The myth about Unions and the Free Market; some other updates

Of course, I don't believe in the "free" market for so many reasons it's hard to count. Nor do I believe that any sort of right-wing libertarianism has any actual propensity toward liberty (though I do believe that there are many right-wing libertarians who are sincere, just wholly misguided), as capitalism and liberty are natural enemies of each other, contradictory to each other by definition. However, I found this post from a right-wing libertarian blog entitled "Liberty for All" to be very interesting. It discusses an issue I have always wondered about (to an extent), about why so-called free marketeers  believe that unions are a scourge to the market and should not be allowed to participate; that workers should never be allowed to assemble, use their power in numbers (the only power they have) to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, safety conditions, and generally higher standards of living and working. What principle of right-wing libertarianism does this concept go against? Isn't liberty supposed to be first and foremost (in theory) to these people? How, then, is it unacceptable for workers to freely associate and organize?

I only wonder about this issue to an extent, because, well, my impression is that right-wing libertarianism in practice is just hardcore capitalism, which means it is inevitably supportive of corporatism, and thus really has nothing to do with liberty. But in the realm of philosophy and theory, there is a contradiction, which the post at "Liberty for All" addresses. The right wing should have nothing against unionism, as they should theoretically be "Part of the Market," which the blogger elaborates on. Every right-winger who happens to stumble upon my page should take the time out and read this piece.


"Unions: Part of the Market" - Liberty for All (Blog)




Anyways, I know I haven't updated in a little bit, I've been quite busy and well, the truth is I do have a bunch of half written or nearly complete posts but I just keep going back and adding to them over and over again until I realize that they are either going in a direction I no longer want them to or are overly exhausting to read. I feel that I am in the middle of the realization of lots of things I've never thought about or learned about before and its causing a sort of creative and mental paralysis; in other words, I am reformulating my opinions, not in any spectrum-shifting way (don't worry, I'm not turning into a neocon or anything), but more like a deepening way. It is always exciting when you find something new to consider that has the potential for a huge impact on your own core of beliefs.


In any case, there has been a lot of great news as of recently; The day before yesterday saw some great legislative victories for the sensible majority of this country: Probably the most exciting is that the people of Ohio have repealed Republican Governor Kasich's repressive anti-working people legislation, showing the Republican Party and the right that no, it's not OK, we don't support your efforts to destroy our labor rights and to destroy the livelihoods on many hardworking people. This repeal has many implications for the future and it indeed sends a very clear message to Republicans and Conservatives and the whole country: The leftist majority of this country will no longer tolerate this nonsense.


Also sending a signal to the right and very exciting, as well, is the rejection of the anti-choice, anti-contraceptive, anti-religious freedom proposition by the good people of Mississippi. This is certainly a cultural victory and a step toward the right direction, particularly for the South, which, the day before yesterday, showed that it's not made up of just a bunch of intolerant religious zealots. It's also shown that neither is it just made up of xenophobic bigots, as Arizonians recalled and replaced the state legislator who was the self-proclaimed father of the infamously draconian anti-immigration law in the state. Moving over to the west coast, the forces of racial tolerance have also helped to elected San Francisco's first Chinese-American Mayor.

And, of course, up in the Midwest, in my own state of Michigan, we had a successful vote to put Grand Blanc's Republican State Representative Paul Scott's seat in jeopardy, as, by a narrow margin, the voters approved a recall election.

And last, but certainly not least, the reign of Silvio Berlusconi is done for. The people of Italy are now finally free of this corrupt neo-fascist pervert. It was a hard fought battle for them but the fruits of their struggle have finally ripened. 

Lots of good news. World, pat yourself on the back. And then get back to work and fix up the mess you've made in Turkey; two consecutive earthquakes, in the same poor town, less than a month apart? We must always show our solidarity to those who are struggling around the world. Keep the people of Turkey in your hearts.

Revolutions at home and abroad.

We have hit a sort of critical mass regarding the status quo in recent weeks; the obvious ones are the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt which are direct attacks on the former regional status quo, enforced by the USA and its junior partner, Europe (and particularly France in the case of Tunisia). Indeed, the unrest has been spreading and people are inspired and frustrated, and it is a beautiful sight.

