Posted On: Tuesday - January 30th 2024 3:15PM MST
In Topics: Immigration Stupidity Music US Feral Government
Unlike Rock and Folk singer Neil Young (see below), I have never been proud to be a Union Man. I have seen the good and the bad, though, I'll say lately more good than bad. However, generally, public sector unions are really a corrupt idea. Union government employees can get promised collective benefits in return for their acting as voting blocs to enable the politicians who do the promising.
The story of this post, is of a public sector union, a union of US Federal Border Patrol personnel. Actually, they are a "Council" if that matters to you. I will admit right here that this is one instance where the benefits of a union are benefiting the American public as well.
For its employees, besides the usual collective bargaining for better wages and benefits* of all kinds, a union can provide solidarity** and support for those not quite down with the ideas of the big cheeses.. Membership can be seen as a pre-paid legal plan if nothing else.
VDare writers, most especially "Former Agent", naturally, have discussed the Border Patrol Union's dissatisfaction with its members not being allowed to do their jobs previously. I've found that, no matter what the work, competent employees like to be a part of getting the work done that matches with the stated purpose of an organization. That beats being mired in bureaucratic mud and working at cross purposes, no matter how well one is paid. (Again, I wrote "competent" people. I should add "those with integrity".)
It's not only that BP agents have been told not to do their jobs per the words "border patrol". Over the last few years - the Bai Dien surge - they have been made to be baby sitters, nurse maids, and travel agents for the millions of illegal aliens that have been coming across the borders (yes, the north too, to a lesser degree) from all over the world. Rank and file BP agents didn't sign up for this, and their union has been resisting the Bai Dien leadership, with words at least, so far.
It's very heartening to read more about the resistance of the Border Patrol, as this latest has to do with the Federalist pushback by the State of Texas against their sabotaging of Texas' efforts to keep invaders out at Eagle Pass. Via info mostly from VDare.com, Peak Stupidity has written a number of posts about the struggle down there with the concertina (razor) wire - the reader could start from this recent post and go back. Former Agent mentioned these encouraging words in a recent post The Invasion Is Continuing, Despite The Texas Crisis—But Biden And Mayorkas Are Afraid It Will Be Stopped. A tweet and post title, coming from this Red State article says:
Border Patrol Turns on Joe Biden, Proclaims Support for Texas National GuardThe full tweet from the National Border Control Council says:
Rank-and file BP agents are not going to start arresting TX NG members for following their LAWFUL orders. That's fake news.I don't know about flashy headlines, but weren't those Border Patrol agents in the video clips that were using wire cutters and bumping fists with invaders? How about we see the end of that?
TX NG and rank-and-file BP agents work together and respect each other's jobs. Period. If TX NG members have LAWFUL orders, then they have to carry out those orders.
TX NG members realize that rank-and-file BP agents have their orders as well. Lawful orders, no matter how unpopular or distasteful amongst rank-and-file agents, must be followed. Unlawful orders (as determined by competent legal counsel and not what some outhouse lawyer behind a keyboard says) will not be followed.
Rank-and-file BP agents appreciate and respect what TX has been doing to defend their state in the midst of this catastrophe that the Biden Admin has unleashed on America.
We want to be perfectly clear, there is no fight between rank-and-file BP agents and the TX NG, Gov. Abott, or TX DPS. It may make flashy headlines, but it simply isn't true.
Also, this is some squish language here: Lawful orders, no matter how unpopular or distasteful amongst rank-and-file agents, must be followed. No, "lawful" orders made by Totalitarians and internal enemies of America must NOT be followed. That's what it'll really take for Fed rank-and-file personnel to avoid being evil. Having a union in solidarity against the Regime, as in 1980s Poland**, is important to this end.
This hopefully continuing change of loyalties by the BP agents from The Potomac Regime to America instead is not only a great thing when it comes to this issue. The idea of this resistance and changing loyalties by rank-and-file Regime agents may carry over to other disputes and not just by the Border Patrol.
Neil Young's Union Man is a fun song, one that may be called a "novelty song" per the terminology of the era (1970s). I went to look up a little more about it, and I realize even more how much BS comes over the internet. A site called Old Time Music has a whole long serious description of Mr. Young's supposed political views in its long "Meaning behind the song" post. Holy crap, was this someone's term paper, maybe some AI that JUST! DOESN'T! GET! IT!? I would guess who- or what-ever wrote it never listened to the song.
The "AF of M" was/is the American Federation of Musicians. This song was written in fun, as Neil goes:
I pay my dues ahead of time. When the benefits come, I'm last in line, yeah....
Is there any new business?
Yeah. "Live Music is Better" bumper stickers should be issued.
What was that??
"Live Music is Better" bumper stickers should be issued!
That gentleman said "Live Music is Better" bumper stickers should be issued.
All in favor of what he said, signify by saying "Ayyyy"!
I for one, appreciate Neil's making some fun and having some fun, no matter what the "statement' there was.
BTW, the 2nd song from his obscure Hawks & Doves album is a real trippy song, The Old Homestead, saying something about Who are you, the rider says?
You dress in black but you talk like a Fed.
Kinda relates here...
* That term seems to mean only "healthcare plans" at this point, at least the way HR people use it. (The reader may want to check up the follow-up posts in that series Human Resources: scourge of the business world: Part 2 -- Exhibit A: Toby Flenderson and Part 3.)
** "Solidarity" was the name of an important union in Cold War history, in fact. That was the name of the Polish trade union of some sort that was a big part of the Polish struggle to dismantle its "membership" in the Warsaw Pact, or East Bloc, as led by one Lech Walesa. He and fellow Pole Pope John Paul II - he'd be JP2 nowadays - were 2 of the heroes of the Cold War.
Comments:
Moderator
Tuesday - January 30th 2024 6:32PM MST
PS: I agree, Mr. Blanc, on your whole comment. Thanks.
MBlanc46
Tuesday - January 30th 2024 5:55PM MST
PS Like a lot of things in life, trades unions are neither all good nor all bad. And as long as capitalists can organize, labor will try to organize to fight for and protect their interests. Unions are a necessary evil. In a well-organized economy, unions would not be necessary, but Western economies are not well organized. Government workers, however, should not be allowed to engage in collective bargaining or strikes. Workers in the so-called private sector have to be able to protect themselves from the capitalists. But government workers don’t work for the capitalists. They work for us, The People. That includes them. As long as their is a border patrol “council”, I’m glad that they’re siding with us in the current situation.