It's May Day!
Over at another blog, I am giving some conservative the gears over socialism so let's not forget that the world we live in is that socialist paradise that workers one hundred years ago yearned for: public health infrastructure, fair wage laws, human rights laws, affordable or public insurances against any sort of calamity without which many families would be ruined. You know, just because the benefits in any given place are not what they are in Sweden or Saskatchewan, there isn't one western nation that isn't "socialist" from the perspective of an 1920's industrialist or an 1880's Chicago anarchist. I forgot child labour laws and subsidization of farmers and fair rent laws. And public libraries and municipal fire departments and parks. All socialist.
Thank Uncle Karl on this May Day for the wealth and stability which the sensible and free application of his ideas have brought us all. Save the winge and rant about leftist tyranny, too, as every set of principles, even Christ's, has been co-opted by the murderous tyrant. The misappropriation of the principles of socialism may be the most offensive in fact as your average military dictator or racist nationalist fascist hegemonist made no pretense of concern for the barrio, the slum or the ghetto. But that shame is not for today. No, today is about sweet moderate socialism as a cornerstone of a rich, free and democratic society which had been the balm to us all and that includes most certainly the good neighbours to the south as well. Hug a union worker today and be vigilent against those part-thinkers and self-servers who would undo one hundred years of progress.
Comments
Gary - May 1, 2005 11:09 AM
During a talk a friend once asked "are you a socialist?" to which I responded "I'm poor, of course I am!". Wish Uncle Sam was a bit more like Canada. My health insurance premium is jumping from 300 to 550 a month. I think the US was once proud of leading the world in social programs, now we have to learn from our Canadian friends. Heck, we do have a nice library in our town though....
Alan - May 1, 2005 11:15 AM
And no doubt there is a fair bit of business development funding and non-toll public roadways.<p>How about things like deductibles and non-covered necessary health services, Gary? One of my retired US cousins was discussing the reality they face of services being practically unattainable for even the well off due to a retraction of what their insurer will actually cover or the deductible that must be provided first.
Alan - May 1, 2005 1:11 PM
It is hard to contextualize the violent anarchists of 1880s Chicago given that they advocated open war with the industrialists operating the dark Satanic mills for causes that we now take to be commonplace such as a fair wage. But this handbill announcing the 1884 newpaper called <i>The Alarm</i> speaks to both their belief in the cause as well as their ability to tap into the media that was available to them.<p><center><img src="images/2005b/alarm.JPG" vpsace="10"></a></center><p>The US Library of Congress has a great web site dedicated to the archives of those times including evidence, like the above, from the trial of the anarchists.
Marian - May 1, 2005 5:04 PM
Since itás may day, Iáll send you a photo of some genuine worker art if you want. Hungarian spelling is on, canát turn it off. Sorry.
Arthur - May 1, 2005 7:10 PM
some genuine worker art if you want.
I'd like to see that too, if you guys don't mind publishing it publicly? I have always been curious what May 1st means to Eastern Europeans after the Fall of the Wall.
Alan - May 1, 2005 7:12 PM
I shall post but go check out David. He is slightly in disagreement.
Alan - May 1, 2005 7:45 PM
<p><center><img src="images/2005b/hungwork.JPG" vspace="20"></center><p>I got this in from Lissa in Budapest just now:<blockquote><i>We went to the communist statue graveyard. If you would prefer Lenin I can oblige, but not today.</i></blockquote>
Marian - May 2, 2005 5:11 PM
May Day this year was also EU accession Day and it was Mother's Day (an important day for Hungarians). Hungarians are ambivalent about communism. Many (especially pensioners) are worse off since the fall of the Berlin wall others are much better off. The society as a whole is undergoing a renaissance. But moderation is key. There are some worries about nationalism. There are worries about Tuberculosis (which is making a comeback in the region east of here) and AIDS. A lot of people are too old to be retrained. Hungarians did a bunch of things this May 1st. For one thing there were fairs in every town and people got drunk and celebrated that way. Most people had the day off.
Marian - May 3, 2005 4:20 PM
By the way, I can also send you a photo of a manhole cover from the Budapest zoo with a date on it. Are you interested? I notice you have a thing for sidewalk dates.
Alan - May 3, 2005 4:55 PM
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeese.