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Forum Post: Wow. CNN sure is showing its SLANT this evening.

Posted 11 years ago on Dec. 11, 2012, 7:04 p.m. EST by therising (6643)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

"As protesters descended on the Michigan Statehouse Tuesday, two controversial "right-to-work" measures that would weaken unions' power were signed into law." http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/11/news/economy/michigan-right-to-work-vote/?iphoneemail

If you read the story at that link, you'll see they only really tell one side of it with cherry picked stats and present it as a foregone conclusion that nothing can be done.

As beautifulworld pointed out: "Half of all American workers earn less than $26,000 per year. With all the wealth concentrated at the top in this country, that is shameful!"

49 Comments

49 Comments


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[-] 2 points by bensdad (8977) 11 years ago

one reason I prefer MSNBC

[-] 2 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

I'm sometimes surprised about what the corporations that owns NBC allows to come out on MSNBC :)!

[-] 2 points by bensdad (8977) 11 years ago

I think Rachel, Chris, Lawrence are fantastic

[-] 2 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

They definitely reveal a lot of the hypocrisy going on out there!

[-] 2 points by bensdad (8977) 11 years ago

I especilly like the way the blatantly use the words "lie" & liar"

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

Yes! That is important to actually not mince words :)

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

I think we need a national strike.

[-] 2 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

Sounds good to me.

[-] 2 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

Taylor Law; they can't strike. Nor can they initiate a class action. On the other hand, no organization that touts itself as an equal opportunity employer should be "closed shop." This is particularly true of government.

[-] 3 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

Workers can do whatever they like. Morals and rights supercede law.

[-] 1 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

I agree

[-] 0 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

"Rights" are wholly reliant on law which in this case denies them the freedom to strike.

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

No. Rights are based on what is moral and the law often fails us in that regard.

[-] -2 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - our only unalienable rights and the most profound statement of all of western philosophy. But all others are a negotiated item declared in law. That law, in this Nation of Law, dates to Puritan concepts of covenance evidenced in contract.

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

Nope. They are negotiated through action that brings changes to the law.

[-] -2 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

Uh huh... between the powers that be and the little guy. They are a negotiated item. And unfortunately following the TWA strike, Reagan took our right to strike.

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

American workers have been weak. We need a national strike, a really big one. Show them who's in charge.

[-] -2 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

American workers have been fighting municipalities for years. We're losing because they're all broke. Or to put that another way, we lack leverage because they can't afford to pay us.

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

This isn't about municipalities. This is about corporations. Corporate profits are at an all time high while wages are at an all time low.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/03/1270541/corporate-profits-wages-record/?mobile=nc

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

CorpoRATions business practices in general and a lack of perspective understanding by the masses which is changing on a daily basis - the masses are getting educated are seeing new possibilities and are saying - why the hell not?

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

They have nothing to lose at this point, DKA. Could they possibly earn lower salaries? LOL. Occupy a living wage!

[-] 3 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

Right on!!!

[-] 3 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Thank you I have had a while to practice stating what needs to be said and understood by all. But to hear a compliment from another member of the choir is always very much appreciated/enjoyed/treasured. {:-]) It is nice to know when you have struck an actual sweet chord.


[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (11531) 0 minutes ago

Nicely put. :) ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

{:-]) YES - Occupy a living wage! Occupy a healthy society/environment/world FOR ALL. OCCUPY a New perspective - A LIVING PERSPECTIVE.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

Nicely put. :)

[-] -1 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

No... for the politician, it's very much about municipalities - they've been trying to break their unions for years because they can't afford the status quo they themselves created; they can't afford it because they've mismanaged tax payer dollars.

[-] 7 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

That's fine. Greed and mismanagement have been pervasive, yes.

What we need is a national strike of all workers, private, public, union and non-union. All workers.

Half of all American workers earn less than $26,000 per year. With all the wealth concentrated at the top in this country, that is shameful!

