I'd like to dedicate the song below to two groups of people.
First, I dedicate "Gods Of The Factory" to The United States Supreme Court who, on January 21, 2010, gave corporations more rights which are intended for human beings than they already had. And they already had too many.
In doing this, the court not only finished removing the power of electing officials from the hands of human beings and put it into the part of corporations which, in their view, must emulate "hands", but they removed any semblance of democracy which may have existed in the work place.
Secondly, I dedicate this song to those who complain that the existence of unions is what's wrong with The FUSA.
They harp on the fact that federal, state and local employees are paid "too much" and have too many benefits and attribute the taxes that they pay to these facts.
They also attribute the fact that American cars are too expensive and not globally competitive enough to the fact that American cars are manufactured by union members.
There are at least two factors which are involved in why the cost of living slips away from us. One is that the prices of commodities and services rise. The second is that wages do not.
Basically speaking, the same people are responsible for both of those factors. Generally speaking, those people are the bosses of many who complain about unions while commending The SCOTUS for its wonderful free speech ruling.
My message to those who complain about unions is twofold.
First, do some research. Look back to how we got rid of child labor; how we got to a forty hour work week; how we got benefits such as vacation time, sick time, overtime pay and even health care subsidies from employers in the first place. People fought and died for these rights in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They fought to organize so that they'd have leverage to bargain with those who would give them as little as possible while asking them to do as much as possible.
Secondly, instead of moaning and whining about what union members receive, find the intestinal fortitude to demand the same for yourselves. Don't fault union workers for their courage. Look in the mirror and ask why you can't summon that same courage.
Look at what the management of your company skims from the profits for which you and your hard work and dedication are mostly responsible.
Look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Why am I so attracted to Wal-Mart's everyday low prices?"
The answer is simple. It's because of the everyday low wages that you are being paid.
To quote the early twentieth century organizer, Joseph Etter, "The workers are more powerful with their hands in their pockets than all the property of the capitalists""
Gods Of The Factory (click on the title to hear the song)
You stand there running
their old machine.
Making them profits
that are obscene.
They've outsourced our jobs to you.
It's no wonder why.
Cause to thank you for the loyalty you show
the gods of the factory
will make you paupers until you die.
They've got you working
mechanically.
You've lost your human
identity.
To them you're just a stepping
stone to the sky
and to thank you for the loyalty you show
the gods of the
factory will keep
you poor until you die.
Workers arise!
Make your demands!
Their wealth resides
within your hands.
Put your hands in your pockets
and their world dies
if the workers of the world unite
the gods of
the factory are gonna be facing
their demise.
To friendship,
Michael
"I don't know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn't." - Jules Renard
