If I were a wage- or salary-earner in the Solar Commonwealth, then I would want my union at least to have a say in how the money in the pension fund was invested. Independent financial advisers would also have to be consulted.
I would want the union to be:
democratically controlled by its members;
not a profit-making organization;
committed to siblinghood;
completely independent of government, which is another employer;
campaigning against SSL lobbying, logrolling, pressure and bribery;
also campaigning against cartelization.
Is van Rijn alarmist when he says that he does not envy the Falkayn's children? Why should they care whether government becomes more involved in running businesses like van Rijn's? I agree that the cartelization is one big problem and would want the unions to oppose it.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I think you are missing some important points here. First, I agree unions should have a say in how pensions funds are managed (AND their employers as well). And it make sense to consult as well independent financial advisers on how best to manage such monies.
Democratically run unions is the ideal, but it is not going to always happen or be likely. Both in and out of the US many unions have been either corrupt or tools of aggressive states like the unlamented USSR. And unions ARE by their very nation profit seeking orgnanizations, as they seek to advance the interests of their bosses/and or members. And the "siblinghood of workers" is nonsensical cant for the obvious reason that not all unions will agree with each other or even have the same goals.
And the cartelization we see beginning in MIRKHEIM included not just once private falling more and more under de facto control but also the same thing happening to the unions. It would be impossible for unions to not become cartelized themselves if that is what happens to their employers. So my sympathies would lie with SP & L if Old Nick had decided to try initiating a campaign against the Garver Bill using lobbying, pressure, logrolling, even bribery.
I think you are missing the point on why Old Nick said he does not envy the Falkayns children. What the cartelization we are seeing in MIRKHEIM means is that the Solar Commonwealth is becoming less democratic and more autocratic and despotic. And not only less democratic but also less COMPETENT as the gov't tries to run more matters that does not properly belong to its proper field of action. So, like what we have been seeing in the US since the XVII Amendment was ratified, matters will steadily go from bad to worse over the next century, until the Time of Troubles beginning around AD 2600 brings on chaos and the collapse of the Commonwealth and the League.
The fact David Falkayn eventually left Earth to found the colony on Grey/Avalon seems to be strong proof that he agreed with Old Nick that Earth was no longer a good place to raise one's family on. And I recall him saying so himself in MIRKHEIM.
Happy New Year! Sean
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