WE THE PEOPLE: Workers made the U.S. the most prosperous country in the world

Opinion

August 26, 2009

By Clyde Ussery / Chronicle contributor The Crossville Chronicle Wed Aug 26, 2009, 09:51 AM CDT

Since the early days of our republic, the struggle of American workers to improve their lives in the workplace has been an uphill fight against rich and powerful conservatives whose primary goal is to maintain a ready supply of cheap labor. In order to keep workers “over a barrel,” they have done their best to destroy one of the most important protections of working people—unions.

In their efforts to defeat organized labor, conservatives mobilized support from the economically comfortable who suffer from the delusion that they are part of that rich and powerful circle, and from workers who are hard-wired to oppose anything designed to improve their lot in life.

Despite the best efforts of rich “cheap labor” conservatives, from the late 1930s through the mid 1970s, working Americans had bargaining power. It has been called by some labor’s golden age. Unions had significant clout with Congress, and through legislation they were able to get the 40-hour workweek, the 8-hour workday, overtime pay, medical insurance, pension benefit protection and safety protections in the workplace. Not just for union members, but for all workers, even those who had fought them every step of the way.

For those who preach that lower taxes on wealthy investors is the only route to prosperity, it should be noted that in the years Americans were experiencing wage growth and improved working conditions, taxes on the wealthy were the highest in our nation’s history.

Since workers had attained power, investors and corporate executives wooed them with promises. They said help make us more productive and profitable, and we will share our prosperity. Wealth will trickle down to you.

So American workers trusted the investors and CEOs, after all, wasn’t the U.S. a Christian nation with high moral standards. The workers kept their end of the bargain and made this country the most competitive and most prosperous in the world, not only with hands-on labor, but also by contributing their creative talents to develop superior production techniques.

But alas, what the workers didn’t have was enough money to buy politicians. Wealthy investors did, and they began their rise to power. Pro-business, anti-worker politicians were elected, and politicians who had the interest of our total society at heart became an endangered species.

When the rich and powerful gained control of our government, all their promises to workers—the people who built this country—were forgotten. The investors were rewarded with special tax breaks, enormous subsidies, regulatory advantages, and political privileges—a welfare state for the rich. They got these favors on the grounds that everyone would benefit from the advantages they were given. Nothing trickled down.

Our best jobs have gone overseas, factories are sitting idle, and communities are decaying. Fairness to workers is no longer a moral standard. All that counts is profit for investors. The wealth has been redistributed.

Have a good Labor Day. If you have the day off, or if you have to work and collect time and a half, just remember, some old liberal fought hard to get that for you.

Text Only

Opinion

Gary's World: The magical Star Wars summer of '77
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

May 24, 2012
Lion and the Lamb: When politics and religion meet
Several wealthy contributors to the Republican presidential campaign are once again trying to figure out how they can use a video clip containing three words that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright used in a sermon on April 13, 2003. Wright, now retired, had been pastor of the 6,600-member Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago when Barack Obama was a member there.

May 22, 2012
Random Thoughts: Returning vets fight fire
Cemeteries are given special attention this week in preparation for Memorial Day next Monday. During the Civil War gracious ladies of the south laid flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers from both sides. The custom spread across the country and was called Decoration Day until the early 20th century.

May 22, 2012
Tidbits: Finding more time in your day
If we had another two hours in every day, we'd all probably still be begging for just a little bit more to get all our stuff done before that clock strikes midnight and it's game over.

May 21, 2012
Stumptalk: Hooray for the innovators
In his brilliant article in the Free Market, Daniel Sanchez says, “There will always be a one-percent. The well-being of the 99-percent depends on who makes up the 1-percent: innovative entrepreneurs or the state and its cronies. This in turn depends on the ideologies adopted by the 99-percent.” This is the way societies have always been organized and always will be.

May 21, 2012
GARY'S WORLD: Graduates, create your own opportunities
Time flies. One day you have a baby boy who is fascinated with stuffed Miss Piggy and Kermit rattles and the next day he wants to wear his cowboy boots and hat with every outfit no matter what the occasion. Before you know it, he's playing in the elementary school band, going into high school, learning how to drive, driving to school, going to prom and graduating.

May 17, 2012
RANDOM THOUGHTS: Truly a January in May
“It’s June in January” became a popular standard after Bing Crosby introduced the song in 1934. A strange thing happened last week. I call it a tale of ‘It’s January in May.’

May 15, 2012
LION AND THE LAMB: Our challenged nation
Three major social justice issues have been a source of contention in our nation over the years, and interestingly, each of them has involved the subject of equality.

May 15, 2012
WE THE PEOPLE: Repressing the ‘Grapes of Wrath’
Sometimes a hole appears, ever so briefly, in the curtain that hides the plans of those who control our government. One such opening occurred when Alan Greenspan testified to the Federal Reserve Board on Feb. 26, 1997. During that testimony, Greenspan revealed that “worker insecurity” was (in his view) a boon to the economy, allowing productivity to increase without causing workers to demand increased earnings.

May 15, 2012
TIDBITS: Never stop moving forward, grads
This week is a week of celebration. According to my files of graduating seniors, Cumberland County will see more than 550 students earning their high school diplomas this week. Now, those youngsters will venture out into the world, armed with the knowledge and character instilled in them by their parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, teachers, principals, classmates, coaches and others.

May 14, 2012
More Opinion Headlines

Opinion

Search Results

WE THE PEOPLE: Workers made the U.S. the most prosperous country in the world

Site Map

Contact Us