A Brief History of Corporate Whining
September 4th, 2009 Barry Posted in Economic cartoons, History, Labor rights & Unions | Comments Off on A Brief History of Corporate Whining
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?
Small urchan boy, missing a front tooth and two fingers, standing next to 1924 businssman: That’s right!
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!
UPDATE: Someone pointed out this Chinese version to me on the web. I don’t know who created the translation, but I’m told it’s quite accurate!
