[Peace-discuss] socializing an industry -- good but also bad

[Jenifer Cartwright]

And while we're thinking of well-run gov't institutions w/ rights, job security, health and retirement benefits, low incidence of racism and sexism, and union protection, let's not forget the public schools, which are still public (or were, last I looked) but definitely on the chopping block....
 --Jenifer

--- On Wed, 12/10/08, Brussel Morton K. <mkbrussel at comcast.net> wrote:

From: Brussel Morton K. <mkbrussel at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] socializing an industry -- good but also bad
To: "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com>
Cc: "Peace-discuss" <peace-discuss at anti-war.net>
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 11:01 AM


Comment below. 



On Dec 10, 2008, at 3:05 AM, John W. wrote:



On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 12:36 AM, Karen Medina <kmedina at illinois.edu> wrote:


Peace-discuss,

I would like to discuss the US taking over an industry.

Let us take the postal service as an example. The postal service has always been
tied to the federal government. And has done well.

But as an institution, it was extremely sexist and racist clear into the 1980s. I
blame this on the fact that it was tied to the federal government. For a very long
time, the postal service did not have to abide by OSHA's safety guidelines, again
because it was a government institution. The postal service used to be one of
the highest stress occupations -- again because it was run by the government
and was managed top-down and so very close to the way the military was run
that many ex-military people were employed by the postal service.

I am not saying that I think the postal service should be privatized, I am just
saying that when the government runs an industry, it tends to overlook human
dignity issues and is slow to change -- and it makes us all guilty for the human
rights abuses done by the institution.

It is good sometimes to be able to point to a CEO and say that person is bad,
but it is really hard for the public to turn and look at the way the public is
running an industry and say "we are bad".

-karen medina
I guess I'd like to take the opposite view.

While I have heard about the stress involved in working for the post office (particularly at "the Plant"), I doubt that it's any worse than working for some private-sector corporation, most of which are also managed in a top-down style.

Historically, government institutions like the military and the post office have been among the LEAST racist and sexist employers in America.  In the black community of the 1940s and 1950s, having a job at the post office was about the best job that one could hope for.  Teaching was also a viable and desirable option in the black community.  The police and fire departments proved more difficult to integrate.

An irony of history is that, because of the way the law has evolved, public-sector unions have been for the past 30 years FAR stronger than private-sector unions, providing public employees with far greater job protections.  Of course, it also helps that government jobs can't be exported overseas.

Again, due to the peculiar nature of our labor laws, the government is in a position to mandate things like affirmative action, a living wage, etc. not only in its own employment practices but in instances where it contracts with private-sector vendors.  Legally, we have not seen fit to extend the same level of government-mandated worker protections to private-sector employers who do not do business with government.

There are pros and cons both ways, of course.   But on balance, I would MUCH prefer to work for the government, and I think that basic industries having to do with food, energy, and essential services should be nationalized for purposes of national security and the public good.

John Wason

Amen to all that!, and I'd add to the list "food, energy and essential services" health insurance, the railroads. The profit motive (capitalism) in "essential institutions or industries" is not one which can be trusted to lead to the best and most efficient services for all the people, and which will lead to a sustainable society.    --mkb







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