I feel as if a white hot spotlight has flashed on with both of our national political parties caught in the glare.
Nothing in my memory exposes the hypocrisy of the Republican Party more than the debate on the monetary bailout of our financial institutions and our lack of a monetray bailout of our auto industry. At the same time, nothing exposes the spinelessness of the Democratic party more, either.
It appears that the GOP is run by very effective managers suffering from moral bankrupcy, while the Democratic party is run by...well, nobody.
A couple of facts intrude...Financial institutions, like the ones we just bailed out with three quarter of a TRILLION freaking dollars, used their bailout money to pay dividends to stockholders and bonuses to their executives, and, to allow the healthier ones to buy up weaker ones, and we still have no credit.
Salaries make up 60-70 percent of the cost of doing business at financial institutions.
My junior senator, Bob Corker, voted for that one.
My junior senator, Bob Corker, is leading the charge to break the United Auto Workers union because the cost of building an American car includes 10-15% labor. Only it actually only includes less than 10% labor, the rest is pensions and healthcare costs for retired workers...Old people who fulfilled their part of a contract and Bob says screw 'em.
(While actively working to undercut America's big three, Corker is squarely behind the $577 million dollar subsidy the state of Tennessee is providing foreign car maker Volkswagen, by the way.)
So Bob...It's the right thing to help an industry with 60% labor costs and a bad thing to help an idustry with 10% labor costs unless the workers agree to work for half what they're getting now?
The Democratic Party will never get a more clear cut delineation between between the two political parties as to which one stands for people and which one stands for corporations. There is a clear line between good and evil here.
It is time for the National Democratic Party to say it loud.
Peace,
Steve
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I'm beginning to think those nervous critics of some of Obama's appointments are looking in the wrong direction. The guy wants to accomplish something, unlike the people on the Hill. Disillusioned Dem voters should be focusing on what Congressional Democrats are (not) doing. I keep thinking that when January 20 comes, all this will change, that there will be some coherence, a sign of conscience, a purge of liars, illusionists, and self-delusionists in Congress as in the media. But I'm probably no less self-deluded than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteOne thing, Steve. Though the assembly-line workers presumably carry no blame for this, the "Big" Three have been in trouble for years. Too many people don't want, like, trust too many of their products. That's one good reason for letting 'em die, though not at this moment in our economic history. Still, I was taking note today of the numbers of plants GM (in particular but not alone) has opened up in India and China even in the past week or so, just as though they were a prosperous, well-organized company. Doesn't that strike you as weird?
Yeah, Corker is a Corker. Given the representation I have here in TX, I'm not standing tall either!!