Damn greedy unions, expecting paid vacations, bathroom breaks, health insurance etc etc. Who the hell do they think they are ? Who cares if my hifi was made by a 12 yr old who works 20 hour shifts ...... cont p.94
Yes, the Global economy is fantastic as it allows high quality products to be sold at lower prices. Everything from shoes, clothes, toys, camping equipment, etc.etc. Why not high end audio too. I am waiting for Wilson, Krell, Audio Research to all manufacture there so high end audio prices can come down to reality and encourage more people to enjoy the hobby. Isn't it interesting that inflation has been averaging 2% for years except in the high end audio world?
Have your paid vacations and health insurance but dont over simplify the issue, many unions are cutting their own throats with out of control demands and lazy work ethic. If you love Unions thats cool, if you hate China and its products thats cool too but dont kid yourself into thinking the Unions deserve the across the board high wages, Vacation time, and benefit package they fight over every few years. When you see plant closings because the Unions made it impossible to create a product that can compete in the free market throwing hundreds or thousands of people out of work with no real skills...lets see how much good Unions did for those people when they are out of a job. Unions were great and needed years ago, but that time has passed now they are just breeding grounds for mediocrity.
I get all that and don't belong to a union. It is true that for the most part, unions just perpetuate a lazy workforce who think they are entitled. Unions had their place in a time long ago, but have outlived their usefulness.
Unions and CEOs appear to be equal parts of the problem to me. The US auto industry has been destroyed by the UAW and by terrible management. If company management treated workers reasonably (like Henry Ford) then unions would not be needed.
I have no problem with the Chinese making stuff. I have problems with Chinese making stuff for pittance which is then sold at a huge markup in the US: this is the root of the dramatic increase in wage inequality we've witnessed in the last 20 years.
If you feel that gross income inequality is just fine and dandy I suggest you go live in Mexico or South Africa. Politics aside, a healthy middle class is usually correlated with a healthy democracy, and with quality of life in a country. I may earn a good wage, but I'd rather not live in a gated community with armed guards, and IMO that's the direction in which this country is headed right now.
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