Labor Creates All Wealth

Wayne, of PSoTD, tagged me with the hardest question I've had in a long time:  "What Does Labor Day Mean to Me?"   It's hard for a few reasons.  First, I feel like I should be reaching for my wide-ruled yellow composition paper and sharpening my pencil.    That always makes me nervous.   And he tagged, like, everyone, so now I'm in a virtual test room surrounded by brainiacs to boot. 

Second, I have deep anger issues with American Labor all the way from the elite, who betrayed a sacred trust by letting their corruption and greed give anti-labor forces a gigantic wedge to use against the movement, all the way down to the rank and file workers who are so easily manipulated to vote against their interests day and and day out.   As a result, my first inclination is to say that Labor Day is a day of mourning for me.   But that's so Chekov and a cop-out as well. 

Third, I'm not big on holidays.  They put too much pressure on one day for my delicate psychological constitution.  They lead people to ask deep questions they expect answered in public and to overeat.  No thank you.   So I'm tempted to say that every day is Labor Day around here.   If you could ask any of the people who would be my friends if I weren't so overbearing on this topic, they'd tell you that I'm right. 

"Oh my god," they'd say at once, fighting to be the one to tell the story that most perfectly expresses exactly how annoying I am.  "She never stops.  If we're talking about the class Halloween party, she finds a way to bring up the crisis in American Labor.  She won't shop at WalMart for sensible reasons (there's discount and then there's trash, if you know what I mean).    No.  With her it's all about 'political reasons' and then we have to hear about slave labor at home and abroad.  I mean, really.  All I wanted to know is if she bought the orange plates or the black ones."

So instead of answering the question, I'll duck it by listing my go-to, daily-read labor sites in honor of the struggle to bring dignity and prosperity to the workers of the world.

Nathan Newman
Confined Spaces
Warren Reports
Progressive States Network

Happy Labor Day.

Comments

[PSoTD]

Nice duck... but I may have to give you an extra credit assignment!