A-Infos (en) Freedom 6405 8 Mar, 2003 - Industrial relations as presented by the media can be baffling, so we offer ... A guide for the perplexed

[Worker <a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>]

 ________________________________________________
      A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
            http://www.ainfos.ca/
        http://ainfos.ca/index24.html
 ________________________________________________

The ongoing firefighters' dispute has provoked a rash 
of media and New Labour hysteria and venom. Terms 
like 'modernisation', 'union dinosaur' and the like 
have been bandied about as if people knew what they 
meant. Here's a modest attempt to help everyone to 
understand the media and New Labourite Newspeak.

'40% pay rise' - a totally unacceptable figure, unless 
it's for politicians and bosses.

'placing lives in danger' - a totally unacceptable thing 
to do, unless politicians and bosses do it (see 
'modernisation').

'modernisation' - a return to the workplace feudalism 
of the nineteenth century.

'flexibility' - doing what your boss tells you, when it 
suits them.

'government for all the people' - government for the 
capitalist class.

'sectional interests' - the interests of anyone bar the 
capitalist class Ğ i.e. the interests of the majority. 
See 'undemocratic'.

'high wage increases' - selfish, unacceptable demands 
by those who actually do the work. By definition, bad 
for 'the economy' (q.v.).

'high profits' - unselfish, altruistic, acceptable 
demands by those who give the orders. By definition, 
good for 'the economy' (q.v.).

'union' - a form of free association which harms 
'economic liberty' (q.v.) and can result in 'industrial 
anarchy' (q.v.). An unacceptable reminder that 
picking a master doesn't equal liberty. In extreme 
cases that can turn into 'syndicalism' (q.v.).

'union bullies' - workers standing up for themselves 
and placing 'economic liberty' (q.v.) in danger.

'union dinosaurs' - workers who don't wish their 
rights to go the same way as the Stegosaurus, and 
take annoyingly effective action which the 
government and employers can't ignore (see 'direct 
action').

'strike' - an unacceptable and unpleasant reminder of 
'the bad old days' (q.v.) and that the 'working class' 
(q.v.) still exists and has power to change the world. 
A particularly effective form of 'protest' (q.v.) and 
'direct action' (q.v.).

'sympathy strikes' - unacceptably expressing selfish 
regard for your fellow workers.

'the bad old days' - when working class people didn't 
know their place and caused 'industrial anarchy' 
(q.v.).

'protest' - a right everybody has, but nobody should 
exercise.

'justice' - a clear sign that the speaker has not 
subjected their ideas to 'modernisation' (q.v.).

'direct action' - any form of collective resistance 
which unacceptably puts your betters into the 
unpleasant situation of having to think about what  
those affected by their decisions may think and want 
(see 'working class'). By definition, 'undemocratic' 
(q.v.).

'industrial anarchy' - what results when people apply 
the extremist nonsense that workers are human 
beings and shouldn't have to leave their rights, 
humanity and liberty at the workplace door.

'working class' - a class which doesn't exist, but 
somehow manages to do all the work. Has been 
known to effectively resist the decisions of the 'ruling 
class' (q.v.) and stop their plans for the betterment of 
'the economy' (q.v.)

'ruling class' - a class which doesn't exist but 
somehow manages to govern the world and give the 
orders. Has been known to be terrified of the 
non-existent 'working class' (q.v.) and its power.

'democracy' - the embodiment of freedom, whereby a 
handful of politicians, elected by 25% of the people, 
do what they, the politicians, want for four years. 
Anyone objecting to this 'government for all the 
people' (q.v.) is simply expressing 'sectional 
interests' (q.v.) and anyone turning words into action 
is being 'undemocratic' (q.v.).

'undemocratic' - the embodiment of tyranny, whereby 
the people affected by a decision collectively 
organise themselves to influence it or, even worse, 
make it themselves. Any attempt by people to 
govern themselves, rather than letting those better 
able to judge in the matter do so, is, by definition, 
'undemocratic' (q.v.). See 'undemocratic anarchy'.

'the economy' - our new god, for which no sacrifice 
made by you at our demand is unacceptable.

'economic liberty' - do what you are told or get fired.

'free market' - the natural order, as created and 
maintained by state action. See 'laissez-faire'.

'capitalism' - another name for 'economic liberty' 
(q.v.). An economy where people's choices are 
unaffected by differences in wealth and power. The 
embodiment of liberty, defined as having to sell that 
liberty on the 'free market' (q.v.) in order to survive.

'the state' - an institution which has no place in the 
'free market' (q.v.) and so must be gotten off our 
back and onto the back of the 'working class' (q.v.). 
See 'laissez-faire'.

'wealth creation' - the process by which the bosses 
get both the credit and the goods produced by the 
workers who sell their liberty to them.

'undemocratic anarchy' - the activity of those 
extremists who believe in the nonsensical idea that 
those affected by a decision should make it, rather 
than leave power in the hands of a few politicians, 
bureaucrats and capitalists. Inspired by 'anarchism' 
(q.v.), these extremists use 'direct action' (q.v.) and 
aim for 'anarchy' (q.v.).

'anarchism' - an evil doctrine which spreads the 
nonsense that liberty is more than picking masters 
and that another world is possible. See 'syndicalism'.

'syndicalism' - the industrial form of 'anarchism' 
(q.v.). Promotes 'strikes' (q.v.) and other forms of 
'direct action' (q.v.). This results in 'industrial 
anarchy' (q.v.) and 'high wage increases' (q.v.). Can 
lead to 'anarchy' (q.v.).

'anarchy' Ğ an impossible dream which, annoyingly 
enough, has worked remarkably successfully when 
put into practice. Based on the ridiculous notion that 
humanity deserves a better way of living than 
'capitalism' (q.v.) can provide and that society should 
be composed of free people cooperating together as 
equals, sharing the world to directly meet their needs 
and desires.
Iain McKay

*******
                       ********
       ****** The A-Infos News Service ******
      News about and of interest to anarchists
                       ******
  COMMANDS: lists@ainfos.ca
  REPLIES: a-infos-d@ainfos.ca
  HELP: a-infos-org@ainfos.ca
  WWW: http://www.ainfos.ca/
  INFO: http://www.ainfos.ca/org

-To receive a-infos in one language only mail lists@ainfos.ca the message:
                unsubscribe a-infos
                subscribe a-infos-X
 where X = en, ca, de, fr, etc. (i.e. the language code)