Happy May the First!

[gay_Aleks]

Yes, of course. Completely related to what this is celebrating, like reforms in labour, higher wages, fairer work hours, not having your children work in mine shafts.

 

[Ajidica]

Link to video.
In recognition of socialist parties in Europe and their role in post-war reconstruction; specifically Labour with Bevin, Attlee, and Bevan.

 

[civman110]

Yes, of course. Completely related to what this is celebrating, like reforms in labour, higher wages, fairer work hours, not having your children work in mine shafts.

So Western Democracy? Capitalism?

Sounds like my country.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Yes. Finally, you understood that this isn't actually a fully commie celebration in which they don't shake their fists at the West while yelling about a world revolution.

 

[civman110]

So it's a celebration of Western Democracy and Capitalism in disguise?

 

[gay_Aleks]

Well, no. Not really. Considering that both of those have a lot to do on the whole "being fair to workers and paying what they deserve". But, that most likely won't happen soon.

 

[civman110]

Well, no. Not really. Considering that both of those have a lot to do on the whole "being fair to workers and paying what they deserve". But, that most likely won't happen soon.

But why has that never happened in a Communist country and only Western Democracies?

 

[gay_Aleks]

Whatever "Western Democracies" mean...and I doubt that it happened in there, either.

 

[civman110]

Whatever "Western Democracies" mean...and I doubt that it happened in there, either.

Funny, because I live in the West and I get paid a whole lot more than a Chinese factory worker and I don't have to live in a sweatshop.

I don't even have suicide nets like this outside of where I work:

I guess when you finally get the suicide nets that's the tell tale sign of a success right?

 

[gay_Aleks]

Yes, mainly because your ancestors spent a lifetime in exploiting the Chinese and Indians and Vietnamese.

 

[Ajidica]

Funny, because I live in the West and I get paid a whole lot more than a Chinese factory worker and I don't have to live in a sweatshop.

Yes, being able to reap the benefits of roughly 150 years of industrialization and worker's rights can lead to a relatively cushy existence, especially when coupled with (what remains) of the Great Society.

Link to video.

 

[civman110]

Yes, mainly because your ancestors spent a lifetime in exploiting the Chinese and Indians and Vietnamese.

You mean my Irish ancestors? Not a chance.

Why do Commies always make excuses for their horrible countries, poor human rights records, unsafe workplaces, low wages, forced labour camps, and murderous rampages?

 

[Ajidica]

Why do Commies always make excuses for their crappy countries, poor human rights records, unsafe workplaces, low wages, and murderous rampages?

May Day isn't just for Soviets or Maoists.
During WWII the Australian Communists announced that they would not strike and played a key role in coordinating between labor and the government.
In the UK during the same time with the Wartime Coalition government, the socialist Labour party fulfilled a similar role and during post-war Austerity, laid the groundwork for British economic recovery.
In Weimar Germany, the socialists in the SDP were the only part to vote against the Enabling Act, which gave Hitler the ability to rule by decree.

If you want to paint those socialists in the same brush as Mao or Pol Pot, you are going to have a difficult time doing that.

 

[civman110]

Australia, the UK, and Germany aren't Communist. They are Western Democracies. You're gonna have a really hard time painting them as Communists.

Seems like the places where people have the best quality of life is in a Western Democracy.

 

[Ajidica]

Never said they were communists, but Communist and Socialist parties in those countries have a long and proud tradition there.
Unless of course you are going to try and say that Labour during post-war Austerity wasn't socialist......
And we can't forget Scandinavian Social Democracy.

 

[Zkribbler]

It was the labor union Solidarity which stood up to Communists and began its surprisely fast demise.

 

[gay_Aleks]

By then they weren't really "communists".

 

[Zkribbler]

Curse the ambiguity!! Are you saying:
Solidarity wasn't communist --or--
The communists weren't communists?

 

[gay_Aleks]

The Soviets weren't communists by then.

 

[Snerk]

Well I marched under a parole protesting against this filthy business. Was a very nice day.