Finding solutions to genocide.

Some posts of mine on various solutions to genocide. LiberalForum requires registration, but it's free.

Marcos is.... an anarcho-syndicalist in Walmart?

So because of an unfortunate side effect of being job-free the last 5 months, I'm completely broke. I had to get a job. Two jobs in fact.

On the 31st I will begin training for Hudson Bay Company of Illinois, which is a progressive political fundraising group. Most people I've talked to seem to think it's an excellent job, which gives me a lot of hope. However one person, a person I don't know that well but nevertheless consider to be very honest, perhaps too honest, seems to have mixed feelings about HBC. She mentioned it could either steal my soul or enrich my self worth. Perhaps the "steal your soul" part is a referrence to the normal dreads of long work days, but other than that I have no idea what she could mean by it. A couple of other friends of mine will be starting work there too, so I imagine it may not be too bad.

This week I began training at Walmart. Does that sound odd? Oh.... count on it.... I'll be a part-time cashier at the front end. I have VERY mixed feelings of this job. Here are the primary reasons:

--I saw the anti-Walmart movie back when Nebraskans for Peace/Green {Party showed it at the Ross theatre, I think it made a very convincing case. I also followed the media's reaction to it, which included such pro-Walmart arguments as "the people keep shopping here, they vote with their feet." Well last night's training session, our trainer used that exact same phrase, "vote with their feet." It made me reflect on corporate influence in the media, where it takes hundreds of thousands of grassroots movie showings to get our message out, Walmart apparently can just put out a press release with a catchy phrase ("vote with their feet") and get mainstream media coverage. The disparity is depressing, really.
--Again, at training last night we got the opportunity to watch some films. Some of them rather benign, e.g. a film about proper lifting techniques not to harm yourself. One, however, was not benign. It was titled something to the effect of "Why Walmart was a good choice for work." It ran about 25-30 minutes. Much of this time was taken up with explaining why "Walmart employees do not need unions." Ah, so the real motive comes out. The reasons were as follows, with my thoughts on them below.
1. Walmart "already" provides amazing benefits.

I put "already" in quotes because it's disingenuous. In fact, the only benefits immediately available to us in training were the Starbridge medical insurance program (a very basic, cheap, insurance) and the 10% employee discount. Other than that, yes Walmart seems to have decent benefits after a period of time, including scholarships which I might even apply for.

2. A union would endanger these benefits because they're the only things available to put on the negotiation table.

Just an outright lie, a union can demand any legal benefit it wants, from the benefits Walmart offers to higher pay to other benefits such as longer breaks, better recourse to legal representation, anti-discrimination policies, etc. A union, assuming it acts as a rational economic and political organization, would only demand something more in return for a loss of benefits.

3. Walmart's "special relationship" with it's "Associates" (employees) means individuals can propose ideas and negotiate themselves with their superiors.

This is just nonsense, as well as a misrepresentation of what unions do. First, every business claims it has an "open door" policy or "special relationship"
of accepting creative ideas from it's employees. Obviously not every business follows through on its words. Walmart provided us with no important examples of how they do otherwise. Second, a union forms a unique economic pressure on a company that an individual cannot ever perform. When a union threatens to strike it often has enough people to cause some sort of profit loss to the company. When an individual does so, s/he is replaceable, as Walmart history has shown.

This is an excellent article on the subject.

So, I dunno. I doubt I'll enjoy working there, but I can make it through the summer. I'll enjoy HBC much more.

V For Vendetta

This is an absolutely spectacular film. I don't want to reveal any plot lines, but here's a bit from the comics that wasn't in the film (indeed, contradicts the film). This is V's monologue to the statue of Lady Justice on top of the Old Bailey, starting on page 5 of V For Vendetta #2. Absolutely crazy, but truly hilarious.

Hello dear lady, lovely evening is it not? Forgive me for intruding. Perhaps your were intending to take a stroll. Perhaps you were merely enjoying the view. No Matter. I thought it was time we had a little chat, you and I. Ahh… I was forgetting that we were not properly introduced. I do not have a name. You can call me V. Madam Justice… this is V. V… this is Madam Justice. Hello, Madam Justice.

“Good Evening, V.”

There, now we know each other. Actually, I’ve been a fan of your for quite some time. Oh, I know what you’re thinking…

“The poor boy has a crush on me… an adolescent infatuation.”

I beg your pardon, Madam. It isn’t like that at all. I’ve long admired you… albeit only from a distance. I used to stare at you from the streets below when I was a child. Please don’t think it was merely physical. I know you’re not that sort of girl. No, I loved you as a person. As an ideal. That was a long time ago. I’m afraid there’s someone else now…

“What? V! For shame! You have betrayed me for some harlot, some vain and pouting hussy with painted lips and a knowing smile!”

