Night-Night History
On This Day in The History of Mike
On This Day in The History of Mike:
89 years ago today, General Motors workers in Flint, Michigan, (including my uncle) took over 3 factories, locked the doors, shut down the assembly lines and refused to come out until GM recognize their union — and give them a 5¢ an hour pay raise. 44 days later, GM caved, the strikers walked victoriously out of the factories, the UAW was born — and from that day on and in the years afterward, the working class would own their own home, drive their own car, attain free health and dental care, take 4 weeks paid vacation each year, get a free union lawyer if they needed one, and send the kids off to college and a better life. According to many historians, what we call the “middle class” was born on this night. Until this moment there existed only the rich… and all the rest of you serfs.
And on a happier note: 40 years ago this week, I survived a terrorist attack at the Vienna airport where I was changing planes. At exactly the same minute, another group with guns and grenades attacked inside the Rome airport. Between the two airports, 19 people were killed and 138 were wounded.
Ireland, 1845-52
Flint, 1936-37
Vienna, Dec 27, 1985.
Palestine, 1947-today
Tonight’s Question: What Would You Do if the British were starving you, your employer made you work in abhorrent conditions and did not pay you enough to afford the rent, and the Israelis were ethnic cleansing you with American dollars and bombs?
** In order to have a troll-free, hate-free comments section — and because if there’s one thing I know about my crazy haters, they would rather spend an eternity in hell with Elon Musk than send me $5 if forced to become a paid subscriber — my Comments section here on my Substack is limited to paid subscribers. But, not to worry — anyone can send me their comments, opinions and thoughts by writing to me at mike@michaelmoore.com. I read every one of them, though obviously I can’t respond to all. The solution here is not optimal but it has worked and my Comments section has become a great meeting place for people wanting to discuss the ideas and issues I raise here. There is debate and disagreement, but it is refreshing to have it done with respect and civility, unfettered by the stench of bigotry and Q-anon insanity.
Happy New year Michael. I feel that you are a beacon for common sense in an era where the word "compassion" is thought of as weak.
Another thought, on the extended middle class, is that the WW2 taxes generally remained in effect until Ronald Reagan who, with the succeeding Republican presidents, kept reducing taxes on the rich, to the detriment of the rest of us.