Screwed So Long They Can't See Straight

[ksmith]

This point has been made several times this weekend, and it's true:

Before the emergence of public unions, public employees were compensated significantly less than people in the private sector. The reason? Much of the private sector work force was unionized. What changed is not the public employees got a better deal, but that the private sector became deunionized, lost the right to bargain collectively, and saw their compensation and benefits stagnate or fall. But I have another question. Do taxpayers want public workers to get the smallest possible salaries? Do they want a government administered by paupers?

Crabs in a bucket. If we're slicing at one another, we're not paying attention to the folks with the pot of boiling water.

Wrong target.

Comments

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I don't know what to say. Some of the things you see on TV and in movies don't help.

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

Indeed - and my most fiery rage is directed at those government employees who only feed the stereotype, to the detriment of we 99% who are devoted to public service.

Here's one thing I've learned in 20 years: private sector employees think government employees wallow in gravy, and gov't employees think private sector employees do. Fact is the Powers that Be screw ALL of us, every chance they get, maybe in different ways, but we're all pawns.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Fact is the Powers that Be screw ALL of us, every chance they get, maybe in different ways, but we're all pawns.

Yup, that "crabs in a bucket" analogy I've been seeing all weekend. *All* middle class and working class folks are in this together, and any division plays into the hands of the PTBs. They want us confused, angry, divided. It sounds so black helicopter, but it's true. Divide and conquer.

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

So sad, so true.