House of Paine

Labor Day Blues

    IT'S LABOR DAY 

 
  the carpenters answer to May Day 

 this day of days 

 when the rump end 
of  good old american 
 bizness-as-usual
 unionism  
  gets its one time only 
 hidee ho ho ho 
from the rest of the citizenry 

 this day perhaps more then any other 
 we need to repeat 
till we’re red in the face 

“ the emancipation of the working class 
must be the act of the workers themselves ”


 I should stop here 
but Iwon’t

CAUSE I’M STRUGGLING 
 STRUGGLING WITH THE BIG ONE 


--------------------------------------------------------------

where to begin
how’s this 

“ if May Day is about revolution 
Labor Day  is about progress ”

         bill foster  said that
     in 1932 
 just before his first heart attack 
 
 labor day is the holiday
 when wagelings oughta 
take stock of
 the next bend in the road 

review 
the day to day demands 

 the short term face of
  the long and winding road to 
class  liberation  

------------------------------------


so here comes BIG LABOR  
with 
  its 
 Working America Movement 

the DONS   rolled this one out 
 as their special gift 
to the McJobsters out here 
in toyland 


this ones for you pal 
you  loser you 

what the fuck is this ?

a tip a the hat 
as you drop further astern 
cause good buddy you’re 
an also ran 
in the great american wage race 

I  wonder what it ‘s 
 worth to them mcjobsters 
to know uncle Sweeney and the boys 
 are in their corner 
well not exactly 
in their corner
but ringside 
on their side of the squared circle anyway 

fucking pass the biscuits PAPPY

NOT EXACTLY THE I.W.W
is it 
----------------------------------------------

need inspiration
SONS AND DAUGHTERS 
of the internet kind 

well i sure as hell do 

 so i’m a going to 
  pass you and I by 
 some German  peasants 
that were ready to take it to the limit 
with  the tall and wide hats of 
 the age of feudal crumbling 
 the time just before Luther ‘s
 big character poster of 1517
 kicked off the official 
Teutonic  Reformation

  “ its 1492 columbus is discovering the next 500 years 
 but what's up there on the Rhine 
  jesus joe young 
the peasants are getting freaky 
and they’ve got some dangerous notions ........ ”

details at eleven 

----------------------------------------------------------

meanwhile back here and now 
care for a mcjob or two 

 they ‘re hiring right away 
cause there’s 
always a spot behind the counter 
at one of americas McJob shops 

and it's waiting there 
just for you
down at the bottom of the pit 


--------------------------------------------------------
 musing on remedies 

 i was areading saul bellow 
he has this image 
about the days after Flint
and be4 the memorial day massacre 
when all chicago was a stir with
union talk and union act 
he compares it to the moment when the hive moves 
 
perfect 


the whole hive on the move 
 angry swarming 
ready to strike in all directions

not the usual 80% stupor 
 
I ‘m hardly a fan of 
the most over praised 
 runt in the middle 
 phrase hucker of his generation 

but he got that right about union fever 

and boys and girls 
a few reds can’t make a movement like that happen 
they can only prepare for it 
and ride it wildly when it comes

SURFS UP !!

--------------------------------
no  maybes
here

 Wagelings USA 
need
a  wobbly/CIO
 update

a Lawrence 2

 or another  Flint 36 

 or a  molly maguires redux 


or a
 TRANSPORTATION STRIKE 

 LIKE THE GREAT RAIL STRIKE 
OF ‘ 77 WHERE PITTSBURGH 
GOT TO PLAY THE LEAD 
IN A ROAD SHOW 
  REVIVAL  OF THE PARIS COMMUNE 

THE PRESENT GENERATION 
WAGERED AMERICA
 NEEDS AN SAVAGE 
 AWAKENING 

WORSE THEN MOST NUNS 
 NEED TO GET LAID BY TOM CRUISE 
-----------------------------------------------------------

interestingly both of our
MOST GLORIOUS AND HEROIC  
union orgs were effectively out of action 
in about 15 years  time 

IWW 1905-1920
CIO 1935-1950 

BUT THEY SURE DID CATCH A WAVE

FOR A MOMENT 
THEY WERE

 SITTIN'
 ON TOP OF THE WORLD 

------------------------------------------------




though far   far 
from

 buying
 all the way into 

 big bill Haywood ‘s 

  impossible dream 
 at the ‘ 05
FOUNDING CONVENTION OF THE IWW

“ the continental congress 
of the working class ”
as he called it 

  I still wanta 
   wobbly type world 

   i still wanta see 
the wage coolies 

shut it all down 
some day 

YOU KNOW

 at least once 
in  my life

all i’m asking for is 
just a little

 prefiguration
of judgement day 

 like say the Brits got in ‘ 26 
 
or even PARIS in 68 

 no not paris 68 

that was theme park
SHIT
 
reenacted class war 
by CHARACTER   actors 


---------------------------------------------



AND ON THAT FARM
WE HAD A UNION 

 CI CI OOOOOOOH

 and like
 the bolder boys of 35 

I’m still not sold on 
the present architecture
 of the House of labor

are you ?

