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More broadly, I love unions, but the concept needs to be changed. Workers definitely need to organize and support each other, but the specific model of how that happens is outdated. I don't know what unions should look like, but something about them needs to change. Things shift faster and faster in the economy these days, the underlying principles and structure is the same, but the speed of it is ever increasing. The collective bargaining structure is too slow and enduring.
Yes, they need to break with the Democrats and stop playing by the rules of the NLRB. They need to start employing the tactics that built their strength in the first place: mass pickets that nobody dare cross, secondary strikes, sit-ins, etc., etc. That is, all the things that were bipartisanly outlawed by the Taft-Hartley Act and the other anti-labor laws of the Democrats' "glory days."
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One of the interesting things I wasn't aware of was how cheap education was in the 1950's. Some state schools were still free. The ones that charged usually ran around $500-900 a year, or $4800 to $8700 adjusted for inflation.
It's even worse than it seems at first blush because, due to the crunch on wages, you can't reasonably expect to pay your way through school. In response to the OWS movement and calls to strike student debt, you'll hear a lot of whinging about how this generation has it so easy and the baby boomers were expected to work through college.
My mother entered college in 1974. At UWGB (University of Wisconsin Green Bay) a year's tuition was $800, for which she took out a private loan at 1% interest. She got a job working part time, maybe 10 hours a week, in the school store (backpacks, pencils, books, that kinda stuff) and it paid $10 an hour. $10/hr in 1974 dollars though, which is like $50/hr in today's money, and with the money she earned working part time she paid for room and board (there was no on-campus housing), paid off her loan at the end of the year, and bought a car.
I'm fortunate (or poor enough) to get a free ride to university, and in-state tuition at a land grant college is about 11-12k/year.
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[Crosses the threads]
Hollow Advice--Obama to Putin: Do as I Say Not as I Do by RALPH NADER
Hollow advice indeed.
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For open admissions, free tuition and a living stipend for all students!
Vive le Galt!
I could understand a living stipend, even if only a no interest loan, for usefull students like doctors. the career student getting a degree in basket weaving is not a good investment of tax money. Same goes for loan forgiveness for useful ones in exchange for agreements to work where needed for a term
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More broadly, I love unions, but the concept needs to be changed. Workers definitely need to organize and support each other, but the specific model of how that happens is outdated. I don't know what unions should look like, but something about them needs to change. Things shift faster and faster in the economy these days, the underlying principles and structure is the same, but the speed of it is ever increasing. The collective bargaining structure is too slow and enduring.Yes, they need to break with the Democrats and stop playing by the rules of the NLRB. They need to start employing the tactics that built their strength in the first place: mass pickets that nobody dare cross, secondary strikes, sit-ins, etc., etc. That is, all the things that were bipartisanly outlawed by the Taft-Hartley Act and the other anti-labor laws of the Democrats' "glory days."
You mean blackmail and violence?
How close is "basket weaving" to an actual straw man?
How close is "basket weaving" to an actual straw man?
Well i think now a days they are calling it "making stuff from hemp" which surprisingly alot of college students would be interested in if the parents who was paying for it wouldnt know or mind.
But to answer ur question, pretty damn close. Id say basket weaving makes u better at setting up strawmen since u are trained in shaping straw :-)
By the way what do you lump in the "Basket Weaving" category? History, Philosophy, any kind of Art or Performance, Mathematics, (I'm talking about majoring in Mathematics itself, not taking the courses you need for Physics, Chem, or Engineering.)?
Yes, yes, yes, no.
The physicists tell me that the math does something out at those levels, and since they're making nukes I'm inclined to believe them.
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I could understand a living stipend, even if only a no interest loan, for usefull students like doctors. the career student getting a degree in basket weaving is not a good investment of tax money. Same goes for loan forgiveness for useful ones in exchange for agreements to work where needed for a termFor open admissions, free tuition and a living stipend for all students!
Vive le Galt!
Why don't we just ban all scholarships save for tech schools and be done with it? The liberal arts have their value save that it actually relies on the student working their buts off to realize it.
Like almost everyone else, you reduce an argument to some BS set of bipolar extremes, you either have a "practical" major, or you're wasting space.
The problem with that approach, is that the word gets around that THE practical major to have is A. Which in my time was the buisness administration degree. So we wind up with an oversupply of BA graduates. After that it became the computer science degree, the universities turn out a whole bunch of tech grads just in time for the big tech crunch and most of those jobs being outsourced to India.
Rutgers did not have a degree program in "Basket Weaving", and most scholarship programs don't mandate what a gifted person should do with their college time, which I consider a good thing.
By the way what do you lump in the "Basket Weaving" category? History, Philosophy, any kind of Art or Performance, Mathematics, (I'm talking about majoring in Mathematics itself, not taking the courses you need for Physics, Chem, or Engineering.)?
