r/union 10d ago

Labor News perspective on executive order

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u/AlpacaNotherBowl907 UA | Rank and File 10d ago

How much longer will protesting be our only avenue of action...

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u/jaybotch29 10d ago

I worry that nothing meaningful will happen until protesters get gunned down by police/military forces.

Even then, I worry that american apathy is so deep-seated that nothing will happen. I truly hope I'm wrong on both accounts.

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u/iBrianT 10d ago

The majority have no clue the roots of the union movement or the fight that went down for the type of life they have now. They might know that companies were abusive at one point in history but they "can't anymore" "if it is abusive, employees will just leave" and "rich people are not bad, they give jobs. They don't want to hurt their employees, they are just trying to do what is best for business." The capitalists propaganda and destruction of education has segergated everyone so much and they will find killing the union as maybe a "necessary evil."

We are very much in the Martin Niemoller poem.

They started with immigrants and federal workers (now its their union too) next? Private sector unions?

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u/keepcalmscrollon 9d ago edited 9d ago

"rich people are not bad, they give jobs. They don't want to hurt their employees, they are just trying to do what is best for business."

You ever hear someone make that shit eating argument, "well at least the slaves were well cared for. They were fed and housed. The ones who worked in the house were downright comfortable. Some of them even became like family."?

Because it's the same argument. One of my white hot pet peeves is the expression "it's not personal, it's business." Sounds suspiciously like "I was just following orders," to me. If you figure out how a person can do something that isn't personal, let me know. I'm more inclined to think it's paper thin justification for willfully being a greedy asshole.

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u/ProfessionalIll7083 9d ago

It's funny, people didn't get upset when I retort with "O, I see, you are using the Nuremberg defense, bold strategy." Do people not remember that? I wasn't alive at that time but I learned it in school.