South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley argues in The Wall Street Journal that President Obama is unjustifiably interfering with Boeing's right to hire cheap labor because his administration is in the pocket of big labor unions, which "rely on coercion, bullying and undue political influence to stay afloat." Apparently the issue is that South Carolina is a "right-to-work" state, meaning it relies on coercion to forbid unions and businesses from voluntarily agreeing to make union membership a condition of employment. Some people on the National Labor Relations Board don't like that.
I must admit, though, I find it perplexing that Gov. Haley would contrast "great corporate citizen" Boeing with what are the purportedly uniquely corrupt and coercive labor unions. Boeing, after all, was just awarded a $35 billion contract -- billions, not millions -- from the Air Force to construct a fleet of refueling tankers. I'm not sure if the governor knows where the Air Force gets its money, but it's not from bake sales.
And I hate to shatter Gov. Haley's innocent little world, but Boeing doesn't get all those multi-billion dollar taxpayer-funded contracts because it simply makes a better ice cream cone than its competitors. No, it gets them by bribing government officials and because just about every politician who wants a second term is beholden to them, from the "progressive" Jim McDermott -- seen here shilling for his friendly neighborhood military contractor and that $35 billion contract -- to that anti-business Marxist reviled by the right for his hatred of motherhood and the American way, Barack Obama, who travels the globe trying to sell Boeing's lethal products to foreign heads of state.
This is why Republicans and the right can't be taken seriously: They have the gall to suggest that big government contractors are under assault by the very big government by which they earn their profits. They pretend big businesses get to be so big because of the "free market." And, arguably most ludicrous of all, they purport to believe that President Barack "Boeing" Obama isn't a good little corporatist just like them.
dude, you're always on point.
ReplyDeletecaptcha word was "impech." close enough.
nail hammer contact.
ReplyDeleteGood points Charles. A lot of quasi-"free market" advocates tend to confuse being pro-market with being pro-business. In our fascist economy, most of the biggest players are indeed only "on top" due to government privilege.
ReplyDelete"Apparently the issue is that South Carolina is a "right-to-work" state, meaning it relies on coercion to forbid unions and businesses from voluntarily agreeing to make union membership a condition of employment"
I'm curious, is that really what right-to-work laws are about? Are there really businesses that voluntarily agree to make union membership a condition of employment? Truly voluntarily? Honest question; please provide an example.
Because as far as I'm aware (happy to be corrected), while unions can theoretically exist voluntarily, historically, in the US, all unions have relied on violence (either directly, or indirectly through state-action).
Personally, I don't buy the "two wrongs make a right" concept that if businesses are going to use the state for privilege, then "workers" should do so in response. No one should be using the state for privilege as far as I'm concerned.