Hello Matt,   
      
   MM>Then how come factories from non-union companies are actually more   
   MM>productive making cars for Niesan and Mercedes Benz?   
      
   It is not about productivity.  It is about politics.  Or rather   
   money and politics.  Obama carried Michigan easily, and by well over   
   a 2 to 1 margin among union households.  The Republican-dominated state   
   legislature, along with the Republican governor, over a six day period,   
   rammed through legislation proclaiming Michigan as being a right-to-work   
   state.  What that means is that an individual does not have to pay union   
   dues in order to keep his/her job.  Unions make generous contributions   
   to Democratic candidates, especially Democratic candidates for   
   president.  Deplete the amount of dues, the less contributions that   
   unions can make to Democratic candidates.  The less contributions   
   that unions can make to Democratic candidates gives Republican   
   candidates a leg up, and a better chance to win the next presidential   
   election in 2016.  Of course, Republicans will couple this with voter   
   suppression laws and long ballots, along with unprecedented spending   
   of their own (thanks to citizens united).  The less open and democratic   
   this country is, the better off the wealthiest of the wealthy will be.   
   Meanwhile, the poor can keep their guns in order to kill each other   
   off, thus allowing the wealthy to oh never mind you know the drill ...   
      
   --Lee   
      
   --- MesNews/1.06.00.00-gb   
    * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)