When I was a little girl, living in the New York-New Jersey metro area during the 60s and 70s, I would sometimes hear my parents arguing with my paternal Russian grandfather about the working person's lot both then and in the past. My grandfather seemed definitely pro-union; my father less so, and my mother not at all. When I asked my father what they had been discussing, he replied, "Grandpa just likes the unions because they're more for the people."
What impressed me about my father's statement was its patronizing tone; it sounded as if he believed Grandpa, who was, let's face it, an uneducated peasant, was naive and misguided to support something so "socialistic" as a group who said they were "for the people." But believe he did, realizing from his own experiences that working people, or peasants, or poor people wouldn't stand a chance unless they banded together against those who would exploit, cheat and lie to them.
"Socialist" was the worst name you could call anyone or anything; to my parents, it invoked shades of totalitarianism, of jack-booted thugs and powerful, shadowy figures pulling the strings in a vast conspiracy. Socialism was to be avoided at all costs.
Both my parents were John Birchers; they believed the conspiracy theories and supported candidates like George Wallace. My mother especially was frightened by the rapid changes taking place through all segments of society during the 60s, about the civil rights marches and the demands of black Americans to be treated equally. She felt the world being deconstructed around her and could not let go of the past. A different future was too terrifying for her to contemplate.
My mother died in 2005 of pancreatic cancer, but had she been alive, she would have LOVED Sarah Palin. She would have called her "spunky", and related to her on a visceral level: here was another mom just trying to do the best for her family in these uncertain times. My mother would have loved Palin's extreme-right anti-choice stance and her statements about prayer in public schools, "big government" and American exceptionalism. Ah yes, mom, God and apple pie, and if we could just go back to the good old days, everything will be fine. Kinda along the lines we're hearing again now from that group known as the Tea Baggers.
I believe my mother would have been a Tea Bagger. I can see her holding up a hand-written sign at a local Republican women's rally (although hers would have been spelled properly) to protest the vote on health care, say. I can see her believing Palin's "death panels" accusation; health care is not a right, that's "socialism", another shadowy conspiracy. She was a hard-core Reagan Republican: "a rising tide lifts all boats" and trickle-down economics really DO work; anyone on welfare is lazy and refuses to find a job; unions are "communist fronts" that are working to destroy "our way of life" (yes, she actually used those words to me).
Recent events have proved that capitalism, American style, is neither sustainable nor equitable. The inability of our elected officials to come up with a coherent plan to combat joblessness and the recent recession, and the downright collusion of many with corporate interests has shown us that the majority of them do NOT have our best interests even in the rear-view mirror, never mind at heart.
If you thought this was a blog with answers I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken. I have conclusions, I have educated guesses and I have instincts; those are not answers but roads to some answers. Through my reading and personal experiences I believe we should once again fight to belong to unions. I am inspired by the occurrences during the 1930s; there are many parallels to what's happening now.
Except there is no marching in the streets, no demonstrations of solidarity (at least none widely known). Many people are fearful and angry, but they've been convinced to vent that anger at "illegal immigrants" or brown people in general, at so-called "welfare mothers" and "big government", instead of the REAL culprits, the corporate interests and their government enablers.
So on this Labor Day 2010, I will think on those who have gone before me, ponder their accomplishments (weekend, anybody? 40-hour work weeks?) and try to see what I can do to further their ideals.