hey 
 CUT THE COMEDY 

WHAT IN HELL 
HAVE 

these  new Dons of labor
 shown us anyway 
 

its been 8 years 
since the 95 take over

 not fair you say 

these docs
 took up the scalpels 
when the patient was
 already  flat lining 

ya you got me there 

besides
 this guy Sweeney 

he’s my old
 UNION BOSS

 BACK FROM
MY BUILDING CLEANER DAYS 
IN THE EARLY 70’S 

I like eeeeeeem 

 to be telling
 the whole truth

I even got a good feeling 
toward this

 Working America campaign 
 
its a warm sad 
 but  good feeling 

 like how I feel about 
my dogs when I give em 
their English lessons 
-------------------------------------

“ face it brothers 
the zamboni  is coming for us 
 its headed right 
 our way 
 we’re doomed 
we’re all doomed ”
former afl -cio president 
   lane Kirkland 
 ( on his death bed 
 after dropping his cigarette holder
 on the persian rug )
----------------------------------

Terence Powdery 
and the Knights 
where are you now 

 where are your spirits
of  certain victory 

 we need a boost 

 we need some razzle dazzle 

 we need

 your secret hand shakes

your  three cornered hats 

 your invisible floating lodges 

 your
“we ‘re everywhere brothers 
everywhere ”

your 
“ see him   the big shiney guy 
over there in the sharp stove piper 
 he’s one of us too ”

your 
 “ yep we’re inside and we’re outside
we got em completely  surrounded 
and brothers we’re planking  their wives too ”

------------------------------------------
  I seem more then usually 
  frayed and pointless 
today 
  despite my efforts 
 this post is a wash out 

sorry I am Iam I am 

 it means everything to me 
this is my big hope 

my failure disgraces me 
even in my own  lenient eyes

so I’ll up the ante

I’ll really start to jump 
and cut 

see if you can
 hold the thread
 from here 
all the way 
to sign off 
 

---------------------------------------------
bribed hard hats 


so what if I say 
we need a deep and sweeping review
of the hard hat kold war 
lump of lard 
explanation for union retreat after say 1950 

so what 

  take the bribed strata argument
to its conclusion 
take  the immobilizing class
 contusions of blue vs red unionism
throw in a ton of meat and potatoes 
 made possible by overseas super profits 
and domestic surplus capitol 

and where are you ?

buy that line and you're through 
around these parts 

  short of turning black 
you got to  pack your bags
Mister Trouble Maker 
cause 
 the klass struggle
 has moved south of the border 
-------------------------------------------------

 no contest point one 
  our WHITE-ISHY 
 job force IS
100 %
 burgerbonded

 put it on the line 
and they’ll say 
I GOT TOO MUCH TO LOSE 
 
the spell
 of mortgages and     pensions
  the small persistent shame 
 of shredded skills and 
feathered task loads 
 make a freedom  jump too risky 

they still have their liberties after all 
they ain’t wage serfs 

no but is it really 
free labor
is it really 
you can take this job and shove it  labor 
 I THINK NOT 

WHEN
 the jump out the job window 
would land you and the family unit
 in a mud puddle

I THINK NOT 

WHEN 
your next job would be 
cutting grass 
with Rocky Rocovena 

I THINK NOT 

WHEN
your little spousal unit 
has a part time chumper 
at the Walmart 


I THINK NOT 


 I ask you gentle people
of humane profession
 
what else can 
 so seriously  enchanted 
a blokehead be 
but a stooge 

Homer's fucked daddy 
he don’t even git his cut 
of the  teenage loose women 


JESUS SAMSON AND SAINT JOAN 
how in hell we get down here 

where WAGE WHITEY 
 shoots 
the government 
 juke box 
 a million times 
for every
 one time 
he shoots  the boss

yes  indeed 
some kinda
" what it was"
 
is all its been
in bunkerville
these last 30 years


that and 
taxes

taxes  on the little guy 

 taxes 
of the payroll 
and 
home property kind

but more then that 

or at least
way  too much so 

it ‘s been
 BUBBA LOUIS ‘S 
 unquenchable 
hELOT klass  roar
 against their
 klass enemies
from
 brie village 

yes
hating uz
has kept 
their hearts warm
uz
we god damn smart ass
 college 
educated 
shit faced
little pricksters
 from woodstock 

with all our 
feeling 
 superior ways 

and 

 our
  getting money 
for nothing 
and
 our chicks 
for free 
 
take the sight and smell
of that for 30 years
and
what else

if 
 we want it
then
 they despise it 

if 
we crave it 

sure as hell

 they curse it 
-------------------------------

 the klass cleavage
LEAVES UNHEALED 
 WOUNDS 
THAT 
SHOW AND SHOW 
AND SHOW

THEIR SCAR
   REMAINS

THE TATOO
 OF DEFIED DIGNITY 

THE MIRROR
MAKES EM 
 KNARL 
 INTO THEMSELVES 
LIKE A BRIAR PATCH 
  
THATS 
AMERIKA’S 
WHITEY-WORLD 
boomer style 

====================

BUT THIS IZ
 TODAY 
NOT YESTERDAY 

have I got the dynamics 
right here?
 
