Progressive – Page 23

August 13, 2013April 18, 2020

Moving The Goal Posts Of Corporatism

This week would’ve been my 10th anniversary working for a large health care concern as a call center representative. I probably would still be there had it not been for the common corporate practice of weeding out the high wage workers so that lower paid workers can take their place. I’m sure you think this is just sour grapes, people get fired all the time. The point of this post is to rant about the practice of weeding out good workers just because they make high wages.

Back in 2003, I learned there was an opening at a major health care company. I applied to be a security guard and as a lark I applied to be a Customer Service Representative (CSR). I ended up getting the CSR job and 10 years ago this week started my training class.

August 9, 2013April 18, 2020

What’s More Important, Sports Or Human Rights?

photo of woman Protesting 2014 Sochi Olympics

Russia is hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Russia also recently passed a new law banning ‘propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors’ which has been used to attack LGBT groups in the country. The law means gay pride parades are forbidden as is any literature or signs supporting gay rights. Although the Russian government has told the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the law won’t be applied to athletes, there are calls for a boycott of the games. Of course the people who will profit from the games are against the boycott. They have put sports ahead of human rights.

August 4, 2013April 18, 2020

New Cold War Over Snowden? What About One Over Human Rights?

photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin entry in the ‘Dictators’ of the World Calendar

The corporate media have been obsessed with the adventures of NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden. Not about what he publicized – the overbroad spying on Americans in the name of ‘security’ – but where he is going and where he is located. Now that Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, the media have been speculating how this will damage US – Russia relations. Of course they have no such concerns over Russia’s suspect human rights record.

July 28, 2013April 18, 2020

The Worse Atheist On Display? The One Who Doesn’t Do Their Homework

This past week a quasi government committee here in Ohio voted to accept the design for a Holocaust memorial that included a large Star of David. A memorial to honor the victims of that horrific event seems appropriate but including a religious symbol as a large focus of the installation seems crossing the line between church and state. However it seems some atheists jumped the gun and likened concern over the religious symbol to being a Holocaust denier. Those atheists should do their homework before being ‘outraged’.

The Star of David, a symbol of the Jewish religion, has a place in the history of the Holocaust because it was used by the Nazis to “mark” Jews before they were shipped off to the death camps during World War II. However the Holocaust didn’t only affect Jewish people.

July 22, 2013April 18, 2020

Pundit Reaction To Zimmerman Verdict Proves Again White People Hate To Be Called Racists

The reactions to the George Zimmerman murder trial were a bit predictable. African-Americans generally hated the acquittal and whites in general approved of the verdict. The reason is obvious, even in 2013 we have issues with race in this country. We also see that in the rush of some white conservative pundits who say it is racist to complain about racism or they wonder aloud why African-Americans don’t freak out about black on white violence. These pundits hate being called racist and will go to outlandish extremes to keep from having to deal with the real issue of race in this country.

Classic reactions from white conservative pundits came after President Obama made some remarks and offered some personal experiences about being black in America: