These days Peggy Noonan is a little too sing-song and slow for me. Her WSJ piece gets to things kind of late in the news cycle, so a portion of that is to be expected - especially from the perspective of someone who is as news centric as me. But every once in a while she still smacks one out of the park. Take this example from her WSJ piece today:
Brilliant. And it tells the story of modern unions in a sentence. They offer no value added, and even most of the members see that. They are a net cost - a point I've been making in arguments since the 1980's. And over the long term, don't help anyone.
26 comments:
Public sector unions never served a valid economic purpose. Policy that followed a valid purpose for trade unions, that those who have fault for causing injuries accept their personal responsibility, was simply transposed over to the public sector. So the legal protection for collective bargaining becomes essentially a subsidy.
Except in a very few extreme cases, the net economic argument for trade unions has always been limited too. In virtually all cases the need to technical training and expertise placed a higher value on labor so that it made no sense to burn through them like a commodity. The nightmares from Chicago Stockyards and the Coal mines etc were all just communist propaganda.
In the end, the union hurt management (shareholders), customers and labor. It introduced force into the dynamic and helped no one but itself.
Well said..As Hitler said "we got the stupid taxpayers to pay for all of our benefits the rubes!!.All they had to say was its for the "heroes" and someone believed it . The other one was"its building for the future".
Well the future is here now.. Yesterday there were several good articles on how San Jose and ?San Diego voted to slash union compensation.. It is now "game on". Thank God.
I have to agree with frithguild.
The Public Sector Unions emerged on the heels of the private sector unions. The defenders of Unions will always say: "do you want to return to Upton Sinclair's Jungle... or the Triangle Fire?!?!?"
Next time one of these idiots tramps around that stupid meme, ask them at what point will the Communications Workers of America - Trenton Local - be operating a Lard Rendering facility in a government office in Trenton?
"BBBBUT without Unions, Peeeple will get keeeled by the factories!!!"
My Grandma was in the garment workers union and joined up around 1918. Eventually she left the garment district and went into private establishment. She paid her minimal dues, but it was unobtrusive and inconsequential.
When the depression hit, the Union really didn't do anything for her. She had to rely on her own skills to feed her family.
That brings me to another meme about how unions will aid their members during hard times. Well in the public sector, like New Jersey - they can't fire them anyway!
aaaarrrgh!
FLash: CNBC's Liesman is showing Poll Data that says 15% of Independnt voter's don't know what the heck Obama represents.
If you are seeking re-election, that data cannot be spun positively.
They are trying desperately to explain What Obama Is, but it just doesn't work.
The left knows it has to hide and masquerade if it ever wants to win an election again. It's a political philosophy dedicated to empowering a tiny minority to boss around the vast idiot majority, and they know that doesn't fly.
That's why no one knows what Obama stands for - he (and the Democrat left) doesn't want them to know. It's his entire campaign plan.
Hide, pretend, divide, and blame.
take Jim Cramer off the air please... he's such a tool.
Really Jim? 20 years ago diesel was not an important fuel?
are you out of your fecking mind!?!?!
someone just put a boot in his mouth
Looking Spoon has a good cartoon for BHO new slogan--Stick with me.Nobody likes change...
I still have to say his campaign plan is working well enough to still be in dead heats and leading in some polls.Very frustrating..
Mitt literally will have to re- educate those 15% of independents to win..He will never change the real libtards..Unfortunately I believe a majority of Americans are idiots.Hell ,if you get me out of medical stuff I am an idiot..
Who is veep? And how well does Mitt come across in debates. I am hoping he can channel Newt while debating.
The thing is, to many retail people we look the same as Kramer - maybe even less reliable since he's more 'famous'.
They can't tell the difference between real knowledge and manic bluster.
I wish I had a way to run a separate and ongoing "CNBC" discussion thread just so we can bitch about all the stupid crap we hear everyday.
Ive gotten to where I run it on tivo and then flip over and watch other stuff for my "background noise".. If the market makes a big move then I flip to tivo and run that time period to see what moved crap..Otherwise its useless babble.
Im a recluse...Can someone explain to me why Jewish people overwhelmingly vote dems?? BHO has shit on Isreal.He has shit on Wall Street... why vote for him? Seriously ...It confuses my simple mind as much as why 25 yr olds will vote for him again even though 50% of em with a degree are unemployed or under employed..
To Chess: Jewish vote sticks to Dems even after they shunned Senator Lieberman. Some sort of self loathing or guilt....who knows, but it is odd.
oh this headline just hbit drudge:
Liberals Threaten Not To Vote In November Over Disappointment With Obama
waaaaah!
Sweet..... I am waiting for them to start setting themselves on fire like some of the monks do...
DWS and Maddow sometimes look like could spontaneously combust..
Over on the spoon they came up with one that I hadnt thought about at all... If you are so dam liberal and green then go back to cloth diapers....Keith on this blog had to explain to me what a ?Diaper Genie was...
Ikaika... BHO is coming on at 1015 eastern to talk about the economy...Will keep track how many times he says "its not my fault"..?
Obama is floundering at the presser.
"..uh... the.. uh... economy... uh...and Europe uhm.. can be uh... fixed... uh... the desire ... uh..."
