In February, a federal investigation found that Packers Sanitation Services illegally employed at least 102 children “in hazardous occupations” across 13 meat processing facilities in eight states. The children were found “working overnight shifts” and using “caustic chemicals” to clean “razor-sharp saws,” “head splitters,” and other equipment. At least three children were injured.
Isn't this to keep the need for immigrants in the work force at bay? If Koch-ites can hire citizen kids then they don't need to hire immigrants. And forcing women to give birth also provides more workers (eventually) without all that nasty immigration stuff. Must be some kind of deviant think-tank that came up with these ideas.
Child labor and forced birth both expand the labor pool to keep down wages. Don't fool yourself: oligarchs want undocumented immigrants as a cheap, exploitable labor force. They only use immigration as a cudgel against Democrats during election season.
whenever possible these kinds of laws contain anti-immigration motivations. But in practice pretty certain that a lot of the children that are working in these roles are the children of immigrant/asylum seeking parents.
My thoughts exactly, thus the big push recently to repeal abortion rights. You can have your workers born into existence to those viewed as 2nd class citizens..the poor & voiceless. The laws would be repealed eventually about hours teens can work as well. Just learn enough to push the buttons & wield the meat cleaver. Speak enough English to read the basics & say, " yes boss!"
You know my take on abortion rights for this group is that since the 70s it is something the alt right found that would galvanize their base. Once they realized that they can harness the evangelistic Christian movement they have been beating this drum. Added benefit - another two-fer - they get to control women.
Hey Terry, From my perspective this kind of tactic often works, for a period of time and keeping it from working much longer is entirely up to us . To the degree that we believe that the arch of justice and all of that we have to figure out how to combat this on so many levels and fronts. It is exhausting and we need more people in the fight. And by fight I mean more than going after them - we really need to do that but also to find ways to talk civilly in our communities to people who are buying into the fear that they are peddling. Sorry for getting preachy - I know I am talking to the choir. Thinking outloud. But now I am going to go watch a Partner's in Health video and enjoy the presence of people who are making a difference in another part of the universe. Happy snow day!
Yes, deviant and barbaric. These monsters keep finding ways to exploit the poor and increase their profits. There aren’t strong enough expletives to describe them.
The solution to that problem is for every registered Democratic voter to turn out at every election. If they did that, we would not have to worry about the GOP or their corrupt enablers.
Ok so teach me how to make people care! I am the silent majority I had thought but since I was a republican who 😞 voted the wrong way in 2016 then watched the world in our little corner go to shit and I prayed for clarity to understand if I was wrong which everyone around me said I wasn't and offered every bs excuse for actual ungodly behavior & finally Jan 6th happened and I lost half my family then my dad to covid after becoming fully hate indoctrinated from calm church elder school bus driver. I had to learn so I did and I get it but NOONE wants to hear it. I am in Duval County Florida and I am so scared for my kids and myself. I voted I try to get the kids teens and a twenty yr old but she just like me, listened to the man of the family the so called Christian that is a Republican and the irony is lost on all of them.
I'm not doing what-aboutism anymore. The two parties are clearly not the same at this point. No party will ever be perfect. I am talking about child labor here. That's a specific topic where they are not the same. And they are also not the same on LGBT, trans, people of color. The Democrats are not a fascist party, they didn't try to overthrow the government for a despot who didn't want to accept losing, they don't oppress minorities and they certainly know women are their base. So, let's not go here unless you're prepared to debate me with facts on the record.
