Putting Workers First

The best chance for wage slaves to prevail in their fight for higher wages can be found in the tireless work of two women: Kshama Sawant in Seattle, WA, and Marilule Wili in Switzerland. Sawant is a Seattle city council member and Wili is a waitress and musician and a member of the organization, Generation Basic Income, an activist group trying to persuade voters to amend Switzerland’s Constitution to guarantee every citizen a yearly income of $33,000 a year whether they work or not. They have gotten the necessary 100,000 signatures to place the initiative on the ballot to put it before the country’s voters. The vote will be in two or three years. Philosophically, the idea of equality has a long history drawing support from the likes of the English/American revolutionary Thomas Paine and economist Milton Friedman. The best minimum wages are in Denmark, which gives its poorest citizens $1,800 a month; enough to keep their citizens out of poverty. This all can be financially feasible by moving away from a lot of government support in other programs and making people tax payers. Also, by boosting the economy with infusions of more cash into the economy, and create more jobs, the government can take people off unemployment, food stamps and welfare benefits. There is real hope for the working class here in the U.S., and a lot of the rest of the world. I see that something building that is bigger than any political party you belong to. The workers just want someone who will work for their best interests. They do not care if they are a Democrat, socialist or hell maybe even a Republican. If there is one out there somewhere, I believe, that if the Democrats are to be of service they need to start supporting new, bold programs, which will benefit all of the 99 percent—the 1 percent has enough.