Photo: Detroit Free Press

Surprisingly, top Republicans in Congress and the White House have recently been praising labor!

Oh, wait – they’re not hailing America’s laborers, but touting the existential virtue of “laboring.” “Work,” exclaim these politicos, provides “dignity” to all who labor.

Dignity? Obviously, they’ve never been inside a meatpacking plant, done roofing jobs for a wage-thieving developer, been paid a pittance to clean office buildings at midnight… or otherwise fully experienced the “dignity of labor.”

Upgrade your subscription

Years ago, Sen. Fred Harris was accosted at a political event by a rich businessman who demanded that Democrats reduce taxes by cutting the wages of government workers. The guy sputtered in disbelief that “mere garbagemen” were being paid $6 an hour. Fred stopped him right there, curtly asking: “Is that too much? What would it take to get you to do that job?”

Unfortunately, the guy’s crass classism is now official policy in Washington. In the name of “cutting waste” and lowering taxes on billionaires, a gaggle of narcissistic plutocrats – including Trump, “Chainsaw” Musk, cabinet appointees, and congressional extremists – have ganged up to fire valuable public service workers and slash essential assistance for poor families.

There is no sugar coating for the vulgarity and moral depravity of such elites whupping up on middle- and low-income families for their own gain. Moreover, their disdain for the value and creativity of those who do the daily work that makes America work is stupid … and socially suicidal.

Plus, their self-esteem is ludicrous. Indeed, if you pitted social value of a sanitation worker to any of Trump’s budget-slashing cabinet czars – guess which one the public would say is overpaid… and dispensable?

Leave a comment

Share

Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.