It could make a huge difference if all peoples everywhere could stick it out for just one week.

Remember concessions? It didn't do any good. They still outsourced.

I guess we need to go back to strikes. It seems to be the only language corporations understand.

I know many democrats who voted for him.

But I don't hold out too much hope.

by the concept of "American exceptionalism," "land of the free," etc. etc. etc. that they will never open their eyes to the gross injustices going on here. Now they're convincing people who can't find work that it's somehow their fault and that they deserve to suffer.

And that's why they have been able to keep the American people from turning against them, they have succeeded where other rich people have failed. Even Calvinist Protestantism (brought by the puritans) in this country was used to justify the exorbitant wealth of the rich.

This started out a few weeks ago as a protest against privatization of rail lines- and the government
arrested Union leaders - now the people are responding.

Here is some background-

http://www.themilitant.com/2014/7801/780103.html

Can someone please enlighten me on the background.

Yes - read this for background:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/12/28/photos-100000-south-koreans-protest-election-scandal-labor-clampdown/

the unions have fought pitched battles with korean army troops and tanks. there was a lot of blood shed and lives lost and it wasn't all that long ago.

what`s next...tanks?

It's easy to blame Americans for not protesting. The Koreans are new to the game. They have not yet been taught that if they demand a living wage and common decency, the 1% will either put them down or pack up and move.

I wonder if any unions are working on going international.

It's an NPR fundraising event, hosted by Cokie Roberts.

Samsung
LG
Hyundai
Kia
Anycall
Daewoo
Lotte

And the usual suspects of control around the world, mostly Yum Brands and McDonald's.

South Korea is about two steps away from the authoritarian rule they had under Rhee Syungman.

Good luck workers. . .good luck labor unions. Solidarity!

experienced by most of their counterparts in North Korea. Yet I don't see any threads complaining about the way things are run in North Korea. I am not defending anti-union activities anywhere, but a bit of perspective is in order I think.

When you say: "I am not defending anti-union activities anywhere, but" it means you are going to defend anti-union activities but you are going to try to be clever about it.

Granted life is much better in South Korea but that doesnt make it unimportant when the South Koreans want it better. You are saying essentially, that the South Koreans should be grateful they dont live in the North and kowtow to their bosses.

And more of the same: "I don't see any threads complaining about the way things are run in North Korea." This is a news item. You seem to suggest that for every article about South Korea, there needs to be at least one about North Korea.

This is what I read into your post. If I am wrong, please clarify.

my comments. Well, I guess that's par for the course for Internet message boards. But be that as it may when I said ""I am not defending anti-union activities anywhere" I meant it. When I say something I wish that failing any evidence to the contrary you would take my word for it. I am not questioning your honesty and I wish you would offer me that same courtesy. If you care enough to investigate you can do a search for previous comments I have made at DU and you will see that I have often made comments defending unions and I haven't ever made any anti-union comments.

Look at my comments in this thread for instance.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=70720

this protest by pointing out that life is better than in the North. No one here is claiming that life in North Korea is any better.

I guess I didnt understand your point.

The INTERNATIONAL FASCISTS won't like it.

It was that way back in the 80-'s too when I was there.

when you go around the world installing right wing nationalists as your 'safe guard' against those darn commies.

the south Korean government has been corrupt since its conception.

I do support our being in South Korea tho.. and I do support protecting the people of South Korea from their neighbor to the north...

this was part of the deal we agreed to after WW2 after all... and the Korean peninsula being taken from the Japanese who had oppressed them since the 1910's.

if the Chinese and north Koreans hadn't invaded shortly after the end of WW2, no telling what relations may have been by now...
not that I don't blame the Chinese for taking their civil war victory (with the help of north Koreans) and reciprocating it to their struggling party members to the south... would seem like a pretty good strategic thing to do I suppose...
tho im sure the Russians made it sound way easier than it ended up being.. the UN barely had any forces there after all...

Thanks for the thread, James.

It is worth noting that the freedom of speech and assembly are much weaker in Korea than the US. Last I heard about this the workers were fired. I don't actively read the papers here because most of the ones in English are either written poorly or full of propaganda.