Greetings, What's diabolical about this capitalist point of view, as I'm sure you know, is that workers already run and operate everything in society. The view is pushed that it is the workers who need the capitalists. Of course, the opposite is the case. Speaking objectively, the workers have no need for the capitalists. Shawgi Tell University at buffalo Graduate School of Education [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Wed, 28 May 1997, Elaine Bernard wrote: > I few years ago, Harvard gave Ben Cohen, of Ben & Jerry's > an award -- I forget the name of it -- but its an annual > award for "progressive" business leaders (I know, its an > oxymoron, but I just work here). Anyway, I went to his > talk, and was at the cocktail party/dinner afterwards. > So I used the opportunity to ask Ben Cohen, politely > I thought, what he would do if his workers decided to > organize a union. He literally jumped back from me and > said, without hesitation that he would be hurt. I asked > him, why he thought that workers exercising their rights > had anything to do with him (whether they like Ben or not), > and did he really believe that the most ideal form of leadership > is benevolent dictatorship (a good boss). Needless to say > the Provost rescued our honored guest before I could get > my answers. Still, I always find it interesting that all > these guys (and gals) in the progressive business community > simply can't imagine workers doing things for themselves > including representing their interests collectively as anything > other than an assault against them. > > I've even heard the occasional union leader suggest that > only workers who suffer a bad boss need to organize -- as > opposed to the more obvious conclusion that I would draw > that if we are to be a true democracy then workers should > not only have the right to participate in decisions that > affect them, but have an obligation. That the default > position of labor law should not be union free -- but in > fact, organized. And that rather than labor law being a > series of barriers over which workers have to climb to > establish the right to collective bargaining, that labor > law should be a series of barriers over which workers > must climb (with the state certifying that a majority > of workers have freely chosen after a vigorous campaign) > to abolish their collective representation, relenquish > the right to participate in decisons and opt for > individual representation. > > Elaine Bernard >
