A Brief History of Corporate Whining
September 4th, 2009 Barry Deutsch Posted in Economic cartoons | Comments Off

| SelectRead a transcript of the cartoon> | |
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Each panel has a caption indicating what year the panel takes place in. Every panel shows an upper-class businessperson, dressed in clothing appropriate for their era, and complaining. All of them have expressions of panic or anger.
1842 Businessman: If workers can legally STRIKE, no business will be able to survive! 1887 Businessman: Give BLACKS an entire DOLLAR for a day’s labor? Might as well burn my business to the ground! 1912 Businessman: Worker deaths are TRAGIC, but ANTI-SWEATSHOP laws would be the DEATH of industry in America! 1915 Businessman: When workers can’t be FIRED for joining a UNION, how can ANYONE stay in business? 1924 Businessman: Banning CHILD LABOR would DESTROY the economy! Right, little Timmy? 1938 Businessman: We can’t have a FORTY HOUR WORK WEEK, because if we DO there’ll be no employers LEFT to hire anyone! 1964 Businessman: EQUAL PAY for women AND negroes? Business can’t stay afloat if federal regulations STRANGLE us! 1970 Businessman: HEALTH and SAFETY laws are a formula for MASSIVE PERMANENT UNEMPLOYMENT! NOW Businesswoman: If the new labor rights law PASSES, then business is doomed! DOOOOOOOOMED! | |
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