Links for 07/02/15 | National Catholic Reporter

Links for 07/02/15 | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: It is good the Christie mentioned and E.J. caught the reference to "hard work and his family."   Of course, those who believe in hard work sometimes forget that people who work hard for less money also have a right to feed their families, no matter how large.  Actually, any family deserves to be fed and housed and receive health care, regardless of whether their head is male or female, a wage earner, salaried, student or disabled.  I somehow think that Christie and his GOP base won't take it that far.  They certainly won't do anything about either overtime or making some employees consultants, all to mess with the pay scales so that the CEO or even the store manager or franchises can live large according to the dictates of his (or rarely her) class.  That class votes Republican too, unless we convince them (the petite bourgeoisie) that they are better off with a more active government involvement in making America a fairer place.



Harold is right about the need for more "categorical rights" in the workplace - and that includes religious workplaces.  Union organizing is another battle we thought we already won.  While refusing to go public is good for CEOs to avoid activist investors, it might also serve workers if they can get a piece of the action and be activist shareholders - thereby having their funds hold enough employer voting stock (maybe with some kind of insurance) to make activism count for much more than is the case now at shareholders meetings.  Maybe we can get corporate democracy at some point - and more union involvement - although if we want this to happen soon, we need to look at Social Security personal accounts holding, not index funds, but employer voting stock.  The unions are allergic to that right now.  Maybe we should give them an allergy shot.  Such a regime makes overturning Citizens United unnecessary however we still need ENDA, since even employee owners can nasty on rights of gays and lesbians,   The California case is essential, a line in the sand that should not be crossed.  Of course, employee ownership will kill CALPERS, since in the end there will be no stock for the fund to invest in. The public pension system will, oddly, have to be strengthened if we go for employee ownership.  Of course, it might force public workplaces to behave a little less hierarchically as well.





The link to Vox is to a story by someone who worked as a plantation guide, where she describes what would have to be as a belligerence about the institutional of slavery, especially from people with a working class background.  The habit of wanting status by having someone be lower is quite apparent.  Its who the Republicans keep working class white voters in check.  A little solidarity among the poor, black and white, would change things greatly.  I suspect it would prevent the next Dylan Roof type shooting, which she mentions.