Deregulation as some sort of "good thing" and the implication that "what is good for general motors is good for America" had its roots way before Clinton. Its most recent incarnation was brought back by my screennamesake with his industry deregulation and anti organized labor stance. By the time Clinton got into office the trend was going that way, and people for some reason again thought that deregulating was the only way to go. Clinton, being a politician first and foremost, did what was popular.
Of course, the public is incredibly stupid and has no sense of history.
For the record though, Bush started tax breaks for companies that ship jobs over the border, and other deregulation such as relaxing USURY laws for credit card companies (can you say 'credit crunch'), and making it so now a single corporation can own as many t.v. or radio stations as they want.
Every time we have moved this way it has had the same result: economic disaster. Whether it was the recession at the end of Reagan's presidency, the great depression, the depression of 1893, or the recent sub prime mortgage meltdown. Its always because of the government's refusal to step in and take power away from corporations. They won't regulate themselves.
Also, even in the "good times" before the meltdowns inevitably take place, its only the richest who benefit. See, the company owner, who we'll just call TJ gets to rake in extra profits while the labor he exploits in, say, Mexico, makes less money. Who's gonna make him give up that extra money? The non-union foreigners? Fuck them! They are lucky TJ hasn't moved production over to China like other companies. They better shut the fuck up and enjoy earning less than the American minimum wage, or they'll lose it.
TJ gets rich, workers stay poor.
Of course, TJ isn't out of the norm. His practices are what most do to stay iin business. Does it make TJ a bad person for doing this? Yes, slavery was the norm at one point too, but it was "just how we keep the price of cotton down, do you know how much it would cost without slavery?" It is how it is, but a good person wouldn't sit idly and let that be.
Dollar diplomacy is a good concept, but only works to a certain extent. I always think about chattle slavery in the U.S. as the example. When the market gets dominated by immoral labor practices, eventually it becomes too difficult to steer away from it. In the 1830's in America, if you wanted cotton, a slave picked it. You had no other choice. Which is why the market can not, on its own, fix moral issues, and you need an outside force coming in to fix it.
And Brawler, this stuff we talk about aren't conspiracy theories or nut job ideas. Its very well based in history and economics, and the "things just are how they are" people just want to marginalize the idea of considering morality when running a business.
It shouldn't be.
oh and Mr. Thomas, I am a teacher, and am currently raising an army of revolutionaries.
Topic: The Slap Message Boards and the Trial of Jamie Thomas (Read 86302 times)