This Labor Day, For The First Time In Years, Senators Have A Choice On Workers Rights | Talking Points Memo

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This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.

Here’s a Labor Day quiz:

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1386711
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(Sultry voice)
Hey @discobot. What are you wearing?

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Hi! To find out what I can do, say @discobot display help.

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Labor Day marks big business’s progress in the war on workers. Real wages have fallen in harmony with the decline in union membership.

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Hey, get a room!

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I think you can judge the benefits of union membership by the crazy lengths that companies in the US go through to keep their employees from unionizing. Someone this weekend made the same argument about voting rights, i.e., if your vote has no value why is the right trying so hard to keep you from exercising your right to vote.

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Bezos, worth $197 billion, besides not wanting a decent workplace for his employees, needs my additional $3.99 to rent a movie even though I’m a member of the loathsome Amazon Prime. Just think what he could do if he gave a damn. No, don’t. It’s too painful.

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The bot says …“say discobot…display help”.
I have yelled at my phone and nothing happens…

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To quote noted economist Austin Powers, “Yay, capitalism!” Of course, the answer is well-regulated capitalism, which we do not currently have. Big business interests have co-opted almost the entirety of the U.S. Congress and other state and local political bodies. They own the GOP and many Democrats.

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You have to say it 1930’s style: “Say, Discobot!” (With apologies for stealing an old Robert Klein joke.)

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Now that’s too drunk.

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Most Americans support unions, but just over 10% are union members. What gives?

Corporations give, specifically money, to other companies who specialize in busting unions.

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O/T but todays good news
Neonazi Richard Spencer Now Broke, Divorced, Can’t Pay For Lawyer | Crooks and Liars

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We have the best Democracy that money can buy.

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I’m a fool for amorphous androgynous bots.

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Something about those come hither dead eyes.

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I don’t think this a realistic bit. Many Senators have no choice. They’re obligated and defendant to their donors and will obey them. If obedient enough they’ll be given huge campaign donations that allow them to saturate the airwaves with lies about their political opponents sufficient to gain reelection after doing a shitty job for those that elected them. Look at Ted Cruz or Rick Scott as examples. They’ve fucked over their constituents day in and day out and those constituents reelect them. Or move them up to higher office. Both of them are revolting men. Scott’s history with medicare fraud ( he’d take medicare away from Americans if he could ) should have made him a joke candidate. Elected, reelected and moved up to the Senate. These guys are safe.

There’s a problem in American politics and this bit gets nowhere near revealing it.

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This is a good article, and I am pro-union… But this is a bad comparison:

It’s like allowing people equal police and fire protection even though they refuse to pay taxes.

In fact, we do want people to have police and fire protection, whether they pay their taxes or not. To do otherwise would be impractical, damaging to society, and, in my view, immoral.

But… We also want people who don’t pay their taxes to be caught and penalized severely enough to deter tax evasion by them and others.

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Spend a few years living in another Democracy, like those of Northern Europe, and you’ll think this shit we do here nothing but crap.

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The enemy of Unions is management. Management owns those ( elected officials ) that unions depend on for their survival.

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