Raise the Hammer

Ted: You bring up some interesting questions.

1. Union wages: The numbers of unionized workers in the private sector is now about 20%, thereabouts. Many workers have seen marked decreases in wages, benefits and no pensions. The auto industry, has been using temp workers at lot which denies workers to the same wage as the union counterparts, they are denied benefits and have no real rights in the workplace. This creates a divide within labour. This is about a takedown of the middle class, the blue collar workers, the propoganda is everywhere but what is there to replace it, nothing, people are left to struggle on their own and no real plan in place to help people make the transition when there is no jobs or a tightening job market.

2. Many people have their own business, which they need trucks to do their work, a small car would not carry the equipment and so on, so what are these people to do? How many jobs would this affect?

3. Clearly the blame falls on the Captains of Industry, the elite of our society who have caused this fiasco. People talk about free market but for the most part the auto industry is an oligioply. Those who may have "green" ideas are faced with many regulations and so on which deters the free market and innovation.

4. Social responsibility: We all play a role, yet the very system is lacking those voices from the people, the grassroots. The problem is that the voices from the business lobby outweight those voices from the people, there not many forums or soapbox type of forums where the people are given the opportunity to speak out and with watching what is going on in the US, soon it may be against the law to speak out, the suppression of free speech, the right to peacefully assemble, remember now our leaders have an agreement to have the miltary from either country to enter the others if there is civil unrest. But who determines what is civil unrest, when people can no longer feed their families, have no jobs or hope for the future.

5. Ted makes the comment that the government is partly to blame, so let me ask you this question, who is the government? Does the government represent the people anymore? It seems to me the the business lobby is the government when the lobbyists have more access then the people to push through their agendas, which is a determent to the people in terms of job loss, decreasing ability to survive in terms of being able to earn a living wage and provide for their families. Ted, you are missing the greater picture of what is going on.

6. There should be no bail out to the captains of industry, the elite of our society, it should go to the workers, the people, the families affected. But then the people do not have a voice any longer do they!!!!!!!