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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2009)
NOV. 20, 2009:NWLP 11/17/09 9:47 AM Page 7 The United States and WTO — the ‘American Nightmare’ By BRUCE DENNIS When this country was founded, it was based on democracy, freedom, and an opportunity to live what eventually became known as “the American Dream.” The direction that our elected leaders have taken us in the last few decades goes away from democracy in favor of corporate domination with the ultimate goal of profit maximization at any cost. The gap between the rich and the middle class is widening and eventu- ally will lead to just two classes — the rich and the poor. If we don’t do something soon, the American Dream could become the “American Nightmare.” A majority of our politicians have told us for years that unfettered, unreg- ulated free trade with all countries in the world is good for us and we should embrace it. Let me tell you, the only thing free trade is good for is corporations. After all, they can get goods made far cheaper and, in turn, increase their profits immensely. But what about the working families in this country? What about workers elsewhere? Are they just another com- modity that can be bought and sold to the highest bidder? Some people think so. Sounds a little like slavery, doesn’t it? It appears that in order to survive, workers in the United States must learn to accept less and less. After all, the United States is affili- ated with the World Trade Organiza- tion, and the WTO is giving us direc- tion on how to operate. We might as well start by renaming our country the “United Corporations of America.” Within the “United Cor- porations of America” we could elimi- nate the right of citizens to vote for their senators and representatives; just take the top 100 corporations and give them each a senatorial seat. At least then, for example, the senator from In- tel would actually have to make a good, common-sense argument to convince say, the senator from Nike, about the benefits of a proposed bill. Within this two-class society, only the rich would need education. They can pay for it themselves. Public edu- cation could be eliminated in favor of reinstating child labor. After all, we need to remain competitive with the Third World. We should also prepare to reenact some sort of federal system of slavery in order to remain competitive with Third World dictatorial countries that, in essence, have not outlawed slavery. The Department of Environmental Quality might as well be eliminated. How can we expect U.S. corporations to compete with foreign corporations with our burdensome environmental laws? Environmental regulations just cut into profits. U.S. social service will need to be downsized severely, possibly elimi- nated. Workers in Third World coun- tries have low or no medical or retire- ment benefits — certainly not state-sponsored welfare. In Third World countries, if you get sick and have no money to get medical help, tough it out — or die. And retirement? In those countries you work as long as you are able and then move in with your children. I hope I am wrong about the “night- mare,” and we are able to resurrect the “American Dream,” but I am disgusted when I read that trade ministers from the WTO are telling our government what it can and cannot do. It’s like our corporate senators and representatives have ceded the power to govern our country to others. We aren’t even a sov- ereign nation anymore. Corporations have way too much in- fluence in our political system. Corpo- rate interests contribute to too many po- litical campaigns, and when a vote in Congress is taken it is not based on what is good for average taxpaying cit- izens, but rather on what is best for cor- porate interests. Meaningful campaign finance re- form is needed to get our country headed back in the right direction. I believe we should limit the length of political campaigns, equalize finan- cial resources and devise a non-parti- san primary and general election sys- tem that insures a democratic majority for those who are victorious. We may also want to limit the amount spent on campaigns, restrict party financing, and ban negative campaigning and elimi- nate paid lobbyists. If we don’t enact meaningful campaign finance reform, I do not see how conditions will im- prove for the middle class. We will continue the race to the bottom and eventually become a Third World coun- try that will require a massive upheaval or a revolution to avoid the “American Nightmare.” When I was growing up, every time I questioned my parents about a deci- sion involving education or career Open Forum choices, they would indicate that they just wanted me to “have it better than they did.” Unfortunately, we are head- ing in a direction where I might have to tell my children or grandchildren, “I just hope the wheels don’t come off this wagon too soon.” That’s not the kind of legacy that I am interested in handing to my descen- dents. As we approach the 10-year an- niversary of “The Battle in Seattle,” where 50,000 protesters, including my- self and a delegation from my local union, rallied against profiteering WTO policies, we need to stay focused on what is best for our nation — a healthy, working, vibrant and hopeful middle class. People worldwide will rally against the WTO. Be part of the solution and participate. (Editor’s Note: Bruce Dennis is a 35-year member of Portland Carpen- ters Local 247 and past president of the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters.) Health insurance reform: Same song, different verse By JERRY MORRIS Recently, the Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans sponsored a meet- ing entitled “What’s Happening in Health Care Reform,” featuring speak- ers from Oregon Center for Public Pol- icy and Oregon Health Action Cam- paign. I’d like to briefly address the same topic, but purely