What follows is a guest blog by longtime Blogging Blue commenter Duane Dubey.
Early in the 19th Century there were two levels of society in America. One, composed of businessmen, was known as “Robber Barons” and the other was known as the “working class.” There was little or nothing then of what today we call the “middle class.” The “Robber Barons” influenced and corrupted politicians with their great wealth and had total control of the working class. Work conditions were unsafe, with long hours, no overtime, use of child labor, no insurance for accidents or exposure to toxic materials, extremely low or unfair wages, and other abysmal conditions of employment. The “Robber Barons” of that day accumulated their great wealth by what could be called in today’s language as “trickle up economics” by paying workers unfairly for their efforts and depriving them of recourse to justice by corrupting members of Congress.
Alas, the “Robber Barons” of yesteryear have returned to the current scene . Even such as the clergy in the person of Pope Francis has called attention to this modern day exploitation of labor by the rich and powerful businessman of today. In effect, they satisfy their greed by not paying a “living wage” to workers. It could also be called, as the Pope said, a “tyranny” by “unfettered Capitalism.”
Recently, I submitted notice to the Third Congressional District in the form of a Resolution titled, “It is Right and Just” which is taken from an old Latin prayer, “Dignum et justum est” calling upon God for justice. It is as follows:
“WHEREAS, Pope Francis has declared that a “tyranny” of labor exists caused by ‘’”unfettered capitalism;” and
WHEREAS, such “tyranny” has caused an unjust income disparity between labor and capital;
WHEREAS, income disparity has resulted in economic hardship of the middle class; and
WHEREAS, “unfettered capitalism” has unjustly retained all the gains of productivity and growth at the expense of labor and their families who constitute the middle class; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, It is right and just that labor as a partner with capital in a joint business venture share in its financial success.”
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