[TheForge] OT Union Rant (Was Re: concrete)

[Andy Vida]

Larry and Pat Brown wrote:
> 
> Unfortunately people have very short memories. The distance between
> corporate head salaries and the workers wages grows by the minute,

	Actually, this seems to be reversing a bit, though in general
	the rich are still getting richer and the poor poorer.  Of
	course, the easy textbook answer to this is the poor, if they
	want to get richer, should strike out on their own.  The reality
	of that is that with the ever greater conglomeration of the
	world's resources, those who have are doing more and more in
	what at least appears to be ever more effective fashion to keep
	others from having a fair shot at the pie.  This is the downside
	of capitalism.  It is inherently predatory in nature, and perhaps
	it should be that way, but I'm not sure.  I am staunchly against
	the looter mentality of the unions and other squeams who feel
	that those with millions have no right to them or are somehow
	bound by some ill-defined looter moral code to share their wealth
	with the rest of us.  They don't.  But I'm not at all convinced
	that they are entitled to shut others out, which is routinely
	done.

> somewhere there will be a breaking point, but when or how will be seen.

	Agreed, and when it breaks, it will be interesting to see
	what the consequences are, though I seriously doubt that the
	real muck rakers will be touched in any significant way by
	it.  Anyone with the brains to acquire and manage real power
	will do so anonymously.  Only imbecile puppets seek fame
	and public notice.  They make very nice targets for when the
	feces hit the blower, leaving the real brokers undetected and
	thereby safe.

> To
> work for NYC I am required to live in NYC,

	Well, I grew up in NYC and it's been a shithole, politically
	speaking, since I can remember.  Why would it be any different
	now?

	Interesting observation:  I was driving through some of my old
	hangout neighborhoods, like over on Ave A and other such hell 
	holes as that.  All yuppified.  I stuck my head out the window 
	and screamed "Is there no corner of this city that's not become 
	popular?".  People actually noticed me, which is also very
	UN-New York.  Giuliani really ruined the city.  All the
	stinkhole hoods where I hung out, the places that were REAL,
	with real people and real problems seem to have all been taken
	over by Disney.  Delancy street, a shithole of shitholes, once
	an open air whorehouse and one of the coolest places to hang
	was all developed and gentrified.  It was really sad.  I know
	that sounds weird, but it's really not.  There was a certain
	element of freedom that existed in those places because nobody
	gave a damn what you did, within certain very borad limits.
	In midtown, if you batted an eyelash the wrong way someone
	would complain and you'd get a summons or some stupid cop
	would be up your ass.

	Truly this is the kaliuga.