Michael Moore is a Coward

Michael Moore, the documentary (ha!) film maker has shown himself to be a coward who would hide thievery behind the aegis of government. The video can be found at RealClear Politics but here's a transcript for those who's constitution is to frail to handle hearing Moore's bilge aloud.

"To me the solution is quite, quite simple. First of all, we're not broke. This country is not broke. The state of Wisconsin is not broke. There's a lot of cash in this country, trillions of dollars of it. But it's a finite amount, there's only so much cash. Alright? What's happened is, we've allowed a vast majority of that cash to be concentrated in the hands of just a few people. And they're not circulating that cash. If you don't believe that, go try and get a loan right now. They're sitting on the money, they're using it for their own st-, they're putting it someplace else. they have no interest in helping you, with your life, with that money.

We've allowed them to take that. That's not theirs. that's a national resource, it's ours, we all have this, we all benefit from this or we all suffer as a result of not having it and, and I think that we need to, uh, go back to taxing these people at the proper rates, um, um , uh, they need to , we need to see these jobs as something that we own, that we collectively own, as Americans. And you can't just steal out jobs and take them somewhere else."

First of all Michael, there is effectively an infinite amount of cash. The U.S. Treasury Department can print as much cash as they'd like, but it won't do a lick of good. Because cash is not wealth; it is a marker used to represent wealth. Even gold and silver and diamonds (as much as the government and the diamond cartels would have you think otherwise) is not wealth. Labor is wealth. Clean water and edible food are wealth. Arable land, timber land and sources of ore are wealth. Weapons and tools are wealth. Knowledge and the ability to make use of it are wealth.

And that's why you have "allowed the vast majority of cash to be accumulated in the hands of a few people" because they had knowledge and knew how to use it to *earn* all that cash. In some, relatively rare cases, this was done by the parents or grandparents of such a "hoarder" and was left to them or given to them.

Why should I or anyone else help you? You're none of my kith nor kin. Give me one good reason, and "because I want it" is not a good reason.If I should decide to sit on my cash, or invest it, or sew it into a shirt, or shred it to make into a merkin, what business is it of yours? Even should I increase the overall value of the US dollar by destroying all of my cash, how does this concern you?

But no. You would take from me and from others that which is ours. OK. I can get behind that. My ancestors were vikings and reavers but rather than come and take what you want by might or legerdemain or even charlatanism you would cover your greed with the color of law. Well be damned to you sir. If you want my money, you either earn it or come for it the old fashioned way; with a weapon in hand.

h/t to Gay Cynic, owner/operator of Free Thinker

What is This, Some Kind of Joke?

"A teabagger, a union member, and a CEO are sitting at a table with a dozen cookies. The CEO immediately takes 11 cookies for himself. The CEO then turns to the teabagger and says, 'Watch out for that union guy, he wants part of your cookie."

My friend Allan (the liberal) sent me that joke. And I thought it was kind of funny. Then I heard the punchline.

"The teabagger pulls out his gun and shoots the union member. “Damned socialist,” he states proudly. “The CEO worked hard for those cookies.”

Not so funny.

I'm a Union man, as strange as that may seem for a hyper-conservative. I believe in the idea of collective bargaining. I do not believe in my union leadership. But then, I don't believe in my state or federal leadership either.

Yes, at one point (and indeed in many cases still) the CEO worked hard to get all the cookies he has. I respect that. But I want some cookies too, and until I start my own business that means convincing the CEO to give me cookies to do stuff for him.

Now the CEO didn't get to where he is by just giving away his cookies. The board of directors and the stockholders would have his head if he did. And rightly so. And as an individual I have no leverage to get as many cookies as I can for my time and energy. but if I and my co-workers unionize and stand together we are more likely to get what we want instead of getting trod upon by the rich and powerful.

The problem comes in when we (the workers) have to pay people like lawyers and negotiators and set up people to administer the workings of the union. It's almost a universal phenomenon that when given power, the empowered will inevitably use that power for personal gain. The government does it, the corporations do it, and the union heads do it. When we find it we prosecute and we vote in people with (hopefully) more integrity.

Collective bargaining is about the weak standing against the strong. The small against the monolithic, free men against an oppressor. All most union folks want, is to live their lives, raise their kids and work in a relatively safe environment while being paid on par with their skill . You know. Something more than the average burger flipper, which is still more than your average CEO wants to pay us. Would you work with high voltage or up a skyscraper or with toxic substances for minimum wage?

But let me makes myself clear. I do not believe that politicians, bureaucrats or lawyers should have a union. They are not laborers, they are not craftsmen, or builders; they do not produce and provide no usefull services. These are the people that give unions a bad name.