The World Health Organization (WHO) is rapidly morphing itself into something akin to the first world government. It recently directed 200-plus nations to vaccinate all its citizens for the H1N1 (swine flu) virus--or else.
It's not clear what the "or else" is, but Nicolas Sakozy of France wasted no time in directing the military to forcefully vaccinate the entire French population.
Canada is mulling the same and talking about issuing certificates of vaccination, without which one cannot return to work or school or receive health care.
Seems we're on the verge of the Nazification of so-called health care--line up, folks, and submit to the government or else.
Maybe the military will just bayonet you if you refuse the vaccination.
Everything is evidently on the table when there's no proof that the swine flu will even return, let alone return in a more virulent form.
Meanwhile, Austria is investigating drugmaker Baxter for bioterrorism after reports that the company created and spread the H1N1 virus this past spring, launching it in South America.
The Obamacrats have yet to announce their vaccination plan, but the military option--like the public option in health care reform--is alive and well and under consideration.
My thanks to Gorilla Radio for providing a comprehensive survey of all things swine flu, from which I drew this encapsulization.
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Monday, August 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Hostage-Taking Trumps Card Check Anyday
As is their wont, the French reject American culture while embracing and perfecting it, in their own inimitable way.
Take the example of unionization. France is widely unionized. You can hardly visit there without the garbage collectors or air traffic controllers or railway operators going on strike for this or that. They all work for publicly operated entities, which are in turn union strangled, oops, I mean controlled. Anyway, a one- or two-day strike makes for a nice little holiday, n'est-ce pas?
Here in the United States, we argue over card check and whether that should be allowed as the preferred option for union organizing.
In France, they don't argue--they take hostages.
The latest example comes from the Molex Inc. plant in Villemur-sur-Tam. Owners are threatening to close the plant and have been negotiating with the union, but the union smells a rat, sensing that Molex wants to shift operations to China.
Hence the logical thing to do is take two executives hostage until the company agrees to leave the equipment and workers all in place.
So far, this sounds like a Gallic version of the Republic Windows and Doors stand-off in Chicago of late last year. There, employees staged a sit-down until they got their severance packages.
In France, we'll just have to wait to see what happens.
Hostages are, however, treated civilly during these stand-offs. Last month, an executive held hostage at 3M was even treated to moules et frites (mussels and fries, a traditional dish) as a snack.
Like I said before, why check cards when you can just hold some hostages until you get what you want?
"Sign here to recognize our union, or we'll keep you hostage until you do" works faster than gathering all those signatures.
Take the example of unionization. France is widely unionized. You can hardly visit there without the garbage collectors or air traffic controllers or railway operators going on strike for this or that. They all work for publicly operated entities, which are in turn union strangled, oops, I mean controlled. Anyway, a one- or two-day strike makes for a nice little holiday, n'est-ce pas?
Here in the United States, we argue over card check and whether that should be allowed as the preferred option for union organizing.
In France, they don't argue--they take hostages.
The latest example comes from the Molex Inc. plant in Villemur-sur-Tam. Owners are threatening to close the plant and have been negotiating with the union, but the union smells a rat, sensing that Molex wants to shift operations to China.
Hence the logical thing to do is take two executives hostage until the company agrees to leave the equipment and workers all in place.
So far, this sounds like a Gallic version of the Republic Windows and Doors stand-off in Chicago of late last year. There, employees staged a sit-down until they got their severance packages.
In France, we'll just have to wait to see what happens.
Hostages are, however, treated civilly during these stand-offs. Last month, an executive held hostage at 3M was even treated to moules et frites (mussels and fries, a traditional dish) as a snack.
Like I said before, why check cards when you can just hold some hostages until you get what you want?
"Sign here to recognize our union, or we'll keep you hostage until you do" works faster than gathering all those signatures.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sacre Bleu! Managers Held Hostage in France?
Let's hope American labor leaders don't read international news reports.
Turns out that a new habit is taking hold in France in labor relations. To wit: When employees hear bad news, they hold their manager hostage until s/he changes the bad news. Police refuse to intervene for fear of violence.
A manager of a French sbusidiary of 3M is, as I write, being held hostage after he announced a layoff of 110 workers. Employees say they won't let him out until he makes amends. Just what amends aren't clear--whether they want no or fewer layoffs, better severance packages or what--but Luc Rousselet is barricaded in his office until he pulls out his magic wand and makes things right.
Rousselet told reporters (presumably by phone, but that's not clear in the story either) that he "knew there was this risk when I came here."
There's some recent precedent for the union and workers at the 3M factory in Pithiviers, near Orleans in the South of France. Earlier this month, employees at Sony, also in the south of France, held both the chief executive and human resources director overnight until they agreed to better pay packages for workers being let go.
Who needs the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) when a good ol' lynch mob will do?
Turns out that a new habit is taking hold in France in labor relations. To wit: When employees hear bad news, they hold their manager hostage until s/he changes the bad news. Police refuse to intervene for fear of violence.
A manager of a French sbusidiary of 3M is, as I write, being held hostage after he announced a layoff of 110 workers. Employees say they won't let him out until he makes amends. Just what amends aren't clear--whether they want no or fewer layoffs, better severance packages or what--but Luc Rousselet is barricaded in his office until he pulls out his magic wand and makes things right.
Rousselet told reporters (presumably by phone, but that's not clear in the story either) that he "knew there was this risk when I came here."
There's some recent precedent for the union and workers at the 3M factory in Pithiviers, near Orleans in the South of France. Earlier this month, employees at Sony, also in the south of France, held both the chief executive and human resources director overnight until they agreed to better pay packages for workers being let go.
Who needs the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) when a good ol' lynch mob will do?
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