HEMISFEAR
01-03-09, 05:45.26 AM
I got this in an email the other day. What do you think?
Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead
> > >
> > >Friday, December 12th, 2008
> > >
> > >Friends,
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers start
> > >building only cars and mass transit that reduce our dependency on oil.
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers build
> > >cars that reduce global warming.
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers
> > >withdraw their many lawsuits against state governments in their attempts
> > >to
> > >not comply with our environmental laws.
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the management team
> > >which drove these once-great manufacturers into the ground resign and be
> > >replaced with a team who understands the transportation needs of the 21st
> > >century.
> > >
> > >Yes, they could have given the loan for any of these reasons because, in
> > >the end, to lose our manufacturing infrastructure and throw 3 million
> > >people out of work would be a catastrophe.
> > >
> > >But instead, the Senate said, we'll give you the loan only if the factory
> > >workers take a $20 an hour cut in wages, pension and health care. That's
> > >right. After giving BILLIONS to Wall Street hucksters and criminal
> > >investment bankers -- billions with no strings attached and, as we have
> > >since learned, no oversight whatsoever -- the Senate decided it is more
> > >important to break a union, more important to throw middle class wage
> > >earners into the ranks of the working poor than to prevent the total
> > >collapse of industrial America.
> > >
> > >We have a little more than a month to go of this madness. As I sit here
> > >in
> > >Michigan today, tens of thousands of hard working, honest, decent
> > >Americans
> > >do not believe they can make it to January 20th. The malaise here is
> > >astounding. Why must they suffer because of the mistakes of every CEO
> > >from
> > >Roger Smith to Rick Wagoner? Make management and the boards of directors
> > >and the shareholders pay for this.
> > >
> > >Of course that is heresy to the 31 Republicans who decided to blame the
> > >poor, miserable autoworkers for this mess. And our wonderful media
> > >complied
> > >with their spin on the morning news shows: "UAW Refuses to Give
> > >Concessions
> > >Killing Auto Bailout Bill." In fact the UAW has given concession after
> > >concession, reduced their benefits, agreed to get rid of the Jobs Bank
> > >and
> > >agreed to make it harder for their retirees to live from week to week.
> > >Yes!
> > >That's what we need to do! It's the Jobs Bank and the old people who have
> > >led the nation to economic ruin!
> > >
> > >But even doing all that wasn't enough to satisfy the bas**** Republicans.
> > >These Senate vampires wanted blood. Blue collar blood. You see, they
> > >weren't opposed to the bailout because they believed in the free market
> > >or
> > >capitalism. No, they were opposed to the bailout because they're opposed
> > >to
> > >workers making a decent wage. In their rage, they were driven to destroy
> > >the backbone of this country, not because the UAW hadn't given back
> > >enough,
> > >but because the UAW hadn't given up.
> > >
> > >It appears that the sitting President has been looking for a way to end
> > >his
> > >reign by one magnanimous act, just like a warlord on his feast day. He
> > >will
> > >put his finger in the dyke, and the fragile mess of an auto industry will
> > >eke through the next few months.
> > >
> > >That will give the Senate enough time to demand that the bankers and
> > >investment sharks who've already swiped nearly half of the $700 billion
> > >gift a chance to make the offer of cutting their pay.
> > >
> > >Fat chance.
> > >
> > >Yours,
> > >Michael Moore
> > >MMFlint@aol.com
> > >http://www.michaelmoore.com
Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead
> > >
> > >Friday, December 12th, 2008
> > >
> > >Friends,
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers start
> > >building only cars and mass transit that reduce our dependency on oil.
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers build
> > >cars that reduce global warming.
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers
> > >withdraw their many lawsuits against state governments in their attempts
> > >to
> > >not comply with our environmental laws.
> > >
> > >They could have given the loan on the condition that the management team
> > >which drove these once-great manufacturers into the ground resign and be
> > >replaced with a team who understands the transportation needs of the 21st
> > >century.
> > >
> > >Yes, they could have given the loan for any of these reasons because, in
> > >the end, to lose our manufacturing infrastructure and throw 3 million
> > >people out of work would be a catastrophe.
> > >
> > >But instead, the Senate said, we'll give you the loan only if the factory
> > >workers take a $20 an hour cut in wages, pension and health care. That's
> > >right. After giving BILLIONS to Wall Street hucksters and criminal
> > >investment bankers -- billions with no strings attached and, as we have
> > >since learned, no oversight whatsoever -- the Senate decided it is more
> > >important to break a union, more important to throw middle class wage
> > >earners into the ranks of the working poor than to prevent the total
> > >collapse of industrial America.
> > >
> > >We have a little more than a month to go of this madness. As I sit here
> > >in
> > >Michigan today, tens of thousands of hard working, honest, decent
> > >Americans
> > >do not believe they can make it to January 20th. The malaise here is
> > >astounding. Why must they suffer because of the mistakes of every CEO
> > >from
> > >Roger Smith to Rick Wagoner? Make management and the boards of directors
> > >and the shareholders pay for this.
> > >
> > >Of course that is heresy to the 31 Republicans who decided to blame the
> > >poor, miserable autoworkers for this mess. And our wonderful media
> > >complied
> > >with their spin on the morning news shows: "UAW Refuses to Give
> > >Concessions
> > >Killing Auto Bailout Bill." In fact the UAW has given concession after
> > >concession, reduced their benefits, agreed to get rid of the Jobs Bank
> > >and
> > >agreed to make it harder for their retirees to live from week to week.
> > >Yes!
> > >That's what we need to do! It's the Jobs Bank and the old people who have
> > >led the nation to economic ruin!
> > >
> > >But even doing all that wasn't enough to satisfy the bas**** Republicans.
> > >These Senate vampires wanted blood. Blue collar blood. You see, they
> > >weren't opposed to the bailout because they believed in the free market
> > >or
> > >capitalism. No, they were opposed to the bailout because they're opposed
> > >to
> > >workers making a decent wage. In their rage, they were driven to destroy
> > >the backbone of this country, not because the UAW hadn't given back
> > >enough,
> > >but because the UAW hadn't given up.
> > >
> > >It appears that the sitting President has been looking for a way to end
> > >his
> > >reign by one magnanimous act, just like a warlord on his feast day. He
> > >will
> > >put his finger in the dyke, and the fragile mess of an auto industry will
> > >eke through the next few months.
> > >
> > >That will give the Senate enough time to demand that the bankers and
> > >investment sharks who've already swiped nearly half of the $700 billion
> > >gift a chance to make the offer of cutting their pay.
> > >
> > >Fat chance.
> > >
> > >Yours,
> > >Michael Moore
> > >MMFlint@aol.com
> > >http://www.michaelmoore.com