Some Thoughts on the Transit Strike in NYC

Needless to say the transit strike is disrupting the lives of many of us in NYC. Many of us don't bother to own cars, as our public transport is cheap and convenient and we can rent easily for longer distance things.

However, NYC is one of the last strongholds of decency so far as compensation of workers is concerned in this country with the Walmartization of labor following upon the export of manufacturing jobs elsewhere that began in the 1970s and of white collar jobs currently picking up speed. The TWU is battling against the forces of greed that would end respect for workers not only here in NYC.

The split in America is widening between those of us who have lucked out with safe jobs, real estate and stock market investments, and those who are increasingly being left stranded with no or minimal jobs and prospects. They say that social mobility is a thing of the past in this country. And I was particularly hit by the figure in the NY Times last week that 82% of those applying for low interest federal loans in the Gulf area to rebuild their homes were being turned down for bad credit. I know too many of my own students -- some of the best -- who through no fault of their own have been facing bankruptcy before they have even been able to graduate from college. I hate to think what is happening to the mere high school grad or dropout who is being drained by the credit vultures who have no compunctions about hoisting interest rates on cards merely because they figure they have their victims hooked. It has happened to us whenever we happen to have run up a large balance (a wedding or whatever) so I know how very crooked they are. Never again Chase, MBNA, Bank One who played this game -- the first two sponsored by two of my academic institutions (Yale and Columbia cards offered respectively).

The split between poverty and wealth is expanding and I admire the transit workers putting themselves on the line against the array of billionaires -- our now suddenly nastier Mayor and the Scaifes funding the right wing think tanks, spinning the slogans and hot button issues to con the public into voting against its own best interests. I hear the slogans echoed back by those who should know better -- well educated classmates, academics, and others -- or are they just going along for the ride?

Fortunately I set up a list so that I can be in touch with my students to whom I will send a copy of this. They and my children and grand children are being terribly cheated by the huge debts being built up for them to spend the rest of their lives paying off and their environment being risked by those who would deny the hazards of global warming, the energy crunch, and pollution that kills. The U.S. should be taking the lead in facing and resolving these problems. Instead it has become the rogue nation which is earning the contempt of the rest of the world. I never imagined that I might be ashamed to be an American. But scarcely a day goes by when I do not learn of another cheating scheme directed at those unable to defend their interests -- here and abroad. Tell us about the results in Montreal and in Hong Kong, dear apologists. At least the transit workers are putting their lives on the line (and those of their families) and saying "NO MORE!"

They certainly have my admiration and support. May more of us become engaged in the realities of our present world!
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"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort
to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy)
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Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
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