Where does labor go from here?


Labor deserves some of the credit
E. J. Dionne Jr. writes a great story available at Real Clear Politics.

But the real gem is buried near the end.

But this muddle reflects a default on parts of the left and, especially, within the Democratic Party. Because so many Democrats fear that they might sound like -- God forbid! -- socialists, they are unwilling to challenge the right's core story. Capitalism, all by itself, would never have achieved the rising living standards that were the pride of the United States in O'Neill's 1950s and still are today. The rules enforced by the National Labor Relations Board made it possible for Reuther's union to organize by protecting workers' rights. Cheap 30-year mortgages, which became the norm because of Federal Housing Administration guarantees, created a nation of homeowners.

I disagree with his conclusions, but not his observations. I think the rules would have changed once enough businesses realized it was in their own best interests to make their products widely available and provide good benefits to their employees. Henry Ford proved it could be done without bankrupting the company.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Tue - November 29, 2005 at 04:48 AM  Tag


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