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool progressive, wrote Bernie a letter early 2000’s asking him to run for President after seeing him interviewed several times. I live in Florida so am well aware of the hate and cruelty of this newly minted Republican Party a la Trump. I’m suggesting the system is rigged. All members of congress are estimated to spend 30 hours/wk or 6-8 hr/day dialing for dollars. The winners, be they candidates or legislation, depend usually on the most money spent. I receive about 15-20 emails and texts/day soliciting donations. It applies to both parties. Democrats have the majority in the Senate, but Sinema, Manchin, Schumer, Gillebrand, others, in the end will serve their self-interests and their donors. If you could get every Dem to try to vote, they have to deal with ballot drop boxes having been removed in Democratic districts, restricted (no Sundays) early voting, long lines after work at their polling places where no one can offer them food or water, complicated qualifying criteria for mail-in ballots, being turned away or having to cast provisional ballots due to voter purges and voter suppression laws. More Democrats than Republicans though did vote in the last few elections, but gerrymandering and the electoral college in most states disenfranchises many voters (myself included.) Montana, low population and California, huge population, each have 2 senators so hardy representative or democratic. So I was trying to give a simple response without having to say all that.
Thank you for the continued spotlight on the damage caused by Koch money. The notion that children should be laboring in slaughterhouses is yet more evidence of some states’ failure to care for their population’s welfare, decrying the necessity of education, healthcare and public safety— all to make a buck off the backs of chronically poor and defenseless.
I can't be the first, but it just hit me how to interpret these Koch-funded communications. Interpret any sentence by taking the subject and object and switching them around.
In a 2014 Cato Institute piect by Benjamin Powell entitled “A Case against Child Labor Prohibitions,” is the notion that:
Working at a sweatshop is “the best option available” to poor children
Ok. Apply the method:
poor children ... is “the best option available” to ... sweatshops
In a blog post titled “Let the Kids Work,” Jeffrey A. Tucker laments how
children today are denied “any chance to realize their human value in gainful employment.”
Apply the method:
Employers ... today are denied “any chance to realize the human value” ... of children
It's like that old Sci-Fi movie where the special sun glasses let you see which of the people around you were actually space aliens.
But............but..............I thought that Republicans wanted to "protect the children"?!?! Isn't that the motivation behind all of these hate-motivated, anti-trans bills/laws?????
Reading the comments in the Washington Post article about Huckabee's signing I was struck that there were literally no voices being raised in defense of weakening child protection laws. Usually any right-wing outrage brings out the defenders but not this time around apparently.
Thank you for muckraking, Judd. This column is so unbelievably reminiscent of the “yellow” journalism of the turn of the century, and now we know it wasn’t so yellow at all! There is a special corner of hell reserved for the recently slimmed-down Sarah.
'Free' for kids to work at 14 without parental permission but don't even think about bringing up LGBTQ or pregnancy issues. Why is one OK and not the others?
So wait. The RW love us so very much, this is them protecting children? Children, marrying at 13? Forced to carry to term after rape or simply because they say. Banning books. Banning drag queens reading stories to them. The list is long and quite frankly, scary. Working at 13 with no protection? What happened to being a kid? Going to school, doing homework, hanging out with friends. Now, it's working all hours of the night? I'm so glad the RW care so deeply about the children of this nation.
Did you all hear about the 3 yr old that shot and killed her 4 yr old sister in TX? I'm sure the semiautomatic was unregistered. We're living in Hell. Brought to us, and paid for, by the republican party.
well one can't say Republicans aren't consistent ... they care about the unborn but they don't give a shit about anyone (but themselves) once you are born.
Isn't this to keep the need for immigrants in the work force at bay? If Koch-ites can hire citizen kids then they don't need to hire immigrants. And forcing women to give birth also provides more workers (eventually) without all that nasty immigration stuff. Must be some kind of deviant think-tank that came up with these ideas.
Child labor and forced birth both expand the labor pool to keep down wages. Don't fool yourself: oligarchs want undocumented immigrants as a cheap, exploitable labor force. They only use immigration as a cudgel against Democrats during election season.
I had similar thoughts. I imagine many undocumented immigrant children are working in dangerous and disadvantaged situations.
100% correct
Next it will be restoring the laws that required a woman to have a man co sign for credit or permit life saving medical care.
whenever possible these kinds of laws contain anti-immigration motivations. But in practice pretty certain that a lot of the children that are working in these roles are the children of immigrant/asylum seeking parents.