[-] 3 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Wouldn't it be awesome to have out of the blue walk-outs? Receive a text or something and just leave your work. Announcement could be released over the internet as to the reasoning for continued surprise walk-outs. Good employers could be immune due to proper employee treatment pay working conditions environmental practices etc.

[-] 3 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

Now, to wake up the American people to the power they hold within them.

[-] 3 points by UnFriendlyObserverB (-55) 11 years ago

A national strike by all workers .. would certainly do the trick.

[-] 3 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

Yes yes yes!!!

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Yes - to wake up all peoples to fellowship mutual respect and the power of working together for the benefit of all.


[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (11544) 3 minutes ago

Now, to wake up the American people to the power they hold within them. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

[-] -1 points by BurmesePython (-66) 11 years ago

to DKA: at least you answered in a fair reasoned way. There is a fundamental incongruency between private workers and public workers that ultimately pits one against the other. I would hope you could see that, but i am not optimistic.

Private unions if they offer a sound benefit should flourish. I have no qualms about right to work, because a well run fair union should easily capture that particular labor market. They shouldnt need binding laws. believe that most if not all workers would not try to weasal out of a dues requirement because i believe in the good of most people. If they see a benefit to union dues, most everyone will ante up.

[-] -1 points by BurmesePython (-66) 11 years ago

To DKA: Bump taxes on those above $250000 to at least 50%. Lets see what happens. Maybe it'll work maybe it wont, BUT WE WONT KNOW TILL WE TRY. If the economy stalls, as conservatives say, they can always be rescinded. If the econ hums, raise em till it does stall, lets find out the magic percentage. Enough to pay for stuff and not enough to cause a recession.

on the issue of public employees having the same goals as private, you are being suckered if you believe that their goals are congruent.

[-] -3 points by BurmesePython (-66) 11 years ago

I am my own person, and no one can fool me. No 1%er can seduce me into believing a falsehood. I am not convinced that raising taxes will destroy the economy or America. Lets raise them, a nice stiff increase, see what shakes out. Its a bit of an unknown, but i can run that challenge.

The public union vs private union or private worker is not an unknown. Its a mathematical proof, that simply cannot be denied, that public unions, with their benefits are going to destroy America. Deny that and you are denying 2+2=4

[-] -2 points by BurmesePython (-66) 11 years ago

If you cant see he impending conflict brewing between the rights of private workers vs the rights of public workers, and if your beliefs are those of the majority, America as we know it is lost. Your post saddens me.

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

That is the myth they want you to believe. The rights of all workers are connected. Drag down the wages of the public workers and the private workers' wages are languishing right behind them.

You probably already know this but the conservative quest to quash public unions is merely a step toward lowering everyone's wages. This is the ultimate desire of corporations, to pay the lowest wages possible so the CEO and the fat cats can run away with all the cash.

[-] 3 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

I agree over 250,000 receives a stiff increase - along with additional taxes or tariffs on outsourced work that is then injected into the USA domestic market place.

Public or private - the unions have taken a beating - one problem about benefits is they were never fully funded from day 1 - they were not separated from the business ( public or private ) to insure that they ( the funds ) were not raided for other uses.

Do unions have issues of how they are run? You bet - and there should be a way for the union members to address those issues. Have some high up union officials abused their position and union funds before? No-doubt and they should face criminal charges the same as say any accountant/CPA would for embezzlement.

Responsibility and accountability in the public and in the private sector have been allowed to be basically non-existent and so a culture of white collar crime has flourished.


