Consistency in a world gone mad?

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday August 11, 2002 21:57 by Paul O'Connell pmoconne at tcd dot ie

Federal troops t o be deployed in U.S.

President George Bush and his cronies have plans afoot to use federal troops as scab labor in order to break the back of one of Americas strongest Trade Unions. Now that’s consistency for ya.

He may be undemocratic, untrustworthy, and unintelligent, some would even call him evil, while others will let him of with pleading insanity. But at least George “Dubya” Bush is consistent. Not content with deploying troops in Afghanistan, the Philippines and military advisors in Uzbekistan, Colombia and Venezuela, Georgy boy has plans afoot to deploy the National Guard on Seattle’s docks. And why pray tell does he want to do this, is it to prevent acts of International terror? Not at all the National Guard is to be used as scab labor to allow the employers break the back of the International Long shore & Warehouse Union (ILWU).

Bush and Co. have plans afoot to use the national guard to operate the docks in a pre-emptive strike which would force the ILWU, a union that was heavily involved in the anti-capitalist protests in Seattle, to accept the bosses contract terms in industrial negotiations which are due to begin some time soon. However, the ILWU in Seattle has gained the support of the surrounding community, in Seattle 25% of jobs are port related and in Tacoma (which is a satellite of Seattle) 40% are port related, and are beginning a campaign to resist the deployment of federal troops on the docks.

Perhaps it will be of some consolation to civilians in Afghanistan, Baghdad, Bogotá and Chiapas to know that Dubya and co. treat their own workers ,that is those who are not wealthy and politically powerful, with the same contempt and inhumanity as it does the workers and oppressed of the world….On second thoughts perhaps not.