I agree. But the actions aren't mutually exclusive. e.g. Keep them from getting here but if they are here, work them hard.
oh not at all mutually exclusive just pointing out that it is like a two-fer for people with this agenda.
and lots of immigrants in Arkansas.....especially around meat packing/chicken processing plants.....thats where the worst jobs are.....
My thoughts exactly, thus the big push recently to repeal abortion rights. You can have your workers born into existence to those viewed as 2nd class citizens..the poor & voiceless. The laws would be repealed eventually about hours teens can work as well. Just learn enough to push the buttons & wield the meat cleaver. Speak enough English to read the basics & say, " yes boss!"
I am beyond angry & disgusted.
You know my take on abortion rights for this group is that since the 70s it is something the alt right found that would galvanize their base. Once they realized that they can harness the evangelistic Christian movement they have been beating this drum. Added benefit - another two-fer - they get to control women.
They're too blind, too craven, too stupid to understand that will never work. Kinda like buying a dragon.
Hey Terry, From my perspective this kind of tactic often works, for a period of time and keeping it from working much longer is entirely up to us . To the degree that we believe that the arch of justice and all of that we have to figure out how to combat this on so many levels and fronts. It is exhausting and we need more people in the fight. And by fight I mean more than going after them - we really need to do that but also to find ways to talk civilly in our communities to people who are buying into the fear that they are peddling. Sorry for getting preachy - I know I am talking to the choir. Thinking outloud. But now I am going to go watch a Partner's in Health video and enjoy the presence of people who are making a difference in another part of the universe. Happy snow day!
You're getting a snow day? We have another storm in CA. Sadly no storm days in CA :)
It may be to avoid the employment of migrants, but it’s also a way to put migrant children to work legally.
Likely the fines for employing kids is more than for employing illegal immigrants? Just a guess. But at least employers wouldn't get dinged twice.
Yes, deviant and barbaric. These monsters keep finding ways to exploit the poor and increase their profits. There aren’t strong enough expletives to describe them.
Just when I think it can't get worse in America it always does
The solution to that problem is for every registered Democratic voter to turn out at every election. If they did that, we would not have to worry about the GOP or their corrupt enablers.
Ok so teach me how to make people care! I am the silent majority I had thought but since I was a republican who 😞 voted the wrong way in 2016 then watched the world in our little corner go to shit and I prayed for clarity to understand if I was wrong which everyone around me said I wasn't and offered every bs excuse for actual ungodly behavior & finally Jan 6th happened and I lost half my family then my dad to covid after becoming fully hate indoctrinated from calm church elder school bus driver. I had to learn so I did and I get it but NOONE wants to hear it. I am in Duval County Florida and I am so scared for my kids and myself. I voted I try to get the kids teens and a twenty yr old but she just like me, listened to the man of the family the so called Christian that is a Republican and the irony is lost on all of them.
I recommend Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book
Book by Kate Schatz and W. Kamau Bell as a starting point.
I can appreciate your thinking but am sorry to suggest there are many corrupt Congressional Democrats who are beholden to their donors.
I'm not doing what-aboutism anymore. The two parties are clearly not the same at this point. No party will ever be perfect. I am talking about child labor here. That's a specific topic where they are not the same. And they are also not the same on LGBT, trans, people of color. The Democrats are not a fascist party, they didn't try to overthrow the government for a despot who didn't want to accept losing, they don't oppress minorities and they certainly know women are their base. So, let's not go here unless you're prepared to debate me with facts on the record.
