Cross posted on Daily Kos, Political Cortex and My Left Wing
Wed Dec 21, 2005 at 11:34:12 AM PDT
The strike in New York really is not as complicated as some of you are making it.
Let me try and sort it out in terms we can all understand.
First thing you should do is turn on your TV. Try CNN, Fox News or MSNBC. Now take a good look at the faces or the strikers.
What do you see?
Let me tell you what I see. I see mostly African-Americans and Hispanics. I live in New York, trust me most TWU employees are minorities.
Then I overlay that image against the backdrop of a billionaire, Republican mayor heaving a firestorm of bullshit, insults and inflamatory rhetoric against the strikers in an ill-concealed effort to turn public opinion against them.
Last time I saw such a racial divide was in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. I guess the learning curve is steep.
If we had, more of us might see some similarities, imperfect though they may be. Last time, it was the incompetent, unqualified, unelected president derelict in his number one responsibility–to protect the American people.
This time, it’s the billionaire Republican mayor waxing eloquent on the financial catastrophe the city is facing, and doing it shamelessly on the same day the Senate is voting to raise the co-pays for Medicaid beneficiaries!
There are other reasons why are we so upset with this strike. I’ll give you my opinion, which I know some of you won’t like. We are not happy when our servants strike. This is what the TWU employees are, aren’t they?
The value of the TWU workers is to serve the economic interests of the business and financial community. In New York, this is a cohort of extremely wealthy people. TWU workers are our servants. Do the fucking job, be grateful (you have a job), take your damn pension and shut the fuck up.
I see a group who are reminded daily from Bloomberg, Pataki, Bushco that they are under assault. They are right. Anyone in this country trying to survive in the middle class has seen nothing but financial erosion (and for many financial ruin) for the last five years. Think the bankruptcy bill. I see people who have seen their friends and neighbors losing jobs. Lose health care. Forced to work at Wal Mart for minimum wage jobs.
It is a bogus argument, IMO to say, they are doing better than me, therefore they should just shut up and get back to work. If they do that, we’ve all lost. And yes, the strike is hurting many, many innocent people. But to blame the strikers is to look for the wrong villian. That strikes me as vintage blame the victim.
More than anything, I see people who saw the callous disregard of the government to the Katrina survivors. I see people who saw that catastrophe and are saying over my dead body. If I don’t protect myself, my family, my future, who will? Not Mr. Bloomberg. Not the MTA. These people know, there is no safety net any longer in America.
You abandoned my brothers and sister in New Orleans. I learned well that I am nothing more than your servant.
I see people who are saying fuck you and your comfortable lives.
Fuck the $400 million a day the city is losing.
Bloomberg, Pataki and Kalikow could stop this by evening rush hour–it’s their choice.
They want to fool you, don’t let them.
