COLUMN: Strikes, the answer to all life’s problems
We need more strikes in this country. The few strikes that do materialize around here are all too peaceful and usually end up going nowhere. A strike is defined as such: “To declare or engage in a suspension of work until an employer grants certain demands, such as pay increases, an improved pension plan … .”
We must look to France as our example. As we speak, the entire country is crippled by transit strikes as masked youth chuck rocks, cobble stones, or whatever they can find at the police. Half of the trains are not running since SNCF, the state-owned company that operates most of the rail traffic in France, has joined the strike. Train strikes are routine as rain in France, but this time they are coupled with bus and metro strikes, as well as a gasoline shortage. Thousands of gas stations across the country are closed as the workers join the state employees in their protest. What is their reasoning behind this?
The French parliament has come across a problem. The pension program, meant to act much like our own nation’s social security program, is beginning to go broke. In a country where millions of people depend solely on the government for housing, health care, and every other conceivable life essential, this can create somewhat of a problem. The parliament is trying to change the retirement age from 60 to 62. Yes, that’s right. The ruckus is coming from a simple request to work two years longer than the shortest career length in the world.
So what is our problem? We have sat idly by as much more serious problems plague us. While educators in France will strike at the drop of a hat, it took the Utah Education Association several years to build up the courage to conduct a peaceful one-day walkout, which they voluntarily made up later in the year. We work until we are 65 or older. The typical workweek in France consists of 35 hours. A little math will show that Americans are working the equivalent of 16 years longer than the French. Where are the burning cars? Where are the thousands of people flooding the streets bringing traffic to a standstill? Where are the police protecting themselves from a barrage of flying stones with their riot shields? They are obviously not here. Something is wrong with this picture.
It seems more responsible to me to put the tax dollars used to buy riot shields to use. Think of the problems that could be solved if we all worked 35 hours a week and had 5 weeks of paid vacation every year! There would be more jobs. Of course, when the employers couldn’t afford to pay us nearly as much, we could simply go on strike again until the government would bail out our companies. The French are a passionate people, and their passion is reflected in their frequent strikes to get what they want. Should we not also be so passionate? I submit that the new American dream should be to work less and still get all that we want, and throw hissy fits when we don’t. We should follow the example of our forefathers and refuse to do anything for ourselves until our needs are met. Perhaps the best part of it all is that when the strikes are over, we would all go back to school or work and go on as if nothing happened, carrying forever the memory of those few days when we, the people ruled.
After all, what could possibly go wrong? Doesn’t complaining bring about the best results for everybody? What is the point of doing things for ourselves when we can simply complain to the powers that be to fix our problems? The French seem all right. Sure they live an, overall, lower quality of life than Americans. Sure, those who actually work pay more taxes than we could ever imagine. Sure, they live in virtual squalor while the progressive world passes them by. But they enjoy the satisfaction of never being happy with what they have, but not really working for anything more. Should we not be so lucky?
Tyler Barlow is a sophomore majoring in computer science engineering. He can be reached at tyler.barlow@aggiemail.usu.edu