MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
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MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
This is almost impossible to believe, but Robert Murray, who is apparently the largest independent coal operator in the United States, announced that he was laying off 160 workers on the day after Obama was re-elected, citing Obama's victory as the principal basis for the layoffs. This is the same guy who, inter alia, required his employees to attend a rally with Mitt Romney during the workweek, and then docked that day from each worker's pay. If there is a bigger douchebag out there, I've not heard of or read about one. By the way, the guy announced the layoffs with a fucking prayer for forgiveness for what he was being forced to do.
Here's some more about Mr. Murray, a genuine son-of-a-bitch, who is responsible for the deaths of his employees in a mine collapse in Utah and who campaigns vigorously on behalf of Republican candidates and against mine safety and health regulations:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/murray-energy-obama-layoffs-cut...
Comments
You beat me to this one, Bruce...
Here is the full text of the prayer:
by AmericanDreamer on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 3:46pm
Sorry about that AD, but this one sickened me and I posted it right away. Hard to believe, isn't it?
by Bruce Levine on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 3:51pm
It strikes me as what would otherwise be an interesting interpretation of what fidelity to a great faith tradition amounts to, were it not for the awful impact on these employees and their families.
Yes, we probably do need to transition away from coal asap. And no, not this way.
by AmericanDreamer on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 3:55pm
The irony is that, based on a quick google, it looks as if coal production increased dramatically during Obama's term. Apparently coal companies are making a fortune exporting coal overseas, and in particular to China and India. This man deserves to be tarred and feathered in the public square. Shall I offer my own prayer accordingly???? :)
by Bruce Levine on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 4:26pm
Absolutely. And I hope you'll post it.
by AmericanDreamer on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 4:28pm
Hmmm, OK . . .
Blessed art thou oh Lord our G-d, master of the universe, who knows exactly what to do with a son-of-a-bitch like this maggot who fired 160 innocent workers because he didn't like what happened in the election. Forgive me for my anger but I cannot f'ng help it.
by Bruce Levine on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 4:36pm
I can live with that. For others who might prefer a more, um, Christian tone:
Blessed art thou, O Lord our G-d, master of the universe, who observes and puts up with nearly limitless amounts of mishigas emanating from our deeply flawed and depraved species. Please consider the unjust plight of these wrongfully fired workers and, if in your wisdom you see fit to do so, help guide them along a merciful path, that they may emerge from the suffering inflicted upon them to experience your grace and goodness in days ahead.
(Are Jews allowed to use the word "grace" in their prayers? Makes it a more ecumenical appeal.)
by AmericanDreamer on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 5:02pm
I like yours much better AD. You've got a future in this area I think! And grace is fully appropriate.
by Bruce Levine on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 5:13pm
In his wisdom, God might just smote you about the head and ears for the suggestion that his creation is less than perfect.
by A Guy Called LULU on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 5:45pm
I suppose if I were fortunate enough to be granted an appeal hearing prior to the administration of the smoting (smotation?) sentence, I could make the argument many of the Biblical faith tradition theologians seem to make. That we are perfect, in our deeply flawed and depraved way, because we have freedom to make decisions about how we respond to our circumstances, whatever they may be. That if we were always noble and good it would be because we do not really have such freedom, and that the perfection of our creation consists in that type of freedom. What would you advise, counselor?
The aggressive atheist Sam Harris has a short book out arguing against the concept of free will.
by AmericanDreamer on Sat, 11/10/2012 - 8:03am
I just noted another prick who laid off Hispanic workers at my blog.
This is indefensible.
This is denial and then anger.
We shall see if laying off your work force works as far as biz.
Like I said to Jolly, we shall see.
There are sick, sick peeps in this country.
But we shall abide!
ha
by Richard Day on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 5:28pm
As we all know this is just spite, but it the long term Murray will get his. If his mines aren't unionized I bet those workers will be very receptive to union organizer's arguments. If its already unionized you can bet that when that contract is up those workers will be inclined to hold out and strike and be very supportive of their negotiators. Workers in Murray's mines will have long memories.
by ocean-kat on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 7:35pm
Agreed Ocean. I would be shocked if Murray's operations were even close to unionized at this point. If there was a union this would never have happened.
by Bruce Levine on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 8:33pm
You know, I cannot get what this man did out of my mind. What he has done is just awful. And, while not as awful, I just cannot understand how this is not more of a story in the media. I'm not a media conspiratorialist and I understand how the whole Petraeus resignation is not going to play second fiddle to anything. But I do believe that right, left, center, we as a society don't take stories about every day American workers very seriously anymore.
But just think about what has happened here. These employees, without union protection are "at will" employees, meaning that they can be hired and fired for any reason or for no reason at all (unless they are protected by statutory prohibitions against race or sex discrimination, etc.). Here, they have lost their jobs because a rich man, who openly supports one candidate, has a hissy fit and flexes his muscles in response and in the process puts 160 American people out of work.
It is Saturday, and I'm off to pray right now (to the extent I'm not chasing around my little one--which can be just as rewarding). But the notion that this man has done what he has done and seals it with a prayer is just absolutely obscene and I'm sickened by it.
I just cannot get this man out of my mind.
by Bruce Levine on Sat, 11/10/2012 - 9:44am
x2, Bruce.
by AmericanDreamer on Sat, 11/10/2012 - 10:02am
I don't want to sound heartless because I do care. But I'm less pissed at Murray than I am at the workers and the democratic party. I expect the rich to try to treat the workers like dogs. What I don't expect is the workers to wag their tail and eat shit when it happens. I have no doubt what so ever that unions have tried to organize those workers. If they don't have a union its their choice. Their great grandfathers wouldn't have knuckled under. Coal miners led the union movement at one time. They fought and died for their rights.
It is and it has always been class warfare. We have a choice to join the fight or lick the hand that's holding us down.
I'm pissed at the democratic party that has turned its back on middle class America for years. Do they wonder why they're losing votes to republican fear mongering and race baiting? One reason is the workers no longer see the democratic party fighting for them
Wake up America
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv0smG7ptcM
by ocean-kat on Sat, 11/10/2012 - 11:55am
It would be interesting to actually KNOW the facts about any union options these workers have had in the past, as well as what transpired in their responses.
by Aunt Sam on Sat, 11/10/2012 - 12:19pm