A Modern Day Christmas Carol

by Arial C. Engrey

'Twas the month before Christmas and all through the land, all the people worried about 401K plans. The stock market volatile, the rogues still in charge, the congress in session, the consequence large. Giveaways to banking had been tied to no string. The unionized workers would enjoy no such thing.

"They're evil I tell you," Corker of Tennessee exclaimed, "those unionized workers are the source of this pain. We'll give them no comfort in this hour of their need unless they agree to work for birdseed."

"Retirement package for those who have worked, I smell bacon cooking, this is nothing but pork. What nonsense is this," said Corker with glee, "that unionized workers have health care for free? Look at me," he said with delight, "I work for my free health care all through the night."

Corker was not alone in those feelings, I'm afraid there are others who conspire in these dealings.

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a right to work state, there the people earn less than the going union rate. Kentucky, where Toyota received a big slice of tax pie, $371 Million in the blink of an eye.

Mitch McConnell is married to Labor Queen Chao a dubious match for those yoked to plow.

Richard Shelby of Alabama added to the refrain, "Those unionized workers, they carry the blame. The ills of the country squarely be laid at the feet of the workers in the land of the brave."

Alabama, another right to work state, bribed Honda to make their cars there of late. The workers of Alabama know how to behave; they take what they're given and go to their grave.

All was lost on that bleak winter night, the senators held their fists nice and tight. As the senators talked, yes those birdbrains did squawk, the workers were left with no choice but to walk - Away from the table, away from the room, out in the night, into the gloom.

As they left the room on that late winter night, the air it was chilly, hard feelings were rife. "Breaking unions is what we do, if you stand in our way, we'll do the same to you. How dare those unions back Democrats? Can't you see the monkeys on OUR backs? We have bills to pay and lobbyists to please, we have corporations who've come to depend on our greed. Get out our way you lowly union workers we can use the media to convince the world you're all simply shirkers."

The stain of big money controls Media Land too, they'll tell a big lie and convince you it's true.

Workers in Alabama can be taught to hate the workers of Ohio who share their same fate.

North can hate South and East can hate West. Women are nags and men are the best. Gay versus straight is another divide "you stay on your street or risk losing your hide". A whole list of deceptions to separate me from you, we share the same genes we're all used as tools.

If they keep us from thinking we all are the same ,THEY can be heroes and we are to blame. Poverty, pollution, war waged in our name, offenses against everything hallowed, that's insane!

Who is this THEY, this illustrious group, read on, my sweet, and I'll give you the scoop. Why they're me and they're you this is sad but so true, they've been warped in their thinking trained to believe a grand ruse. The truth is so simple, there's no difference in fact, those who think they are better, it's all just an act. Like slight of hand they've pulled wool o'r their own eyes, they say they know best, we see that's a lie.

Hire the students straight out of the schools, buy them or ply them, you see they're no fools. Train them to think, with nary a thought for the pain that is caused, by the laws that are bought. If they play well they're given a room with a view, expense account, a car, other benefits too.

Have them work corporate for a day or a year, send them to DC with hardy good cheer. They'll write the laws that determine the fate of just how fast the Treasury is raped. Their loyalties lie with their sponsors you see, their loyalties are not to you and to me. Public servants they're not, they're all only the tools. Let us damn with faint praise, those who play by these rules.

Our problems stem not from fair union wage, instead these are problems as old as the age.

Capital crimes and faults also named, greed, envy, lust and hubris are the rules in this game. "Indulge all you want, enjoy and imbibe, don't worry my dear, there's nothing to hide. Play the game as we tell you, play the game as you must or we'll bend you and break you and leave you to rust."

Words all these words, oh what do they mean? If we look underneath what can be seen?

Free trade is not about freedom at all, in another day, slaves we were called. Free trade kills off culture, robs labor and land, it makes rust of cities that were once grand. Profit as always, the name of the game, it's those unions, they tell you who are always to blame. "If we pay less in wages, if we pay less in fees, we can make more money," say those Simon Legrees.

World bank steps in "I have a loan up my sleeve, the terms they are bad I think you'll agree. We'll build you a perfect capitalist paradise, no taxes, no unions, lots of government vice. You take your cut, and we'll take the pie, no one will notice when poor people die."

Green zones and brown zones, there's really no difference. One delivered with bombs the other with fences.

Export our factories, import all our goods, sell natural resources, kill neighborhoods.

Take away education, destroy our health care, strip out the tax base to improve market share. "We're important" say moguls to their pawns in congress, "Pass laws to protect us, you'll enjoy our largess. "

"Campaign contributions? A job for your wife? Well certainly, surely that's the joy of our life."

Suits talks to suits, they conspire in the night, forgetting their pledges, their course and our plight.

Toxic mimics of culture sold each night on TV, keep all of us frightened, make none of us free. Where, oh where, do our priorities lie, that we subsidize rich folks and let poor folks die.

Question the reasons if only you dare, all this talk about terror abroad in the air. Hide in your bedroom, hide under the covers, use duct tape on the windows, on doors and on shutters.

Terror oh terror what message it sends, be afraid of your neighbor and question your friends. What weapon could possibly stop all this strain a nuclear option is a right wing refrain.

Think for a moment, forget what you're told. Think for yourself, an act that is bold.

Follow the money, follow the plan, use common sense be aware of the scam. Who profits? Who gains? Are the clues of this game, pay attention, my children, to see who's to blame.

Privatize, privatize water and rain, privatize, privatize war for their gain.
Privatize the genome for all of the seeds, Privatize even the air that you breathe.
Destroy the land and make taxpayers pay. "Thank you so much you've just made our day."
Internalize profit; externalize cost, politicians for hire. You guessed it; greed's boss.

Deregulate power, deregulate banks, deregulate everything, they give you their thanks.
They'll take all the wealth, take the fruits of the labor, All carried away, there's really no savior. A nation of laws, bought and paid for, of course. A people stripped of their history there's no need for force.

Why kill off a soul and cause all that pain? Are you anxious and sad? It's all done for gain. Take a small pill, wash it down with a drink, there now my dear, you don't have to think. Buy this and buy that, put it all in a drawer, look in the mirror, isn't there more?

Go to a church, a synagogue or a mosque; kneel before another, but non-earthly boss.
Pray for yourself, pray for forgiveness, get up on Monday and get back to business.

The greed's been so great, the crimes are so large, the question at present, who's really in charge?

What will it take to mend this excess?
Common sense from the many restraint on the rest?

The workers, of course, as always to blame.
Happy holidays an affront to God's holy name.
Gays and straight called into a familiar old fight.
Guns, let's have guns, you know it's our right.
Children we love them until they are born.
Build prisons not schools this is the norm.

There'll be pardons aplenty, pardons anew, pardons granted as always to those who have ruled. Class is the only divide that we know. Class is the line through which people go, to learn how to think naught of the world as whole but only as parts to be bought and be sold.

The world is watching, the world wants to know –
- oh my God, think about it, what do we owe?