving to states that have this protection."
Friday is when Gov. Scott Walker lowers the boom on government employees unions. As he has promised.(from thedailypage.com)
Not just for state employees unions but for municipal, county, and university and K-12 school unions -- the right to negotiate labor contracts all government unions in the State of Wisconsin will be outlawed. Eliminated.Friday, the new governor will announce that he will seek legislation undoing Gaylord Nelson’s 1959 grant of labor union organizing rights to government employees.
Wisconsin was the first in that regard. JFK soon followed by granting the right to federal employees.
Call to Egyptian workers. Statement from the Revolutionary Socialists, Egypt:(via emergingcorruption.com)
Glory to the martyrs! Victory to the revolution!
What is happening today is the largest popular revolution in the history of our country… and of the entire Arab world. The sacrifice of our martyrs has built our revolution and we have broken through all the barriers of fear. We will not back down until the criminal ‘leaders’ and their criminal system is destroyed.
The demonstrations and protests have played a key role in igniting and continuing our revolution. Now we need the workers. They can seal the fate of the regime. Not only by participating in the demonstrations, but by organising a general strike in all the vital.industries and large corporations…
The regime can afford to wait out the sit-ins and demonstrations for days and weeks, but it cannot last beyond a few hours if workers use strikes as a weapon. Strike on the railways, on public transport, the airports and large industrial companies…! Egyptian Workers! On behalf of the rebellious youth, and on behalf of the blood of our martyrs, join the ranks of the revolution, use your power and victory will be ours!
Form revolutionary councils urgently.
This revolution has surpassed our greatest expectations. Nobody expected to see these numbers. Nobody expected that Egyptians would be this brave in the face of the police. Nobody can say that we did not force the dictator to retreat. Nobody can say that a transformation did not happen in Middan el Tahrir.
What we need right now is to push for the socio-economic demands as part of our demands, so that the person sitting in his home knows that we fighting for their rights… We need to organize ourselves into popular committees which elects its higher councils democratically, and from below. These councils must form a higher council which includes delegates of all the tendencies. We must elect a higher council of people who represent us, and in whom we trust. We call for the formation of popular councils in Middan Tahrir, and in all the cities of Egypt.
Class struggle(in Marxist ideology) the conflict of interests between the workers and the ruling class in a capitalist society, regarded as inevitably violent.
Class struggle(in Marxist ideology) the conflict of interests between the workers and the ruling class in a capitalist society, regarded as inevitably violent.
"Oh [Muslim] brothers, the nation that excels in the death industry, and knows how to die a noble [death], Allah grants it a precious life in this world and eternal bliss in the Afterlife. The only weakness that shall humiliate us is the love of this world and hating death. Therefore we have prepared your souls for great action, strive for death - and life will be given to you."-- From Palwatch translation of The Muslim Brotherhood handbook.