Sunday, December 12, 2010

First we lose our pay; now we lose our privacy: TSA mess another sign of the SLUMMING of America

This TSA mess is just another symptom of the SLUMMING of America for the average person. First we lost our pay; now we are losing our privacy. Core cause: creep-creep, A.K.A. Parkinson's Law, A.K.A.. any pressure just naturally expands if not met by counter-pressure. In laissez faire America unlike in social democracy Europe there is never any counter pressure for the average person.

This is why in straight laced Illinois the Cook County courthouse started using scanners (hopefully not for long) while in wild and woolly California, county prosecutors threaten airport security with jail if they inappropriately touch (whatever that might mean under TSA laissez faire). In the "people's republic" people EXPECT to be taken care of -- makes all the difference.

European social democracy -- contrary to the "socialist" label Newty and friends like to put on it -- was invented, if that is the word, by very anti-communist, very conservative, German Roman Catholics -- to TAMP DOWN wage demands so their post fascist industrialists could rebuild after the war.

The core of social democracy is sector-wide labor agreements. What works to tamp down the race-to-the-top (to keep one union from being afraid to moderate demands because they fear the others wont -- worked our for the worst in post war England where they did not adopt sector-wide right away -- now most everywhere in the better paying world) also prevents the (American style) race-to-the-bottom.

The free medical and education of the welfare state aspect of social democracy have no moral hazard component (saith Hayek) -- no reason we have to copy their automatic dole.

Sector-wide would be the easiest, most saleable way to introduce Americans to the idea of being taken care of right. Airline and super-market workers would kill for sector-wide.

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