Wednesday, May 11, 2005

United sheep

God, I'm angry.

Every time one of these so-called "news" flashes comes up on TV that I actually happen to watch by mistake (having written TV off a long time ago as a useless medium), I get angry again. This time it was regarding the United settlement. You know, the one where "workers lost half their pension".

This lady was interviewed for about 20 seconds, complaining that the "CEO has a protected 4M retirement package, while I have to give up some of my pension, and show up for work and smile at people". Well, guess what lady, those "people" that you are smiling at are the ONLY reason you even have a PART of your cozy little pension left to you.

You know why? Because all these bailouts to the airlines are paid for by us, the little people. And this settlement that pisses you off so much? Without the bailout, your company wouldn't even exist, and then you'd really have something to cry about, as well as having to prepare your resume. And oh, if that happened, remember that reduced pension? So sad, it went away. Just like that. Poof.

Now, don't get me wrong. United deserves to go under. Completely. No more company, no more jobs for this lady and her boo-booing colleagues. It's poorly run, to the extent that I have to continually pay for it, and my kids will have to pay for it, because when they grow up, the money that was spent to bail these idiots out and wasn't instead spent on reducing the deficit is gonna cost them dearly.

Unfortunately, for some inexplicable reason, we keep paying this tab. It amazes me that morons like this lady actually think they have a point. Listen up. You want real accountability? Organize the shareholders to fire the whole management team. Then, GET RID OF YOUR PRECIOUS UNION. If there is one reason why all these airlines are milking all of us dry it's because of the damn unions. Your "guaranteed benefits", which you have no inherent right to have, are the reason you are going under the way you are. Get new management in, and better get them from Southwest or Jetblue, who are profitable, and oh, incidentally, don't have unions. Then, each and every one of you renegotiate your personal employment agreement, like the rest of us do in the "non-protected" world. And every day you go to work, remember that we're not going to be there to bail you out if you underperform.

Really. What's with this sense of entitlement?

If we, as taxpayers, weren't so chickenshit as to actually stand up for OUR rights, these "underprivileged workers" would have two choices. One, shut the company down, and lose their jobs and ALL their benefits. Two, de-unionize, create shareholder revolt, replace management, and restructure the company based on a business model that actually works.

Instead, they got themselves a third, cushy choice; get a "settlement" that allows them to keep their unions and most of their benefits, and get us to pay for it. And they have the NERVE to complain about it? It's almost like all those shmucks at Enron, who closed their eyes and did nothing as the company's stock went all the way down from $90 to $11, and then expect us to refund their pensions because they were shut out of being able to sell Enron stock when it went from $11 to $8. Yeah, I heard you. The CEO told you throughout the whole period that the company was doing great. Know what? Next time you get hit by a truck, I'll come by your hospital bed and tell you how great you're doing. Maybe I'll twist your broken ankles while I'm doing it, too. After all, as long as I smile and say you're fine, then you must be fine. Right? RIGHT?

And you know what's worse? The cynical assholes in the general media who actually allow this drivel to get center stage in national news.

Jerks.

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