planet earth looks blue

Today the working man is a powerful being.  He is somehow responsible for all the country’s problems.  Using his well-honed muscles he singlehandedly caused the housing market crash.  And those poor auto industry CEO’s, victim to the working man’s boisterous demands for reasonable wages and rights.    This is such a ridiculous alternate reality spun by those that are in power.  I don’t understand why any of us, the people, are buying it.  The butterfly effect, that has echoed through the entire worlds financial systems was not started by John and Jane.  As for the housing market, try the low interest rates, that caused lenders to seek more debtors because the yields were so low.  And the auto industry is not failing because of their union workers!  Where would America be without the unions?  In danger of losing the forced respect that unions demand on employers for their employees.  We would lose what humanity we have left for each other in our over-striated class system.  Is it any wonder that unions exist and are the strongest in the industries where it is literally dangerous for the workers - the auto industry, the railroad, the coal miners.  They are in place to protect and represent the under-represented, not to harm the business owners.  Congress finally passed the auto bailout, offering up a $17.5 billion federal rescue package, but Bush added his two cents after the bill was passed, requiring workers to agree to “competitive” wages and work rules.  They should be left out of this entire deal.  Not only are they being laid off, and losing hours, but they are going to have to take less pay and benefits when they can work.  Why do they have to bear the brunt of this ordeal?  They are not the ones that decided to make their business focus trucks and SUV’s, knowing full well the energy dilemma.  They were not the ones to promote this culture of making big money with big vehicles, instead of investing in our future, striving to be the world’s innovators in energy efficient vehicles.  I wonder what ideas the industry would hear if they would just invite the workers to the discussion, sit around a table with them, and ask, what do YOU think we should do.  2008-12-20