[-] 1 points by BurmesePython (-17) 2 minutes ago

To DKA: Bump taxes on those above $250000 to at least 50%. Lets see what happens. Maybe it'll work maybe it wont, BUT WE WONT KNOW TILL WE TRY. If the economy stalls, as conservatives say, they can always be rescinded. If the econ hums, raise em till it does stall, lets find out the magic percentage. Enough to pay for stuff and not enough to cause a recession.

on the issue of public employees having the same goals as private, you are being suckered if you believe that their goals are congruent. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

[-] 3 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

That is nice/good = " I am my own person "

That is also nice but unproven = " no one can fool me "

Here comes the contradiction to what you have said and I quoted above:

No 1%er can seduce me into believing a falsehood.

and yet you go on to say :

The public union vs private union or private worker is not an unknown. Its a mathematical proof, that simply cannot be denied, that public unions, with their benefits are going to destroy America. Deny that and you are denying 2+2=4

Complete greedy corpoRAT rhetoric. 1%'er

You do make a good point but it is unfinished so - is unclear :

I am not convinced that raising taxes will destroy the economy or America. Lets raise them, a nice stiff increase, see what shakes out. Its a bit of an unknown, but i can run that challenge.

Whose taxes do you want to raise? The wealthy? I mean they have been let out of the process to a large degree - what with loop holes entitlements/subsidies a "lowered" tax rate ( trickle down economics and such ) off shoring money to hide/hoard it etc etc The middle and poor class are taxed quite thoroughly.


[-] 0 points by BurmesePython (-14) 0 minutes ago

I am my own person, and no one can fool me. No 1%er can seduce me into believing a falsehood. I am not convinced that raising taxes will destroy the economy or America. Lets raise them, a nice stiff increase, see what shakes out. Its a bit of an unknown, but i can run that challenge.

The public union vs private union or private worker is not an unknown. Its a mathematical proof, that simply cannot be denied, that public unions, with their benefits are going to destroy America. Deny that and you are denying 2+2=4 ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

[-] -2 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

What's equally shameful is that at least half of all Americans fail to pursue a reasonable career path. Law, medicine, tech, and finance... how many do you know that have chosen these appropriate career paths? How many even graduate high school?

[-] 7 points by beautifulworld (23822) 11 years ago

Right, because workers are not the backbone of this country. Good grief. Do you not understand that you cannot have a country full of lawyers, doctors and programmers? And, news for you, even some of those jobs don't pay too well these days. But, really, the degradation of the worker is the big problem. Millions of worker bees are needed to support our economic system and all of the businesses within it. Do you not go to the store or restaurants or have any comprehension of office work, manufacturing, etc.? Come on.

[-] 4 points by elf3 (4203) 11 years ago

I agree with beautiful world below... does it make people feel all powerful and important when they peer down upon that cashier or lower level worker? Because that really sucks - personally I feel sorrow at the lack of upward mobility and frozen wages he or she is up against. Studies show the predominate factor in determining upward mobility is the wealth of a person's parents regardless of education.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120905141920.htm

[-] -1 points by Shayneh (-482) 11 years ago

I disagree - half of all Americans fail to understand that it takes time to build job skills and a career so they give up and look to the government to solve their financial problems.

There are lots of jobs out there that require physical labour - HVAC techs, electricians, plumbers, etc - but thats not to their liking because it requires physical labour.

[-] -2 points by Theeighthpieceuv8 (-32) from Seven Sisters, Wales 11 years ago

My only point it that is seems so many are far too willing to blame others. In fact that seems to be a common thread here.

[-] 1 points by UnFriendlyObserverB (-55) 11 years ago

Wake up Occupy, the media is sponsored ( owned and operated) by the Elite.

You are on your own.

[-] 2 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

Actually it's more like the 1% are on THEIR own. 99% is pretty good company to keep. :)

[-] 2 points by UnFriendlyObserverB (-55) 11 years ago

Copy that.

[-] 0 points by OTP (-203) from Tampa, FL 11 years ago

Nothing can be done. The people arent willing to do what is necessary.
the power of the people is only as strong as they are willing to show.

[-] 2 points by therising (6643) 11 years ago

Wrong. The people are rising :). Walmart, Michigan, Starbucks in England... Read this: http://occupywallst.org/forum/what-really-pisses-me-off-the-most-is-this/