The great orator - My ass!
How great would you be at discussing "neo-marxist trends in modern aboriginal pacific island culture" on an off the cuff basis?
He's wading into totally new and unknown ground for him here. Up until last year he thought high taxes and government redistribution made things better.
Give the guy a break.
Thanks - coffee went right through my nose
He did his usual opening---we are still trying to come back from the worst economic disaster since the great D...I told Tom a ? week ago I am getting some hope because for the first time since I ever saw BHO he doesnt have his usual "swagger".. And that is all he ever had!!!
Hes starting to see visions of Jimmy C. in his head.I bet at night he has bad dreams sorta like the Christmas Carol.. Barak you will visited by 3 ghosts....Jimmy and Jimmy and Jimmy......
And there it is-we are laying off heroes.. teachers.policemen and firefighters...
.My mom was a hero for raising 2 boys by herself..Without even a hs education.
Salute to your mom and all our moms!
To Keith:
My wife is Jewish, and my high school in suburban Detroit was heavily Jewish, so here is my (ostensibly Methodist) take on why Jews vote Democratic.
1. There is a term in Judiasm termed gemilut chasidim, which roughly translated is "the bestowal of loving kindness". This stems from Deuteronomy 10, specifically verses 17-19 "17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt."
Many American Jews are just as described - American. It is much easier to provide charity through taxes than to dig down and use your own funds to provide charity. It is easy to do the "feel good" thing of voting for people who care about the poor - per the media, that is the Democrats. The media portray the Republicans as people who don't care for the poor. Damn the data that show that welfare causes dependency - Don't you know if you don't give the handout to the poor they will starve?
They (Jews, Democrats, everyone) should note that the Biblical obligation was to help those that can't help themselves, no to help those that won't help themselves. In my mind, that is the biggest gap in the Democratic and Republican approaches to the poor.
2. It has been my observations that Jews, as a whole, are generally more pacifistic in nature than the entire population. That pacifism leads to following Democrats who promise to kill the military-industrial complex (liberal Democrats).
Sorry this is a little scatter-brained, just some background, here is some interesting reading on the subject of Jews with respect to helping the needy:
http://www.crivoice.org/needy.html
Just some perceptions that I have had in my short 34 year existence.
Steven.. Thank You very much. I am headin for that link now...Cant vs wont help themselves.. Well said...
Tom has a following of very smart people.. And I say that from outside that group looking in.Someone on this site --everyday-- gives me new food for an old brain...Once again thanx
Steven, thank you. I have first cousins who emmegrated to Tel Aviv 20 years ago and can't get a solid answer from them. I thought about the Democratic verses Republican approach to helping others when I posted earlier and figured no one would be interested, but I think you are correct. Also, to the credit of the Jewish people of my community, they tend to walk the walk instead of just talking it. While my more Republican approach differs from theirs, I highly admire their deep faith and sense of societal responsibility. But I would get rid of some that pacifism. Antisemitism is not only ever present, but on the rise.
Chess: I found better links later, as I wanted to read more into it today. I really only knew of the topic because I had asked my mother-in-law why she kept voting Democratic. She said that we were commanded to help others, and that is what Democrats do. I asked her if we should give a man a fish or teach a man to fish, and she didn't get the point of my objection. After all, I'm a Libertarian-leaning Republican - a bad man who takes care of her elder daughter and grandchildren - why wouldn't I just give a man a fish if he was hungry.
Keith: It is funny, in my experience, only American (born here) non-Orthodox Jews are Democratic. Two examples:
1. My father-in-law's family is from Bukharia (Uzbekistan area). He was born in Israel and emigrated to the US in the 70's after marrying my mother-in-law. The remainder of his extended family emigrated to Brooklyn in the 80's. Unfortunately he passed away prior to when I met my wife.
When my (now) wife and mother-in-law went to tell them about me (after we got engaged), my mother-in-law said I was great, but had two major problems with me. I was 1. Not Jewish, and 2. A Republican. My father-in-law's uncles responded, "You're not Republican?" I later informed her than Reagan is the closest thing to a God that those people will ever meet while living (having been persecuted in the USSR).
2. My mother-in-law's cousin married into a deeply Orthodox family - they didn't come to our wedding because I wasn't a Jew, and that was their protest. Anyway, all four of the cousin's boys are deeply Republican. It is the topic that allowed me to bond with the two of them that would accept me. Talking with them and the cousin, it seems most Orthodox are Republican - mostly because of the Abortion and Family Values issues, in my opinion.
Steven thanx.
Your previous post where I latched unto cant vs wont help themselves is what gets me. If people need help and will try they can have the shirt off my back. the others not so much.. I went to a medical convention ? 30 years ago in frisco.There was a homeless guy on a corner with a small dog..The dog looked pretty well taken care of.Dogs are my best friends..Anyway I offered to go and buy a bag of dogfood so it went directly to the pup and not for a bottle of rye.The dude started reading me the riot act. So i walked.... Next day the dude was there agin . I handed him a bag of dogfood and a quarter pounder w cheese.. And walked.I know the dog is dead but I hoped it was ok for rest of its life..The man never crosses my mind.hmmmm
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