Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Labor protests extend beyond Wisconsin

I won't pretend I understand all the subtleties of Wisconsin's crisis, where apparently opposition MPs have left the state in order to prevent the governor, now dubbed Hosni Walker
by some, from gathering quorum in order to pass his laws against workers' rights, but I understand enough to grasp this is pretty big, as the US People seems to be awakening after decades of Reaganism (even under the Democrats).

It is not just Wisconsin anymore, protests are extending to other states of the Great Lakes region (Ohio, Indiana), which is one of the industrial and economic centers of the North American republic. Even in Detroit (Michigan) there is a similar standoff between the striking DSO musicians (left) and the orchestra's management, who threatens to fire them all.

Furthermore some people (who?, you tell me) are calling for nation-wide protests this upcoming weekend in front of every state capitol (parliament building).

I'm always wondering why nothing of this happened in relation to the abuses of the Deepwater Horizon massacre. What's wrong with the South? Why are not we watching permanent sit-downs in New Orleans, Mobile and Pensacola in protest for this criminal massacre?

But well, I hope that the people of the USA is finally waking up: they better do, and the same apply to Europeans and all others, if they do not want to be smashed, squeezed and pushed around like mere cattle. Either we fight for our rights or we lose them.

1 comment:

  1. "What's wrong with the South?"

    In the South, "The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past." - William Faulkner

    The South is currently very busy honoring its futile efforts to preserve slavery, a hundred and fifty years later, see e.g. here and here.

    Also, public employees in some Southern states (such as Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia) don't have the right to collectively bargain already, and already restrict private sector labor union organizing by law.

    ReplyDelete

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