NOT BLOODY LIKELY MATE 

 first off 
doesn’t that massive blowing away 
of the upper third of the wage force
 need a revisit 

fuck its been 35 years
since 
easy rider and joe 

i think so 

the boomer  brutes are
passing the baton
from Imus to Stern


NOT THAT
ANYTHING STRUCTURAL
HAS CHANGED

BOTH
 BOOM AND X
 REMAIN 
TWO HEADS IN ONE

semiPleb/ semiProle 

  but time is change 

the x men are different 

how different
i don't fucking know

but maybe
 we oughta 
fucking
 find out 


 start looking

slog thru em 
 
DOWN THERE

 HIP DEEP 
IN THE MANICHAEAN
CESS
===================
after all
we gotta 
remember


all uz
  double domers 
trying to be 
the workers' 
general staff

got to remember

eventually
 for all sectors 

where
 maybe

on good days

for now

some part of 
 the  sun 
still shines
  
eventually
their all
every last job type
  headed for 
 vicious
 prole to the mat
 take down  

you know
 the skinny
 who doesn’t 

its a for sure 
cause 
of the  tilt

the market tilt


the huge
 over whelming 
fucking market  tilt
 
THE TILT 
TOWARD PROLEATION
 
despite
gargantuan efforts
 
 god love em
 they ‘re doomed

doomed
to end
 in the heaps
at the  bottom 

no way
 to  stay on top  

its the tilt

the odds

keep playin'
 long enough
and
 the house 
will get ya

everytime
 
nope

 it’s just  like those guys
 on the log 
in King Kong 

profits require
 the log gets   shook 
and 
so they drop 
one by one 
into the pit 

----------------------------------------------


seeing all this
one might ask 

“ if so pinky 
then
 show me 
that better side 
show me 
 where's that
 other side 
of their head 
iz
  not  
 the over easy 
 Burgered
 hard hat side
 we left intellectuals 
have been griping about 
since 68
show uz 
wheres the prole side 
of their head ”

-------------
uuuummmmhhhh

sure
the pleb side annoys

sure
 their
true blue 
blow hardery 
 helps
 the empire roll
on like its rolled for...
 
and 
from time
 to time 
hard hattery
even
makes
 the empire's  nut 

in key moments 

the hardees are crucial
like now over Iraq 
when 
the respectible 
upper muddlers
are in policy flight 
from
 the consequences 
of their own
 conflicted
unconscious 
 motives 

thats when corporate tower types
  look down and say 
 “man are they dumb ”

see em up there
waving down
 
 “ keep it up boys
thats right vinny 
yep 
america baby america 
yep
buba
we’re all number one 
cause 
america's number one ”
================


their  SANCHO  PANZA 
 like solidity 

their family first 
retreats 
and
 willful stolidity 
in the face of
 repeated bangings 

 these virtues 
are their undoing 

 its upshot
 a massive bitterness
 and resignation 
that
 puts its shoulder 
to the load 
and 
heaves 
"any who "

 god 
what a thankless  
  buttress
they  have become 

 a buttress  
 for the  dollar denominated
swingers' 
  hegemon games 
--------------------------------------
" times are
 when they alone
the boomer wage freaks 
  kept it all
 from a tip over "
      guz hall 
                 1991

  
in close calls 

like right now in  Iraq 
where the OCC 
has started to bleed 
a little too much
red and green 

in close calls like now 
boy does
 count cheney need
the support
of the x men 

and yet 
never has 
the pander
  concealed 
so much
 utter  contempt

  

-------------------------------------------------------------
 finally I’m
in the home stretch here 
patient reader 
if any of  you 
even  exist at this point

talk about king kong's log 

at any rate 
some times
 we need 
a bigger frame work 

a frame work 
of a whole epoch 

like the history
 of european peasantry

shit today 
they’re almost gone
west of the slabobia 

gone away  
to the nearest museum 

but their struggle 
made history 

their struggle 
 swung the  klass weights 
back and forth 
for centuries

made the gears turn 
 in europe
 for ever so long 

a progressive class 
through out ?
 
well no 

after all 
like all
 but the proles
 they were
 a doomed class

but 
they had 
their licks of glory 

so here’s 
 where the Union Shoe 
comes in 

 maybe the answe
 to the  McJob world 
is 
a giant
 wageling secret conspiracy 
against
 the corporate setup 

like
 the German peasants
 produced 
at the turn
 of the 16th century

 A CONSPIRACY 
BOTTOM UP 

TO HURL DOWN 
WHAT STILL STOOD
 OF 
THE FEUDAL SETUP 

thats what 
the original union shoe
 was all about 

STAY TUNED 
-----------------------------