Society has an interest in people with practical skills and has reason to invest in them. it is a wise use of public funds. Musicians, artist, etc can go get someone else that's willing to pay but they do not do anything worth the public footing the bill. Things like doctors are not a dime a dozen and aweful hard to outsource. Those with the potential to do great things to help society are worth an investment. Some guy making noise, or trying to be a philosopher will never do for society what a doctor will. Do they have a place and are worth existing? sure, but they are not worth our money. and the ones, like one of my family member, that are just trying to extend childhood with 8 years to get a 4 year degree are not a wise investment either
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And no philosopher has ever had any influence on society at large and because we can see into the future, we can be sure that none will ever in the future either. Nor are the things past philosophers have said have any value to us today.
Society has an interest in people with practical skills and has reason to invest in them. it is a wise use of public funds. Musicians, artist, etc can go get someone else that's willing to pay but they do not do anything worth the public footing the bill. Things like doctors are not a dime a dozen and aweful hard to outsource. Those with the potential to...I could understand a living stipend, even if only a no interest loan, for usefull students like doctors. the career student getting a degree in basket weaving is not a good investment of tax money. Same goes for loan forgiveness for useful ones in exchange for agreements to work where needed for a termFor open admissions, free tuition and a living stipend for all students!
Vive le Galt!
Why don't we just ban all scholarships save for tech schools and be done with it? The liberal arts have their value save that it actually relies on the student working their buts off to realize it.
Like almost everyone else, you reduce an argument to some BS set of bipolar extremes, you either have a "practical" major, or you're wasting space.
The problem with that approach, is that the word gets around that THE practical major to have is A. Which in my time was the buisness administration degree. So we wind up with an oversupply of BA graduates. After that it became the computer science degree, the universities turn out a whole bunch of tech grads just in time for the big tech crunch and most of those jobs being outsourced to India.
Rutgers did not have a degree program in "Basket Weaving", and most scholarship programs don't mandate what a gifted person should do with their college time, which I consider a good thing.
By the way what do you lump in the "Basket Weaving" category? History, Philosophy, any kind of Art or Performance, Mathematics, (I'm talking about majoring in Mathematics itself, not taking the courses you need for Physics, Chem, or Engineering.)?
we've been outsourcing medical services for years. It's how my family on my mother's side got into this country.
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And yet none of that really matters for our society to function. doctors and engineers we need
I do wonder what this functional society of yours looks like.
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And besides, it's "underwater basket weaving."
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And yet none of that really matters for our society to function. doctors and engineers we need
Yes it does. Philosophy is the cornerstone of our legal system. The very foundation of our democracy comes from the work of various philosophers. The scientific method, which is used to prove and refine scientific advancement, is underpinned by philosophy.
Here's an interesting fact for you: ranking LSAT (Law School Admission Test) scores by major, philosophy scores average the highest.
If you're going to say lawyers are unimportant, I'd ask that you prove it. Show that a society without a strong legal system is more prosperous.
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And yet none of that really matters for our society to function. doctors and engineers we needI do wonder what this functional society of yours looks like.
Um, Lazar, you need to reset your sarcasm meter, its reading a little off.
Oh no, clearly it is working just crackerjack.
Nope, nothing gets by LazarX.
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Paul Ryan, Barack Obama and Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Please stop linking to articles that challenge my inner narrative. Not cool, man.
Actually, I was hoping it would have more on Moynihan. I posted it before I read the whole thing.
Also, how can I stop linking articles that challenge your inner narrative when I don't know how your inner narrative runs?
(This is, of course, a ploy to get you to spill your inner narrative so I can post more articles that challenge it. Devious, we goblins are.)
Fun fact: The term "victim blaming" was first invented by critics of the Moynihan Report. Or so I read on wikipedia.
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Actually, I was hoping it would have more on Moynihan. I posted it before I read the whole thing.
Also, how can I stop linking articles that challenge your inner narrative when I don't know how your inner narrative runs?
(This is, of course, a ploy to get you to spill your inner narrative so I can post more articles that challenge it. Devious, we goblins are.)
It's late, can I just go with Truth, Justice, and diametrically opposed to everything you believe, with a side order of gratuitous insults?
(Though I don't have any amusing insults queued up, may I ask you to insult yourself?)
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Also, how can I stop linking articles that challenge your inner narrative when I don't know how your inner narrative runs?
(This is, of course, a ploy to get you to spill your inner narrative so I can post more articles that challenge it. Devious, we goblins are.)
It's late, can I just go with Truth, Justice, and diametrically opposed to everything you believe, with a side order of gratuitous insults?
(Though I don't have any amusing insults queued up, may I ask you to insult yourself?)
