Tag Archives: newt

Right Wing Cheers Idea Of Child Labor!

Uncategorized, , , , , , ,
This is a child laborer in America in the early 20th century.
The following article is strictly the opinion of John Liming,
author of “The Liming Liberal Digest.”

It just might be possible for our beloved America to go to Hell in a hand basket yet! From some of what I have been reading and hearing coming out of the mouths of some of Conservatism’s rising stars, this country could be in real trouble if a Republican were to win the White House in 2012.

There is at least one proposal reportedly being touted by at least one of their candidates that seems to me to suggest a repeal of child labor law for the good of society.  The crap proposals are always for “The Good Of Society” aren’t they?

To my knowledge and belief, the actual words “For the good of society” were not actually spoken by the individual I am talking about here.  Those are my words–not those of the individual. – but I am responding to something I have been reading that I think is absolutely one of the most horrible things I have ever heard.  I have heard that a candidate for the Presidency of The United States has advocated for removal of some of the restrictions on certain forms of child labor.

It seems that there are reports being circulated that former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich (Now the Republican Front Runner in the race for the Presidency) has not only suggested that poor kids should be in the labor force but that it would be alright for even children as young as 5-years-old to be working as well. (Se the linked item below for full details of what I am talking about.)

This is an item I noticed in “Raw Story” as I was reading through the various blogs and news sources on the Internet today.  My jaw literally dropped at what I was reading. I was aghast and shocked!

As The former Speaker was making the case at Saturday Night’s presidential debate, the Republican audience is reported to have virtually erupted with applause and approval for the outrageous idea about re-instituting child labor in The United States.  It is further reported that other GOP debate audiences have also cheered the death penalty and letting a man without insurance just go ahead and die without any kind of help from anybody and they have also booed a gay U.S. Soldier.

Now to my way of thinking, this only shows just how reprehensible Conservatism has become.  I cannot believe that grown adults who are supposed to be responsible thinkers and, in many cases “Christian” to boot, are actually cheering some ideas that sound to me like they were originated in the deepest pits of Hell itself.

 Of course, what you are reading right now is simply my personal opinions. But to me, the idea of allowing any degree of a  return to child labor in The United States is downright untenable and  totally unacceptable.

I wonder that if something like this were ever to transpire in this country, if we would see the return of a vast army of under age manual laborers toiling away in the dark, dirty and dangerous conditions of sweat shops for next-to-nothing wages and no benefits like it was at a shameful time in our History? 

Will Conservatism recognize the billions of dollars in extra profits that could be tapped on the backs of innocent poor children and manipulate the political system to the point where these kids could be indentured like that?

Will we see the day return when kids will be locked inside of factories or mines so that some fat cat can get fatter and the idea will be sold on the basis that it is only to teach poor kids the work ethic?

What is going to happen if some government big wig finally comes to the conclusion that legalized child labor is a heck of a lot cheaper than adult labor because kids will settle for less and are more easily manipulated and intimidated?

In the early 20th century, there were as many as two million kids employed in the slavery known as “Child Labor” in The United States. Two million  kids were almost forced to work at jobs designed for adults in despicable and deplorable conditions because families simply could not earn enough at their jobs to make it without the kid’s help. These poor kids were viewed simply as a part of the individual family economy.

It got to the point where child laborers rarely had any opportunity at all to be kids. For many of them, work became far more enticing than getting an education and so they were doomed to work their childhood away for a few piddling extra dollars and often at disastrous results for their health and safety.

Child labor absolutely condemned thousands upon thousands of American kids to a future of illiteracy, poverty and never-ending misery.

And you are going to stand there and tell me that this is the kind of thing that is drawing cheers from an audience of GOP supporters? The only thing I can say to that is, “That would be typical of them in my personal opinion.” I mean, haven’t members of Conservatism shown themselves to be “All Heart” on many occasions as they attack the Middle Class, the lower wage earners and the elderlyy– and now, the children?

If that is the case, all I have to say for America is “God Help Us All!”

Learn more:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/10/gop-debate-audience-cheers-child-labor/

Learn even more:

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hine-photos/

Posted by John Liming (Strictly My opinion)
(Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at 4:00 PM EST (USA)

Photo Credit

Republican Says Poor Kids Should Get Jobs!

Politics, , ,

I started this article out with a picture of what looks like about an 11 or 12-year old boy who is shown taking a picture break from his job in a textile factory in the United States back when there were no such things as child labor laws.

This kid and thousands upon thousands like him worked 11 and 12-hour shifts, maybe seven days a week when business was good.  They had extremely low wages (Cents per hour) and they had no health care coverage and they often were forced to work through their breaks and lunch periods.  Of course, they all brown bagged their lunches if they had any.

