Much of the magic of the United States has been a more-or-less democracy that allowed and even encouraged the growth of a solid middle class. But that middle class didn’t happen automatically. Even though the frame work for economic justice can be found in the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights, it took people who organized to push back against the power of corporations to get things we don’t even think about today like:
- A (mostly) 40 hour work week (with paid overtime).
- Laws against child labor.
- Workplace safety, including everything from mines to offices
- Laws against sexual discrimination.
- Etc. etc. etc… the list truly goes on and on
In each case, the corporations claimed, rightly so, that to put such fairness items into law would reduce their profits. Some, mostly neo-cons or newer conservatives and Libertarians will tell you it’s totally okay for corporations to be allowed, even encouraged to maximum progress because something called the “free market” will (eventually) sort it out.
But there really isn’t a free market.
Look at what the writers are asking for – a reasonable share profits when their work is used on the internet.
No free market with the internet, not really. We wouldn’t have one without government; we wouldn’t have the electricity to run our computers with out the government, and you know what? Neither would the corporations. Which means the internet, and electricity are part of what used to be known as the commons. Dictionary.com defines the commons as: pertaining or belonging equally to an entire community, nation, or culture; public: a common language or history; a common water-supply system.
Markets depend on the commons and can’t exist without them. The commons are supported by our tax dollars. In other words, no free market… it costs us all.
So now we’ve got writers demanding a portion of the profits on their work… it should be automatic, but corporations and governments never give away what they don’t have to… hence unions which allow individuals to gather together in a cause.
Do you agree? Why or why not?
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