Shamefully replying to myself, I'll add that about a year ago you mentioned that the producing classes should feel just as motivated to work hard as the upper class should feel motivated to pay well... And ANY DAY NOW I am going to come up with a rebuttal to that and explain why the Puritan work ethic is a good thing. Just you wait!
In my part of society, a good musician is far more important than that some burgoise t#&+ should have an extra doctor.
Incidentally, my country has had pretty mich free schooling in everything for many decades, and its made our little 9 million people country into a disproportionally large player in the creative businesses. Were huge (in comparison to our population) on both games and music.
Now its going towards worsening, having had rightwingers in government for many years (though some masked as left wingers) and we do see a severe drop in school results as a consequence of individualization and commercialization of the school system.
Shamefully replying to myself, I'll add that about a year ago you mentioned that the producing classes should feel just as motivated to work hard as the upper class should feel motivated to pay well... And ANY DAY NOW I am going to come up with a rebuttal to that and explain why the Puritan work ethic is a good thing. Just you wait!Also, how can I stop linking articles that challenge your inner narrative when I don't know how your inner narrative runs?
(This is, of course, a ploy to get you to spill your inner narrative so I can post more articles that challenge it. Devious, we goblins are.)
It's late, can I just go with Truth, Justice, and diametrically opposed to everything you believe, with a side order of gratuitous insults?
(Though I don't have any amusing insults queued up, may I ask you to insult yourself?)
Did I? I wonder what context that was in. Anyway, if I did, let me hereby insult myself:
Bad goblin, bad! You sound like a stooge of the plutocracy!
In my part of society, a good musician is far more important than that some burgoise t@~& should have an extra doctor.
Incidentally, my country has had pretty mich free schooling in everything for many decades, and its made our little 9 million people country into a disproportionally large player in the creative businesses. Were huge (in comparison to our population) on both games and music.
Now its going towards worsening, having had rightwingers in government for many years (though some masked as left wingers) and we do see a severe drop in school results as a consequence of individualization and commercialization of the school system.
Vive le Galt!
Of course we arent, and the Rättvisepartiet-person explained why quite well. I still prefer living here to.living in the US. A lot can be said.aboit swedish history and how socialist tendencies where used to create a corporativist state, too much to write from he phone.
But just because good working conditions and societal support systems where used to passify the working class into compromises of servitude and obedience doesnt mean that those publicsupport systems where by themselves.a bad idea, nor does it mean that we could have had such a noteworthy musical legacy (for example) if.it wasnt easy for.every 14-year old to get access to really cheap publicly owned equipment and locales to practice in. Theyre destroying those things of.course, but thigs where really great in the 70ies and early 80ies compared to now.
My bad, I meant to edit your comment down to "Now its worsening..." and then put the link. Alas, I can't blame it on posting from a phone.
Like so.
Now its going towards worsening, having had rightwingers in government for many years (though some masked as left wingers) and we do see a severe drop in school results as a consequence of individualization and commercialization of the school system.Vive le Galt!
That said, as.a sectist leftie it is my duty to state that Rättvisepartiet are trotskist and disruptive and splintering towards socialist movement due to always trying to take as much space they can at.the expense of all other groups.
(honestly, im quite tired of the bickering between every little group but rättvisepartiet has done some pretty bad things that has led to people getting hurt; i can take KP and theirstrange excuses for north korea and syria, and the vänsterpartis increasing liberalism, but i have a really hard time for.rättcisepartiet)
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As a sectist leftie, it is my duty to state that I am currently a member of the Rattvisepartiet's American sister section and, although I am familiar with many criticisms of the Committee for a Worker's International (and I doubt my criticisms would be the same as yours), I joined them specifically because they're the only Trotskyist group active in my region of the United States.
Anyway, when you get the time, I'd love to read your criticisms. I will, of course, maintain a stony democratic centralist silence, but I'll read them all the same.
Im not too read up on the specifics of trotskyism really, but RS hassome.specific practices that are very bad, and people have told me its a part of trotskyist strategy. It might that it has nothing to do with that and its just RS being weird. But theshort version is:
1. They make a habit of taking credit for stuff others have organized, and uses every event where they are included as a way to recruit new members, even if that takes focus off the goal of the event.
2. They "infiltrate" every organization that isnt strictly formalized alrady and tries to make it a subgroup of themselves.
3. They run the party like a busoness, seeming to think that PR and sales number on the party magazine is what makes a revolution.
4. They discredit other leftwing groups in an attempt to look like "nice socialists" in the burgeoise press.
I think tvose are my main gripes with them, but i might have others that dont xome to me off the top of my head. More precise examples i can give when i get home to a proper keybboard.