from the standpoint of politics. Let me suggest at the outset that, politically speaking, most work- ing people do not usually act in their own best economic interests. For ex- ample, if most workers voted accord- ing to their economic situation, they would not be saddled with political leaders who principally serve interests of the corporate and financial elite. And, retirees would not be faced with “donut holes” in Medicare, attempts to privatize Social Security, or other polit- ical shenanigans that threaten their re- tirement security. Let me further suggest that the prin- cipal means by which working people are diverted from their own interests is an old and often-repeated political game. In brief, those who politically serve wealthy and corporate interests know they must “divide and con- queror” — they must raise issues which fragment and divert working people from pursuing their common economic interests. This is done by in- jecting issues that divide workers ac- cording to “life style,” or cultural dif- NOVEMBER 20, 2009 ferences. Thus, workers who occupy a similar economic situation, or “class,” and therefore have similar economic interests, may be politically fragmented by cultural issues which emphasize dif- ferences in beliefs or customs. These “wedge” issues play off cul- tural differences based in ethnicity- race, religion, regionalism-nationalism, gender, sexual orientation, age-genera- tion, recreational/leisure group, and other status groups. During the formative period of na- tional unions in the United States, the late 1800s and early 1900s, employers often responded to organizing cam- paigns or strikes by importing strike- breakers who were African-American, Italian-American, Irish-American, or any of many other groups. Thus, differ- ences in race/ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, and so forth, were used to disrupt unionization and to set worker against worker. In fact, Henry Ford used this tactic in an effort to hold back unionism in his auto assembly plants. From a union standpoint, the problem was perhaps less severe during the organization of the skilled crafts. This may have been due, in part, to the fact that members of a local craft union were often from the same ethnic group. However, it was a big problem in the organization of mass industries. And, during the early days of unionization, it was a problem in any semi-skilled or unskilled workplace where immigrants or other outsiders could easily replace an existing work- force. Particularly since the mid-20th Cen- tury, many conservative politicians campaigned for election — or reelec- tion — by using racial/ethnic (“Willie Horton”), religious (school prayer, school vouchers, anti-abortion), re- gionalism/nationalism (anti- Eastern Elite, anti-immigrant), gender (Hillary was “too shrill”), sexual orientation (anti-gay marriage, anti-gay adoption), age/generation (Social Security costs will burden the younger generation), recreational /leisure group (gun owner- ship/use), and other cultural issues to divert and divide those whose eco- nomic interests they did not represent. They did this while serving the eco- nomic interests of the corporate and fi- nancial elite. Is this not the basis of the famous “Southern Strategy” adopted and used successfully by Richard Nixon and numerous other politicians? They played on the fears and the sense of loss of white workingmen by means of various subtle, and not so subtle, race-based political messages. Through the use of symbols, innu- endo, and sly phrases, they sent a mes- sage that they would defend white working people from the encroach- ments of African-Americans and other “undesirables” who are “not like us.” Of course, they did not promise to de- fend them from the ravages of the ra- NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS pacious corporate elite. It should come as no surprise that now, in the early 21st Century, conser- vative opponents of health care reform are using the same playbook. They are attempting to divide and divert work- ing people from their shared interests in federal legislation to establish a sys- tem of universal health care that puts individual health ahead of corporate profits. Thus, we hear a number of ominous warnings — exploiting the cultural differences that cut across and divide workers’ shared economic inter- ests. “Illegal immigrants will be flooding the country to seek health care.” “Our tax dollars will go to finance abor- tions.” “Death panels will be talking with grandma about how and when to die.” “Amoral individuals will be get- ting sex-change operations on the tax- payer dollar.” “‘Obamacare’ will bring in Nazi, communist, socialist — i.e. foreign, not like us — ways of doing things.” “National health care will en- courage (poor, minority) people to be morally irresponsible, and (unlike us) not take care of themselves.” “Our country is being taken away from us (by those who are not like us.)” Actually, what’s really happening in health care reform is the same old op- ponents of worker prosperity are using the same old strategy in an attempt to divide and conquer, to divert working people from their common interests, and to allow huge corporations and fi- nancial interests to continue making enormous profits from health care. They do this because they can’t win on the basis of economic merits. For workers and retirees, the chal- lenge is to stay focused and not be dis- tracted from meaningful reform by this diversionary strategy. (Jerry Morris is president of the Oregon Alliance for Retired Ameri- cans. Before retiring he was national legislative director for the American Federation of Teachers in Washington, D.C.) Broadway Floral for the BEST flowers call 503-288-5537 1638 NE Broadway, Portland Avalon Heating & Cooling 503-288-5397 Furnace, A/C, Heat Pump Service, Sales & Installation. Residential/Commercial CCB 186589 WA avalohc913lt PAGE 7