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool progressive, wrote Bernie a letter early 2000’s asking him to run for President after seeing him interviewed several times. I live in Florida so am well aware of the hate and cruelty of this newly minted Republican Party a la Trump. I’m suggesting the system is rigged. All members of congress are estimated to spend 30 hours/wk or 6-8 hr/day dialing for dollars. The winners, be they candidates or legislation, depend usually on the most money spent. I receive about 15-20 emails and texts/day soliciting donations. It applies to both parties. Democrats have the majority in the Senate, but Sinema, Manchin, Schumer, Gillebrand, others, in the end will serve their self-interests and their donors. If you could get every Dem to try to vote, they have to deal with ballot drop boxes having been removed in Democratic districts, restricted (no Sundays) early voting, long lines after work at their polling places where no one can offer them food or water, complicated qualifying criteria for mail-in ballots, being turned away or having to cast provisional ballots due to voter purges and voter suppression laws. More Democrats than Republicans though did vote in the last few elections, but gerrymandering and the electoral college in most states disenfranchises many voters (myself included.) Montana, low population and California, huge population, each have 2 senators so hardy representative or democratic. So I was trying to give a simple response without having to say all that.
The “family values” party is working hard to bring USA back to the 1800’s.
Thank you for the continued spotlight on the damage caused by Koch money. The notion that children should be laboring in slaughterhouses is yet more evidence of some states’ failure to care for their population’s welfare, decrying the necessity of education, healthcare and public safety— all to make a buck off the backs of chronically poor and defenseless.
I can't be the first, but it just hit me how to interpret these Koch-funded communications. Interpret any sentence by taking the subject and object and switching them around.
In a 2014 Cato Institute piect by Benjamin Powell entitled “A Case against Child Labor Prohibitions,” is the notion that:
Working at a sweatshop is “the best option available” to poor children
Ok. Apply the method:
poor children ... is “the best option available” to ... sweatshops
In a blog post titled “Let the Kids Work,” Jeffrey A. Tucker laments how
children today are denied “any chance to realize their human value in gainful employment.”
Apply the method:
Employers ... today are denied “any chance to realize the human value” ... of children
It's like that old Sci-Fi movie where the special sun glasses let you see which of the people around you were actually space aliens.
This is the American that the RW'z want to take us "back to?"
No thanks.
But............but..............I thought that Republicans wanted to "protect the children"?!?! Isn't that the motivation behind all of these hate-motivated, anti-trans bills/laws?????
Absolutely despicable............
It is always “Protect MY children!”
Reading the comments in the Washington Post article about Huckabee's signing I was struck that there were literally no voices being raised in defense of weakening child protection laws. Usually any right-wing outrage brings out the defenders but not this time around apparently.
Excuse my salty language, but WTAF is wrong with these people?
Probably more importantly, what can we do about it.
Thank you for muckraking, Judd. This column is so unbelievably reminiscent of the “yellow” journalism of the turn of the century, and now we know it wasn’t so yellow at all! There is a special corner of hell reserved for the recently slimmed-down Sarah.
It’s Judd’s sandbox, but hats off to Tesnim Zekeria who wrote this particular piece.
Mea culpa, Tesnim!
Phyllis Schlafly is keeping her seat warm.
No health care without parental approval, but slave for the man? No permission necessary.
Wow
Everyday it’s turning the clock back all for money to make more money..
lobbying must become illegal or it will never stop ?!
They would rather use American children than brown immigrants.
'Free' for kids to work at 14 without parental permission but don't even think about bringing up LGBTQ or pregnancy issues. Why is one OK and not the others?
So wait. The RW love us so very much, this is them protecting children? Children, marrying at 13? Forced to carry to term after rape or simply because they say. Banning books. Banning drag queens reading stories to them. The list is long and quite frankly, scary. Working at 13 with no protection? What happened to being a kid? Going to school, doing homework, hanging out with friends. Now, it's working all hours of the night? I'm so glad the RW care so deeply about the children of this nation.
Did you all hear about the 3 yr old that shot and killed her 4 yr old sister in TX? I'm sure the semiautomatic was unregistered. We're living in Hell. Brought to us, and paid for, by the republican party.
well one can't say Republicans aren't consistent ... they care about the unborn but they don't give a shit about anyone (but themselves) once you are born.