The term neocon is thrown around loosely nowadays thanks to some idiot anarchists pretending to be Republicans and conservatives. Have you ever wondered about the origins of that term, though? You might be interested to learn that “neo-conservative” is actually a word that has its origins in communism.
It actually referred to unions and American Democrats, of all people. Why? Because they were preserving the capitalist-driven social order and preventing “the revolution” by buying off the working class. It’s not often that I agree with communists, but I think they may be right. If the working conditions of the 1910s continued through the post-WWII, socialism and communism would have been a lot more popular in the United States. Had our politicians been pandering to these far left sentiments, even a little, the Cold War may have turned out somewhat differently.
When I think of Unions, I think of the role they played in winning the Cold War, even if it wasn’t always entirely intentional. But historical context is historical context. What’s the role of the union in the American economy today?
From a conservative standpoint, they are making our industry less competitive in an increasingly globalized economy. From the progressive point of view, they are doing the same things they have always done: ensure good paying jobs with excellent benefits in safe and fair work conditions.
Neither side is entirely wrong, though. I think unions are necessary in many (though not all) cases. That’s why I cringed a bit when Indiana Republicans pushed through Right-To-Work with Governor Mitch Daniels’ support. Right-to-work is an indirect union buster, even if not all the politicians who backed it have the courage to admit it.
With that said, the unions sort of asked for it, too. Their continued blind support for Democrats and brutal attacks on even the most pro-union Republicans (they exist!) begs for political reprisal and attempts at marginalization. In addition to that, the goal of the unions isn’t on protecting workers, it’s on making money. A lot of union guys will tell you horror stories of the kinds of lazy idiots they work with, including drug addicts and people who drink on the job. These are people who should have been fired years ago, but because the union wants their cut of their elevated tenured paychecks, they are blindly defended. Not only is this bad for the employer’s bottom line, but it puts the other union employees at risk, too.
Unions really need to evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century. When I buy a union product, I should know the object was made by experienced workers who know their stuff. Right now, I honestly don’t care. Union-made might as well be “Made in Malaysia” because it tells you nothing about the quality of your purchase.
Businesses should WANT (or at least be indifferent towards) professional union workers because they are worth the premium, not because they are backed into a corner and now have to pay some lazy bums with such lousy work ethics that they really deserve to be homeless while other employees have to pick up the slack while doing their own work.
What really bothers me is that nobody is looking out for the union workers with good work ethics. I honestly think that Right-To-Work is going to hurt them in the pocketbook. Yet, the unions won’t normally defend them any more than they would the lazy drug addict who contributes nothing to his shop. In fact, they’ll often defend the drug addict more if that addict has tenure over the actual worker.
If unions end their blind support of Democrats and start guaranteeing a high-quality labor force, they would solve most of their troubles overnight.
I had no intention of endorsing a candidate until we had one conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, but I felt compelled to back Rick Santorum after the events of the last couple of weeks unfolded.
Here in the United States, we are all familiar with the phrase that “all men are created equal.” Thomas Jefferson first used the phrase in our Declaration of Independence and it’s been repeated countless times and across the world. Unfortunately, it seems like few people actually think about the implications this would have for global policy making. Not surprisingly, the blind fools following Ron Paul; who evoke the Founders at every turn as though they just had lunch with them; are the most oblivious.
I never would have voted for Rick Perry in the first place, but that’s besides the point. I said the other day that whoever loves their country the most will be the one who drops out of the race first and endorses another conservative BEFORE South Carolina (justifying it with a King Solomon’s Judgment analogy). But then I forgot to publish that post… Oops.
Last weekend, the world lost a precious gem when Kim Jong-il, the supreme and dear leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, passed away at the age of 69. According to North Korean television, Kim Jong-il died from overwork and exhaustion associated with maintaining the amazing standard of living known in North Korea. However, we are slowly learning that Kim Jong Il may have died from his exhaustion and wounds after defeating Chuck Norris, who has not been seen or heard from in several weeks. If this is true, we can all rest assured knowing that Kim Jong-il died so that our sins may not be punished by Chick Norris.
One characteristic of countries living with communist economies is the presence of food shortages. Venezuela is no exception. Beef, a cornerstone of the Venezuelan winter diet, is nowhere to be found. If you’re lucky, you’ll find pork, but even supplies of that are running low. Making matters worse, it’s getting harder for the Venezuelan people to find fresh fruit at reasonable prices.
The world is getting one of its first unclassified looks at the Aircraft Carrier Varyag. What kind of name is Varyag for an aircraft carrier, you wonder? It’s a Chinese name. And no, this they aren’t selling to us. It’s China’s first aircraft carrier and its size rivals the largest counterparts in the US fleet.
