Mission Creep

More. On HRC’s overheated response to the public-sector unions and mandatory dues collection case, I’m reminded of this, via Politifact: “All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service,” FDR wrote. “It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management.”

FDR felt that compensation for federal employees should be set by Congress and the president, not through bargaining with unions, since public service as part of government is different from working for a profit-driven private enterprise. That policy was changed by JFK and ever since Democrats, who receive massive funding from public-sector unions, have put government workers’ interests ahead of taxpayers’.

12 Comments for “Mission Creep”

  1. posted by Tom Scharbach on

    … and for European Jews …

    I quietly note that living in Europe during the last few hundred years didn’t work out so well for the Jews, either.

    England … France … Germany … Poland … Spain … to name a few.

    And who was behind the anti-Semitic cesspools created in those countries? You got it — European Christians.

    And it isn’t as if European anti-Semitism is ancient history.

    Polls taken 2009-2012 show disturbingly high levels of overt anti-Semitism remaining in Europe– 53% in Spain, 48% in Poland, 24% in France, 21% in Germany, and 17% in England.

    Anti-Semitism in Europe cannot be laid entirely on the Muslim doorstep, as you seem to be implying, no matter how hard you Trumpies want to do so.

  2. posted by Jorge on

    So, a few things from my brief skimming.

    One, the abstract describes a system in which the federal government revises its recommendations as facts change, and even gives disparate treatment to allies and particular trouble spots.

    Two, I see the presence of Venezuela on the list as extremely inconsistent with terming it a Muslim ban. I am aware this reasoning causes some people’s heads to explode and I will not mourn them.

    Three, it has to be said that where there is a bias by Americans against Muslims in other countries, it exists due to causes, due to actual events that occurred. When a bias exists for a reason, then when you look at things objectively and remove the prejudice, what are you left with? A response that, though fairer and less arbitrary, is still going to resemble the bias in responding to the issue that brought it on in the first place. This country has a history of racial discrimination, anti-religious discrimination, blah, blah, blah. But considerations of war come first. This I firmly believe: Muslim forces are at war against the United States and its social and legal principles. We should act like it and treat events and policies with commiserate gravity.

    • posted by Tom Scharbach on

      This I firmly believe: Muslim forces are at war against the United States and its social and legal principles. We should act like it and treat events and policies with commiserate gravity.

      Just out of curiosity, what do you think we should do with respect to Saudi Arabia?

      Saudi Arabia is a country that holds itself out as the guardian of Islam, harboring the most conservative anti-Western sect of Islam. Saudis largely funded Al Qaeda, and props up ISIS adherents. Saudi’s fund anti-Israeli groups in the Occupied Territories.

      And yet we continue to suck up to the Saudis, riding around in golden golf carts and praising them so loudly even Allah’s ears must be tired at this point.

      • posted by Kosh III on

        The Saudis are also violent, oppressive, brutal dictators, far worse than Saddam Hussein or the Shah or others.

      • posted by Jorge on

        Just out of curiosity, what do you think we should do with respect to Saudi Arabia?

        We’re allied with their government for geopolitical reasons, so I think we should try to undermine their reactionaryism through diplomacy and an occasional unfavorable law or policy, like the law Congress passed that allows families to sue them for 9/11. We should also continue either environmental or business policies that “reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

        You mention ISIS. ISIS exists largely because of our inability or unwillingness to either ally with Syria or attack it, turning the country–and its neighbors–into a lawless region. However I don’t think most of what you mentioned has much to do with immigration to the US.

    • posted by Kosh III on

      “This I firmly believe: Muslim forces are at war against the United States and its social and legal principles. We should act like it and treat events and policies with commiserate gravity.”
      What war is being waged against us by Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia or India. (largest population) or by Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania?
      People of Arab descent are SEMITES. Instead of saying “anti-semitic” Anti-Zionist is more accurate.

      • posted by Jorge on

        Your question is irrelevant to my post–read it a little more carefully. Even if it were, your list is underinclusive and does not include African Muslim majority nations that ferment and export terrorism.

      • posted by Matthew on

        Antizionism is antisemitism and antisemitism is racism, period. This would not be happening if the Middle East was 100% gay, 100% Jewish, and 100% under Israeli control.

  3. posted by Jorge on

    “Unions have long played a vital role in strengthening families and advancing #LGBTQ equality in the workplace.”

    I salute them for that. And that’s one of the reasons they lost today.

    I will grant that unions have helped this country master the ability to be both pro-gay and pro-religion, but unfortunately it hasn’t caught on well enough for me to give an enthusiastic ovation.

    Anyway it was a very interesting reading during lunch. I somehow managed to avoid all the senior delegates, as I cannot hide my mirth that big labor has gotten a comeuppance. That being said, I am wondering what will happen to me as I did rely much on the decision that just got overruled.

    • posted by Matthew on

      Unions suck, and the ones that aren’t run by communists are run by the mafia. They’ve made it all but impossible to get an entry-level job without one, on top of regulation after regulation that makes other jobs unprofitable in this country. No wonder businesses would rather do business in other countries or right-to-work states. You can’t tax and spend your way to prosperity any more than you can borrow and spend your wan to prosperity.

  4. posted by David Bauler on

    I firmly believe that President Trump is waging war on our Constitution, democratic norms and civility.

    • posted by Matthew on

      We don’t live in a democracy. Anyone who throws that word around is a disingenuous scaremonger. We live in a representative Republic. And as for the war on civility, that was over and lost before Trump came into office. And as for how well the Constitution fared under Trump’s predecessors, it’s a wonder it still exists at all!

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