Shut the CUT Up

President Michelle Bachelet recently suggested that the labor demonstration planned for Wednesday was unnecessary because she's got it covered, the whole social justice thing. She bristled at the United Workers Central (CUT), Chiles' main labor union, planning their biggest demonstration since the end of the Dictatorship.

“I will not accept any questioning of my work on social justice,” Bachelet said.

...in a necessary clarification for the labor unions, who obviously didn't get the memo that Chile is now a Democracy, which represents the people so well that the people needn't seek representation. Imagine that. And while we know it bothers her so, all this questioning, we can but rejoice with the heavens for that she deigned to supply an "answer":

“The solutions to these inequalities and the goal of a more equitable Chile are obtained with dialog, maturity, work, and agreements. Through this process there will be discord, but also common understanding.

Because the inarticulate, immature, lazy and combative workers couldn't possibly come to a "common understanding" as refined as the one Bachelet will achieve by consulting members of Pinochet's party. Yes, she's formed a committee bringing together people of all stripes to really hammer out this Ethical Wage thing, you can just smell the revolution simmering from the halls of government, what explosive "common understanding" will yield I can only dream of, but it's coming, so put down your pickets, get back to work, change is in the air - just shut the FUCK up - we're trying to reach *Common Understanding!*

Pardon me for asking, but I detect a nagging inconsistency. I seem to remember your Secretary General admitting that unions have no bargaining power in Chile. He said that the government shouldn't intervene to raise the wage, but that unions should bargain for it, but he also admitted that unions aren't powerful enough to do that. His words signal a need for stronger unions, or no?

Is "Common Understanding" a major new policy change that wasn't scripted when your secretary gave that interview? Do you guys even have scripts? A message? Does it even matter? Do you feel, perhaps, that the Chilean people are stupid? I think you do.

Nobody can say that my government's programs are not fair and equitable.”

Can you blame me for thinking so?

Listen closely: your government is meaningless, totally ineffective placeholder for the policies of Lagos, who himself was a placeholder for the neo-liberal legacy of Pinochet. There is a 200-1 wage disparity between factory/grocery store workers and their respective executives, and that is not going to change until you introduce a law (look it up) that punishes businesses for inequality, and raises the minimum wage. Mandating fair wages from La Moneda won't cause businesses to flee, and you know it. Your own secretary pointed out that Chile has niche exports that mean people depend on this country.

Your committee on an Ethical Wage will create no laws, and therefore it is already a moot operation, a pointless project meant to pull the wool over the heads of the people, while business continues as usual. Fair enough, but that you would have the audacity to get huffy and defensive about your failed presidency, by denying your peoples' democratic right to demonstrate, is over the top. If you're trying to imitate Lagos' fist-pounding, you're failing. Let the people protest, call off the excessive police force which is usually more of a cause for violence than anything else, and suck it up, lady. You hate the poor, we know. But don't be so goddamn artless about it.