I have read where some factories back then actually locked their doors so that employees could not leave until their shifts were over.

Kids like the one in the picture above worked in hot, dirty and dangerous “Sweat Shop” conditions for supervisors who often treated them no differently than if they were adults. 

 It was hard. harsh, heart-breaking and terribly dangerous. There are endless horror stories about kids like this getting caught in machinery and mangled to death.  When something like this happened, there was rarely if ever a safety investigation and the blame for the death was placed squarely on the fact that the kid had most likely been “Careless.”

Now I have been reading the AFL/CIO News Blog and I see this article where Republican Candidate Newt Gingrich (The candidate who is leading the pack in popularity among Republicans right now according to news reports I have read) has made the statement that child labor laws are “Stupid.”

In the article I am reading, Mr. Gingrich is quoted as saying that schools should get rid of their unionized janitors and hire low-income kids to clean the schools.  He is also quoted as saying that age nine is a good time to get a job.

I am assuming, without actually knowing, that under Mr. Gingrich’s plan for the kids to go to work, the rich ones would be cracking books instead of cracking  their backs at hard labor.

During this speech that the Republican Candidate for President of The United States was giving to a gathering at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of government, he is also reported to have suggested that putting scrub brushes and floor sanders in the hands of kids and firing school maintenance workers would “Lift Up The Poorest Neighborhoods.”

Mr. Gingrich is further credited with statements suggesting very directly that child labor law entraps poor children into poverty.

O.K.

When I read crap like this, I begin to understand why I often refer to some of the ideas coming from  the Far Right Side of Politics as (Can’t say the words for fear of offending somebody, but you get the idea.).

In the gentlest terms that I can muster so as not to ruffle antibody’s feathers, let me say that I find concepts that would do away with child labor law as patently undesirable. (Is that tame enough for you?)

It is my unvarnished personal opinion that any act to abolish child labor laws and to bring back sweat shop conditions and to allow kids to work at hot, dirty and dangerous hard-labor jobs (Or regular jobs of any kind for that matter), would deny them their rightful education and do irreparable harm to their bodies, minds and spirits. ( Under- Statement of The Year!)

 (I am talking about 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., ‘Punch-The-Time-Clock’ type work here folks, not the typical Part Time Delivery Person thing that most people with a heart might envision.

I can understand it if many Republicans desire to institute slave labor in The United States.  I can understand it and I can see it in almost every proposal they make or every law they try to pass.  I can see it in every job they take away from American Workers and send overseas somewhere.

I have often contended and still maintain that it seems to be that many of the Republicans desire to have every American Worker working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week for $5  day— just like back then (Way back when) and just like some who even now slave away daily in foreign countries…for American task masters. 

I really belileve this kind of stuff is great for the bottom line of a lot of greed-mongering Big Business tycoons. I am sure they are eating these suggestions from this  Candidate up and are frothing at the mouth and chomping at the big to be legally able to advertise for their first crews of vulnerable, naive kids who need to help their families out a little and who could use the work.

I cannot wait to see the kind of subtle and potentially deceptive advertising campaign that would support that kind of recruitment effort.

I know what a lot of Republicans and Conservatives must be thinking if they happen to read this blog:  I am guessing they are wondering why I am so against the poor having the flimsy trailers and shantys for shelter from the elements or why I do not necessarily see a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere as an appropriate place to raise a family.

How wonderful for the idea of the Conservative Utopia if we can finally hire kids to do the hard stuff ! What a day of rejoicing that will be! (Kids will  probably be easily convinced to work for far less reward than adults after all because they are often more trusting and can be more easily manipulated and lied to.)

Yes, what a wonderful world it will be when the Far Right and their allies finally are able to get rid of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Welfare and open the floodgates of “Unlimited Employment Opportunities” to the children!

What a wonderful world it will be when there are no more income taxes, no free public education and none of the governmental departments that keep food and air and water safe for human consumption.  How great it will be when there are no more price controls and no more minimum wage laws!  Why employers can offer  “$1.00 a day and all you can eat” to workers they hire for cleaning out their stockyard pens.

If America cannot see the disadvantages in some of the things that some on the far Reicht Wing Extreme are trying to sell to our Citizens, then God help us all!

I definitely am against using child labor for any purpose.  The idea (To my way of thinking) is regressive and dangerous.  Never in a million years will I ever cast a vote that might be responsible for paying a part in bringing something like that about. But, that is just me! I am old and eccentric, after all!– and a “Godless Liberal” to boot.

This article has been Strictly my personal political opinion like everything I write.

A Little More Reading About It:

http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/11/21/gingrich-put-poor-kids-to-work-cleaning-schools/

Photo Credit – Wikimedia Public Domain Photo