> I can understand not wanting to have that fight, but: 1) what do
> you suppose the position of these anti-Honda workers was on
> the invasion of Iraq
I wasn't even talking about the broad rank-and-file, but about active union people, so it's not a representative sample, but I would say that even among white guys, and even among the trades who often get stereotyped, the active union people were more anti-war than the general population, in fact significantly so. This flowed from a general distrust of Bush, which to my mind is healthy. Once the war started, a lot of them were reluctant to criticize the war because they want to "support our troops." Now? I'd actually be surprised if there are very many of them who view the war favorably, although some probably think that "we now have to stay to finish the job," just like a lot of people do. I think that's a confused and incorrect position, but they're people that the anti-war movement can work with, and that's a fight worth having. Arguing about Toyotas just isn't.
> 2) don't you think that this kind of nationalism has something to
> do with why the UAW is getting its ass kicked by foreign
> competition?
Depends what you mean when you say "this kind of nationalism." I think the answer is largely yes, though it's not completely misguided. Keep in mind that the Japanese companies that make cars in this country are still heavily non-union, while GM and Ford are still union companies, no matter what's happening with concessions.
Obviously I think that we should have an internationalist standard that all-union made cars are acceptable, whether the unions be Swedish, German, Korean, or US (or even US unions for workers at a "foreign" company). But then I remember the one labor council function I attended at a Painters hall. One of my female SEIU coworkers left her lights on in the parking lot, and pretty soon an announcement came that there was "a brown Nissan in the parking lot with its lights on." I do not want that to be me, ever. It's just not worth the hassle.
- - - - - - - - - - John Lacny http://www.johnlacny.com
Tell no lies, claim no easy victories