When I first joined, in the aftermath of Occupy after being unaffiliated with a group for a decade, we had an international speaker from Austria come and give a talk at the Unitarian Universalist church in Nashua, NH and a bunch of the comrades from Boston came up.
Afterwards at the post-meeting party, they were talking about their good relations with the social democrats, and the Stalinists and the anarcho-syndicalists, and the Austrian comrade was all like, "What?!? You're friends with everybody? You must be doing something wrong!" And I was like, "Now that's the Trotskyism I remember!"
Paul Ryan, Barack Obama and Daniel Patrick MoynihanPlease stop linking to articles that challenge my inner narrative. Not cool, man.
Some of that I see as the political narrative that is required at the top. You don't get to be president by talking about how bad our country is. We require political leaders to be cheerleaders talking about how great our country is and reinforcing positive stereotypes about America, regardless of how untrue they are. It happens regardless of party.
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When I first joined, in the aftermath of Occupy after being unaffiliated with a group for a decade, we had an international speaker from Austria come and give a talk at the Unitarian Universalist church in Nashua, NH and a bunch of the comrades from Boston came up.
Afterwards at the post-meeting party, they were talking about their good relations with the social democrats, and the Stalinists and the anarcho-syndicalists, and the Austrian comrade was all like, "What?!? You're friends with everybody? You must be doing something wrong!" And I was like, "Now that's the Trotskyism I remember!"
It's not so much that they're not friends, more that they're the only larger left wing group that I'm certain pretty much everyone tries to keep out of whatever else is happening. I mean, the autonomous left doesn't care for the stalinists much either, but at worst they're embarrassing and at best they're additional bodies. They rarely actively try to destroy something.
Here, it's like this. Say there was a wild strike tomorrow at an automobile factory.
- The syndicalists of the local "Lokalsamordning av Sveriges Arbetares Centralorganisation Syndikalisterna" (yes, seriously, they are named that - they fight capitalism and brevity with equal zeal :)) and Syndikalistiska Ungdomsförbundet would be there immediately, likely the strikers are largely organized with them. They'll act as strike watch, hand out flyers, and form a blockade. When the cops come, they'll be as obnoxiously hard to move as possible, forming arm chains et cetera. They'll generally be the ones that cares the most about fulfilling the worker's wishes there.
- The anarchists would drop in one after another quite early, acting much like the syndicalists, and in addition perhaps make some minor sabotage or prepare for the arrival of the cops (shoving random things into the middle of the street to stop police cars, putting padlocks on gates etc). When the police arrives, they'll join the arm chains etc if they believe the police won't be too violent and/or there's many witnesses (those things are connected). If they think the police will be very violent, they'll harass them in other ways instead, like shouting at them, running around and creating chaos, trying to put glue in the cop cars's doors so they're hard to open, and generally disturb the cops as much as possible. This risks increasing the cops violence dramatically and is quite dangerous and not always smart of them, but other times it has worked well and many of my friends have been saved from arrest by anarchists.
- The stalinists of Kommunistiska Partiet will come in a bunch. If no stalinists work at the place, they'll stand beside, proclaim their support of the strike, and if one's unlucky they'll start waving some north korean flag or some other embarrasing symbol. When the cops arrive, they'll put up some symbolic opposition, perhaps quote some law about how what the cops are doing is illegal (it often is), then get chased away.
- The Rättvisepartiet will come with a bazillion banners, try to sell their magazine to everyone including the CEO and the scabs, and if they see any kind of journalist or similar they'll try to make sure to get the papers to write that the strike was their initiative. When the cops arrive, they'll first try to sell them their mag, then when the cops attack the blockade they'll start exclaiming that the syndicalists and anarchists should cooperate with the cops so the leftist movement doesn't get bad rep, then they'll hijack the sound system, denounce the syndicalists, go find the journalist and cry about how they are nice socialists and all these bad violent fake-socialists are trying to hijack and destroy their protest.
- The increasingly liberal (as in right-wing here in sweden) reformists of Vänsterpartiet won't go there at all as they'll denounce wild strikes to begin with, claiming we're disrespectful or whatever. Some of their local youth groups might very well join or show support though, though they risk expulsion from the party if they do. One can't expect more from a parliament party though, so I'm less irritated by that than the trotskyists.
And yes, this might seem like an extreme exaggeration, but they did pretty much exactly these things about half a year ago on an antifascist protest.
You're right, Comrade Ilja, I'd rather live in Sweden, too.
[Cries because he lives in New Hampshire]
You're right, Comrade Ilja, I'd rather live in Sweden, too.
[Cries because he lives in New Hampshire]
You could always move to Wiscompton.
Wisconsin has North Korean-flag-waving Stalinists?
[Books a ticket]
Oh I'm sure somewhere. I think you'd really get a kick out of the 24/7 protests at the capitol building we've had for, oh, 3+ years now.