There is nothing more beautiful than to see the downtrodden and oppressed declare victory over tyranny. Unfortunately for us here in the US, we are on the wrong side of history, no matter which way you try to view it. Mubarak was part of vast system of subservience (or, as it is known in American discourse, "stability") in the Middle East, indeed he was one of our pillars. He supported him throughout all of his atrocities, and do not be fooled, there were many. We have supported the atrocities of Ben Ali all the same, though Tunisia was never as much of a priority. Indeed, it can be seen, without much effort at all, that these revolutions are, at heart, direct attacks against our foreign policy. This should come to no surprise to anyone who knows anything of our foreign policy in the Middle East, which is a policy that depends on the oppression of native peoples of resource (oil) rich countries; it is a policy that has supported repressive and violent regimes for the reason that they are just that, because one needs a brutal dictator to suppress and incapacitate its people if the exploitation of resources and labor is to be handled without issue. Democracy would ultimately mean that all of the vast benefits of the vast resources and strategic advantages of these countries would justly go to the people: Nationalizations of oil companies. Precedence of of the natives over foreign investors. Labor rights. These are things that run directly contrary with US interests, thus democracy runs contrary to US interests.

Of course, it easy to support Democracy in countries that are already enemies. Yes, the people of Iran and Libya have suffered far more than enough and deserve to be free and deserve to be supported in their noble endeavors. However, so do the people of Bahrain, Yemen, and Jordon, and whilst our State Department makes condemning statements aimed at Ghaddafi, and it should, they are much less clear on their position regarding the suffering people of Bahrain. Let's be absolutely clear: the people in Bahrain and Yemen are just as oppressed, if not more, as the people in Iran. And the same went for Egypt. The hesitance of our government to make statements calling for democracy in Jordon, Bahrain, Yemen and previously in Egypt from the get-go I'm sure send a very clear signal to the protesters in each and every one of these countries. They send the signal that Obama is not any different from Bush on the foreign policy front. They send the signal that he is part of the enemy. And he is. But it isn't too late to change, it's never too late to stop perpetrating oppression and violence against innocent peoples. If for no other reason than to save one more life, one more family. Where in the hell is the hope and change?

Obama has shown his true colors regarding the Middle East in the last few weeks; first by not immediately calling for the ouster of Mubarak, and just recently by vetoing the UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements. The latter is especially ridiculous, since it is official US policy to oppose settlement building in the Palestinian territories. But apparently it is not real US policy. As if the hypocrisy is not frustrating enough, the excuse given by Obama's UN ambassador Susan Rice was colossally stupid, saying that first the Security Council is not the right forum for this issue(just about the stupidest thing I've ever heard) and that this resolution would block future peace talks(there is absolutely no evidence for this statement). The resolution was vetoed, and obviously the US was the only member to vote against the resolution (14-1). This vote illustrated not only the hypocrisy of US policy regarding Israel but also the utter isolation of the US and Israel against the entire world on this issue and that Israel can no longer try to argue that a moratorium of settlements is an illegitimate precondition to peace talks. Of course, the following day there was a proclaimed "Day of Rage" in the West Bank, just another one of many protests in the Middle East by those sick of the satus quo. And just another instance where we were on the wrong side of history, very deliberately.

The instability is not just evident abroad however, as recent events in Wisconsin of have shown. And once again, Obama has not come out strongly for the people. Not in Bahrain, not in Wisconsin. And it doesn't even make any sense whatsoever, considering unions are really the last stronghold of the Democratic Party, the last advantage in terms of campaign finance over the Republicans. So, politically, Obama's passivity seems completely ridiculous, especially when you take into account that this attack on labor is really a political assault on the Democratic Party as a whole by Republicans. I never thought I would see the day that a Democrat President would be completely passive whilst there are threats to collective bargaining rights. It is more than disheartening, it is frustrating. You don't want to stand up for the workers in Egypt? What about in Wisconsin for God's sake? Is there anyone you will stand up for besides Wall Street CEO's?

We are not only seeing Obama's true colors. We are also seeing the left finally fight back against the anti-labor right wing and showing the tea baggers that the real salt of the Earth are not Reaganites. Finally we are seeing those who are fed up with the economic policies of the last 30 years, the policies of Reagan. The anti-working class policies. So where are you Obama? Where's this hope and change? It's certainly not in the Middle East, and apparently not in the picket lines in Wisconsin.

We are seeing revolutions abroad, and it is beautiful. Perhaps what we are seeing in Wisconsin is the start of a new revolution, a revolution of the workers who are sick of being screwed. A revolution pushing back against the economic policy trend and the corporatism of the last 30 years. Obama, I'm really beginning to question what your real intentions are, whether the weak, hole-filled reforms you've put forth are really just compromises or are they what you really believe. Whether you have been trying to be careful politically or just not really all that much of a reformer.

Now the world is changing, from the state workers in Wisconsin to the students in Cairo. You promised change, but you haven't delivered. Let's just hope you can keep up with what changes we've been making.