Richard Freeman on Unions

[via][4 min]

Comments

[Denis Drew]

I guess it is a hopeful sign that a comedy show is even aware of Richard Freeman's book. Here's fingers crossed for American labor waking up (and getting greedy).

[Cynthia]

I find it ironic (and sad) that it's become commonplace for corporate stars to be granted employment contracts (highly lucrative ones, BTW), while this union benefit is becoming obsolete for employees who have less than star status in corporations!

[Lol]

The American public needs to be explained what unions are?! Your capitalism is savage indeed.

[robertdfeinman]

Does Richard Freeman not belong to the AAUP?
Is the faculty at Harvard not unionized?

[BJ Feng]

"The American public needs to be explained what unions are?! Your capitalism is savage indeed."

It's why we're so rich and powerful. The French seem to be catching on...

[Lafayette]

Lol: Your capitalism is savage indeed

Why did we never think of it

Anyone remember the Czech Prime Minister Dubçek who was rammed out of office by the Soviets in 1969 when he proclaimed that he wanted to introduce "Communism with a human face"?

American capitalism, it seems, needs the same cosmetic surgery. It IS savage when it creates exaggerated riches for a tiny minority of the population. Why?

Because we are a nation that has very little notion of collective solidarity. It's a free-for-all with select set of winners and a whole lot as also-rans. The dichotomy between the haves and the have-nots in America needs to be mire nuanced, meaning the lower and bottom portions of the pie need to be drastically reduced - at the expense of the upper levels.

It doesn't take much and no one is proposing Communism where the pie is just the same mediocrity for everyone. We can have millionaires; we just don't need billionaires.

Simple, huh? Why did we never think of it?

[Lol]

American capitalism, it seems, needs the same cosmetic surgery. It IS savage when it creates exaggerated riches for a tiny minority of the population. Why?
Because we are a nation that has very little notion of collective solidarity.

Yup, but what is curious is that, when asked, almost all of the Americans I have spoken too describe themselves as middle class. Even the obviously poor ones. So I guess you are not only deluded, but also indoctrinated that you all are middle class. Why do you swallow this BS and who is responsible for your indoctrination?

[Lafayette]

Lol: So I guess you are not only deluded, but also indoctrinated that you all are middle class. Why do you swallow this BS and who is responsible for your indoctrination?

Perhaps you haven't been around long enough to see that we are a fairly intelligent group of posters?

Ad hominems will get you no where, except perhaps thrown out of the forum.

If one cannot articulate an argument better than this post, then further posts wont even merit a reply.

Take another try at rebuttal. You have to do better.

[Lol-prime]

I wonder why the following comment:
"The American public needs to be explained what unions are?! Your capitalism is savage indeed."
was interpreted by people here as saying that the poster was refuting that your capitalism is savage.
On the contrary, the poster was saying how scarry your capitalism is.

Yes, people on this forum might be "pretty intelligent", but also pretty ready to jump up for a boxing match, which is not very intelligent. Have you considered that there might be posters who don't have english as their mother tongue? They try very hard, you know.

[Lol-prime]

(You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Fayette.)

[Lafayette]

Lol-p: Yes, people on this forum might be "pretty intelligent", but also pretty ready to jump up for a boxing match, which is not very intelligent.

Once again you are self-indulging in ad hominems. Nobody gives a damn what you think of "people".

Differences of opinion make a horse race. We are here to debate matters of economics and not personalities.

Have you considered that there might be posters who don't have english as their mother tongue? They try very hard, you know.

Yes, I've considered it. And, I do my damnedest to interpret what is meant when the English is not clear. And, believe me, a poster need not be foreign-tongued for that to happen.

It amused me when I heard an Oxford professor of English state that "The Americans and English will need a translator within the next half-century".

Of course, that was 20 years ago and so far, so good. So, he was likely exaggerating the gulf between the two dialects of English.

[Lol-prime]

I do my damnedest to interpret what is meant when the English is not clear.

That's not enough, Fayette. You're found lacking, what with you rather seeing sarcasm where none was intended.

[Lafayette]

Lol-p: You're found lacking, what with you rather seeing sarcasm where none was intended.

Good, then you are forgiven.

Carry on.

[Devang]

The Colbert Report is not a "comedy show" although humorous satire is used. There is irony deep enough in the average half-hour of the show to span any abyss.

More Daily Show and Colbert Report clips please! Colbert has had many other economists on, Jeffery Sachs to name a one. Maybe I need to figure out how this whole email thing works...

[Lafayette]

Is nobody going to reply to this legitimate question:

"So I guess you are not only deluded, but also indoctrinated that you all are middle class. Why do you swallow this BS and who is responsible for your indoctrination?"