Entry 15

Michigan Approves Right-to-work amid Intense Protests

Fox News,  December 11th, 2012
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/11/teachers-call-out-as-protests-rev-up-against-michigan-union-bill/

Summary

In Michigan, the "right-to-work"bill was passed with severe protest of laborers. The bill is about lessening the domination of labor union in workplace by prohibiting nonunion workers to financially support the union. As the law is not only applied to workers in private company but also to government workers, the passage of bill brought significant repercussion among pro-union workers. Right-to-work was a contentious bill whose passage was mostly dominated by Republican politicians in state legislature. Even though Democrats' warnings and severe opposition of workers, Republicans enforced the passage of law, and indiscreet approval of law engendered strikes in many industries, including auto industry and school teachers. Furthermore, there is also an issue that it is difficult to rescind this troublesome bill. Since the law is a appropriation bill, it is impossible to propose referendum by popular vote, but its appropriation must be invalidated by people before referendum. While the contentious situation between Republican and Democrats is in progress, it is impossible to adumbrate the future of right-to-work bill.

My thought

Even though the domination of labor union in workplace is unfair for nonunion workers, restricting the activities of labor union in workplace is an unacceptable encroachment of workers' rights. Right to collective bargaining rest on workers, and it cannot be unreasonably limited by corporations as well as government. The passage of "right-to-work" bill is a peremptory actions of Republican parties which did not concern general opinion of people but heavily focused on the benefits of employers and small portion of workers. As a matter of fact, referendum of this bill must be held as soon as possible, and new laws must be set to protect rights of workers authentically instead of such laws threatening the rights of workers.

Entry 14

Egypt's independent papers suspend publication in latest protest against Islamist president

December 4, 2012, Fox news

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/04/egypt-independent-papers-suspend-publication-in-latest-protest-against-islamist/

Summary

Press and the media in Egypt determined to strike against the President Morsi and his totalitarian government. Due to the passage of the constitution of enforcing Islamic dogma, court justices were already in the strike against the peremptory rulings of Morsi Administration, and protestors held rallies against Morsi's despotism. This time, several private media corporations also participates in this protest for raising voice against the government's limitation of basal freedoms, such as speech and religion. As a result of protest, Egyptian government is sharply divided into pro-governmentalists, who agree upon government under Islamic dogma, and anti-governmentalists, who oppose the domination of Islam in the government and promote democratic system. Not even stabilized the government after the Mubarak crisis, Egypt is now facing another political crisis again.

My opinion

Morsi's administration seems not so different from what Mubarak had done in Egypt for several decades. Even though Egyptians successfully overthrew the dictator Mubarak out of Egypt, I think Egyptians failed to get rid of dictator system out of the country perfectly. This is the fundamental reason that similar incidence is also happening again less than two years and perpetually having an unstable government. For the most part, this is the only good opportunity to get rid of the seed of despotism in Egypt and formulate a stable democratic government by electing new leader or amending the constitution.