I, Madam? I beg to differ! It was your infidelity that drove me to her arms! Ah-ha! That surprised you, didn’t it? You thought I didn’t know about your little fling. But I do. I know everything! Frankly, I wasn’t surprised when I found out. You always did have an eye for a man in uniform.

“Uniform? Why I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. It was always you, V. You were the only one…”

Liar! Slut! Whore! Deny that you let him have his way with you, him and his armbands and jackboots! Well? Cat got your tongue? I thought as much. Very well. So you stand revealed at last. You are no longer my justice, you are his justice. Now you have bedded another. Well two can play at that game.

“Sob! Choke! Wh-who is she, V? What is her name?”
H
er name is Anarchy, and she has taught me more as a mistress than you ever did! She has taught me that justice is meaningless without freedom. She is honest. She makes no promises and breaks none. Unlike you, Jezebel. I used to wonder why you could never look me in the eye. Now I know. So goodbye, dear lady. I would be saddened by our parting even now, save that you are no longer the woman that I once loved.

[V places a heart-shaped box near the statue, and walk away.]

The flames of freedom, how lovely. Ahh, my precious Anarchy. O beauty ‘til now I never knew thee.

Ok, so I'm sitting here at my computer reading about the Kronstadt rebellion (1921). someone knocks on my door. I open it, he points at the Young Democrats sticker on my door, gives a thumbs up, takes a sip of his soda, and walks off.

Odd, but inspiring.

Milosevic died. A good day for humanity, it's unfortunate there aren't more days like it.

Spring Break was boring. It began with debate judging in Omaha. Fred said it would be $20 per policy debate round. I judged 4 rounds and got $40, what a rip. I'm still missing a check from Chris too. I spent the next few days waking up at 7:30 to drive mon frere a la lycee, then sleeping till noon, followed by an afternoon at the library. I did get a lot of reading done, perhaps 800 or 900 pages in three books, "Denying History," "Lying About Hitler," and "SS-Totenkopf." It's....wierd, how fast I read during spring breaks. Normally I read pretty slowly, perhaps 300 or 400 pages a week. I've always been embarassed by this because I heard somewhere that Bush reads at about the same rate. Meh, rumours you know, but it's little maybe-facts like that which get stuck in my head sometimes.

Oh and V for Vendetta is an amazing movie. I was a little disappointed that the Wachowski brothers removed any and all reference to anarchism as being V's philosophy, but I'm too amazed at the rest of the film to care.

Academic Freedom Since 9/11, an excellent interview. Perhaps the book will take away some of the current attention focused towards Horowitz's latest book.

As a philosophy major I do, truly, feel the frustration some have with studies that seem ultimately irrelevant. The best way to read my Philosophy of Mind textbook is, I've found, to throw it against the wall and yell. The unnecessary jargon angers me to that extent! However I recognize that some students do find the class interesting, and when they add to the class discussion I think I take more from it than the book itself. The way to solve the concern of irrelevant studies is to reform them, more class discussion in the case of my class, instead of the incessant and vitriolic attacks that many have made.

Artifacts of humanity

I applied to be a kennel attendant at a veterinary clinic today. It was a decent time. They seemed incredibly busy, so while I waited for them to acknowledge me or my application long enough to take it from me I played with a little dog. That dog was no bigger than my two hands put together, it's unfortunate no camera was handy. The clinic was an atrociously long drive from the university though. Old Cheney Road is like Lincoln's very own "deep south." I don't think I've ever been down there before.

I drove back to the university and while trying to find a parking space (must capitalism capitalize ALL commodities???), and saw Sarah walking by on 16th street. She was wearing what appeared to be a yellow rain parka, which is... odd... to say the least. Although it was a cool temperature today, and became even colder when night fell, it came nowhere near raining. Oh well. I wanted to say Hi but the window handle was missing in my car. That's what I get for loaning it to my dad for work... How does one say "C'est la vie" to give an impression of my depressed mood?

I parked, and had to go eat immediately. I had an astronomy test to get to at 6. I hoped perhaps Sarah went to Selleck but it seems not. The test was easy despite my not having studied for it. I still think I may fail. "C'est la vie deja!" The test made me miss the film Amnesty International was showing tonight, "Invisible Children," about the homeless refugee children in Uganda who may be abducted and drafted for the so-called "Lord's Rebel Army." I saw it two or three weeks ago at Collin's, but the following discussion group tonight may have been worth going to.

That's all today. Well, also, it seems half of my friends updated their facebook today. That's kind of a creepy synchronization.