I love the Baltar has become a kind of Karl Marx-Thomas Paine figure disseminating his manifesto from prison. He does make good points. One particular that I have wondered since the start of the show; why is everyone from Caprica? I think I made the point of asking in an earlier post why everyone is Caprican. And now it's finally asked on the show too. I don't see why Roslin is such a jerk in this episode. Yes, she eventually sits down and works out some ideas with Tyrol, but in the first half she's almost dictatorial. I have a hard time reconciling the two.
Let me say from the outset, that I really don't support unions. Ultimately I think it comes down to what Adama said. Unions make people demanding and whiny to have things their way. Unions lead to inflation. Unions, even with good intentions, end up hurting a lot of fellow workers who have to go along with strikes and such lest they be seen as "scabs". This is not to say there is no place for unionized labor forces. There are times and places for it. Newsies is one of my favorite movies. But I think "unions" and strikes are temporary measures and only for extreme circumstances. I hate the idea of every job you can think of having a union you have to join, and every year some union rep tries to squeeze more money out of management for you. If people are in danger if they continue working, that's one thing; strike. But when the Writer's Guild went on strike over monetary issues (and not that they were wrong; I support the cause), we lost a lot of good TV and a lot of folks lost their jobs. So what good was it?
Anyway, Tyrol's actions in this case were certainly warranted. He was just trying to help the poor guys get a break. That's good. The strike worked in so much as it was a stunt to get attention. He didn't have to drag it out till his demands were met. But Adama was totally bluffing. There is no way he would have killed ANY of the deck hands when they already have a shortage of manpower in all fields. If he just shot those who were insubordinate, he would be just as guilty of rash behavior as the strikers. So I KNOW he wouldn't have done it. That's why he picked Callie first; just to psyche out the Chief so he would yield.
I am also not against child labor. I know it's a tricky issue, but I think it would benefit some to be working. Funny when you say "child labor" everyone thinks of kids in coal mines losing their fingers and getting black lung. No one thinks of the kid with the lemonade stand or the neigborhood babysitter or the boy with the paper route. I think to a point kids want to work because they want money. Is a job any less productive than any extricurricular activity? Certainly I don't believe any child should do something dangerous. Factories are out. Nor should they have unreasonable hours. But if a kid wants to work (and that's the if; no one should be forced to), why can't they? To me, making them productive members of society as early as possible will have benefits. And it would only help our economy. I think there should be more apprenticeships (and not "internships" like come here and bring me coffee). Note that Danny did a good job saving the refinery. Now, he was injured, that's true. And I am against mandatory work like he got. But it shows that there is a place for young people in the workforce.
There are almost two seperate issues at work here. One is the basic labor v. management, the other is the more complex class struggle. And as in America, the class system is somewhat racially based. Why can't Seelix become a pilot if she wants to? I know they need people on deck and stuff, but they also need good pilots. I'm sure there are refinery guys who might want to be deck hands. I'm not against parents passing on their trade or any of that. But there should be some equality. Let people go for jobs that will suit them. The aristocracy should remember that everyone who makes their life work has a face. That's one of the good things about Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs series. But the other thing I have long been frustrated by is the "go for your dreams" speeches the aristocracy gives. This inevitably leads to "Be a doctor! Be a lawyer! Find the cure for cancer! Start a million dollar corporation! You can be what you want to be!" My problem with that is that "lower class" positions are denigrated. No one is told they can be a janitor if they want to be. Service jobs are seen as stepping stones to better things. People are not supposed to think about jobs, but about building "careers". Even in service industries, you're nobody unless you're managment. What does that say about our priorities? I think we need to extoll the virtues of hard work in all its forms. Thank those who do the thankless jobs. Recruit others to do them. Esteem these roles for what they are; just as important, and vital to a working community. Just as you want to encourage someone with good medical skills, so you should encourage those with mechanical skills. Or organizational skills. Or people skills. And it doesn't mean they need some high-paying office job. There are more people out there than we give credit for who want to do a hard day's work. What kind of work is up to them. There are still women out there who want to be "home-makers". And you know what? There are men who want to be too. Without one cog, the machine falls apart. So lets take away some of the prestige of "higher" living. I'm happy shelving books. Do work you're proud of, not looking for advancement. Remember that all the cogs are important, but that each one is a person who deserves resepect. Not "oh, that's just the deck hand." Roslin seems to have forgotten that she was thrust into the role of President; she could just as easily have been thrust into a less prestigious position.
On the whole, I enjoyed this episode. My one real concern is that I dislike the ending. Yes, things will become better for the workers, and I'm glad Seelix gets to train to be a pilot. But I don't like the idea of there now being a permanent union with Tyrol as the permanent representative. As an advocate when necessary? Maybe. But that got by without a union before, and I don't know why they can't again. They got what they needed. Now let them shut up and get back to work. But then maybe I'm blinded by my own philosophy. Perhaps if people want to be union men, they should be allowed to be. But as for myself, I have no desire to join a union.
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