I guess there are no History prereqs for a degree in Economics
If Abraham Lincoln were still among the living as he prepared to turn 200 six weeks from now, he might detect in the congressional war over the automaker bailouts a strong echo of the war that defined his presidency. Now as then, the conflict centered on the rival labor systems of North and South. Now as then, the Southerners championed a low-wage, low-benefits system while the North favored a more generous one. And now as then, what sparked the conflict was the North’s fear of the Southern system becoming the national norm.
#1: What exactly was the wage under slavery? Room and board?
#2: $24.75 an hour isn’t exactly a “low wage”, except maybe in SoCal or NYC.
And in case you’re wondering, yes, Meyerson did declare Toyota, Honda, and every other foreign owned car maker that has non-union light skilled labor was equal to being a slave labor plantation circa 1850.
I wish my Google-fu was powerful enough that I could track down the first person who spawned this God awful North vs South comparison… and give them their well deserved kick in the junk.
This single sentence proves that the author of that article is a complete fucking moron. I can’t read past it. These douchebags are going to bring on a real North-South style conflict.
Regarding wages under slavery, Dave Chappelle’s character Silky Johnson said, “These men work for the minimalist of wages: grits and tattered clothes.”