Labor Day

Labor Day Parade, Union Square, New York, 1882

Today is Labor Day, a holiday founded by President Grover Cleveland to make peace with striking railroad workers after several were killed by government agents in attempts to end the Pullman Strike of 1894. Original plans for the holiday included parades to demonstrate the strength and spirit of trade and labor organizations.

If we were to have a parade today of the workers who produce most of the goods sold in America, the parade would have to take place in China. Instead, we have devoted the Labor Day holiday to really good sales at outlet stores where we can honor underpaid Chinese laborers by buying shoddy discounted merchandise produced in sweat shop conditions. For a listing of many of the great deals see a web site like The Bargainist.

What is open today? ABC stores will be open until 6pm. Stores and malls will be open and crying out for business.

What is closed today? Government offices, banks, courts, garbage collection, post offices, libraries, public schools, state offices and recreation centers.

This week, Nation magazine printed It’s Better Over There, a thoughtful article by Katha Pollitt comparing the German social democratic system to American democracy. Pollitt cites author Tom Geoghegan’s book Were You Born on the Wrong Continent? in which he states that life in a social democracy like Germany is better than the US in every way, pointing out that Germans get six weeks of vacation and 27 paid holidays, job security, retirement pensions, free education including college, free health and nursing care. Geoghegan credits strong labor unions for these advances.

Cuccinelli hints at more suits against government

Two-time loser: Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II - Photo by kcvaag

Not content to be a two-time lawsuit loser (challenging federal health care, trying to illegally obtain research about climate change), or a moronic policy maker (telling state schools they can discriminate by sexual orientation, asking that abortion clinics be licensed as hospitals), Cuccinelli is now outright lying to the public about the costs of his political grandstanding. Cuccinelli, in a Pilot article, claimed that the entire cost to taxpayers of his recent failed health care lawsuit was $350. What a crock of shit! Cuccinelli is using taxpayers money, including his salary and the salaries of other state attorneys and support staff, state resources, offices, communications, etc. to further his, and Governor McDonnell’s, political agendas while doing very little real good for the people of the state.

Craigslist stops offering links to ‘adult services’ ads

Craigslist Censored Services

Yesterday David A. Fahrenthold at The Washington Post provided great background as well as discussing constitutional issues in Craigslist’s latest response to states’ attorney generals who were planning to sue Craigslist list over its adult service ads. Craigslist has removed the ads on all its US websites, although the exotic services sections remain on Craiglists outside of the US.

Today’s Washington Post goes farther by pointing out that removing prostitution ads from Craigslist may make it harder for law enforcement to find prostitution ads which will become embedded in other personal or want ads.

Now meat price surge raises fear of food inflation

The Independent, a rather serious British newspaper, reports that freakish weather and increased demand from emerging countries is creating an insatiable demand for meat which will push prices 20% higher than ever before. Meat prices are already their highest since 1990, with lamb at a 37-year high. The increased prices are partly due to failed Russian wheat crops. Food riots have already begun in Mozambique with police killing four protesters. People in Russia, Brazil, Vietnam and Mexico are consuming more pork than ever, while Brazil, a major exporter of beef, has begun restricting exports to maintain lower domestic prices.

When Europeans restricted their intake of meat during World War II, the incidences of heart disease, stroke and other diseases were significantly reduced, so I’m in favor of higher prices for meat, just as I’m in favor of higher prices for cigarettes, alcohol and other damaging substances that increase the costs of medical care for those who do not indulge.

Heavy issue: Light rail could make us lighter, study says

This Pilot article points out that people who use public transit are more healthy and fit than those who drive. This is pretty obvious to anyone who has visited New York, San Francisco or other cities where public transit and walking are common. However, I suspect that most people will assume that the simple existence of rapid transit will take care of their physical activity. Hampton Roads Transit spokesman James Toscano pointed out that light rail vehicle capacity is measured in pounds, not number of people, so if this study is true, our rapid transit capability will grow as we reduce weight. Or else, they’ll have to add extra-wide seats.