1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: It could happen here. Rail Strike Edition. I'm Robert Evans, Garrison, Davis, Chris. 2 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: How are we all? How are we all doing? How's this? 3 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: We were talking about a rail strike today. We're praying, 4 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: we're praying for it. It hasn't happened. If you're listening 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: to this, you probably know the broad strokes of this, 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: which is that the people who make the trains go, 7 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: and by the way, trains are like a critical part 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: of us all not starving to death or running out 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: of insulin or whatever. The people who make those trains 10 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: go have a pretty hard job and there's not a 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: lot of them. And for a variety of reasons that 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: boiled down to companies not wanting to spend money. Uh, 13 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: it's impossible for that. They don't get sick days. Um. 14 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: So there were a bunch of other ship things like 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: things that were ship about the job, including pay, especially 16 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: since rail company profits have been at like record levels, 17 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: so they were threatening to strike. There were union negotiations. 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: Some of the union leaders reached an agreement with the 19 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: rail companies, but it wasn't it didn't include the sick days. 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: So a lot of workers, potentially most of them are 21 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: We're at least willing to strike. And then Biden came 22 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: in and had Congress basically say do the same thing 23 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: Reagan did to the air traffic controllers in the eighties, 24 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: where it's like, no, if you strike, it's illegal because 25 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,839 Speaker 1: this is a too critical a service for the country. Anyway, 26 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: that's broadly the situation. Chris, you know this a lot 27 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: better than I the most pro labor president, the most 28 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: pro labor presor okay, this is I think this is 29 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: actually like that's that's why I don't like, that's my knowledge, 30 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: and I think that's close to a layman's knowledge. So 31 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: I'm waiting for you to fill in the gap. All right, 32 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: let's let's let's start with what Biden has actually done, 33 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: because it's it's it's slightly different than what Reagan was 34 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: doing there with the air traffic controllers. Um. Part of 35 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: the reason everything is fucked up with the railroads is that, 36 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: like railroads almost since their inception have had like an 37 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 1: almost entirely different regulatory framework than like anything else. So 38 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: you know, your normal strike is covered by the National 39 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: Labor Relations Act. Right, you go through your National Labor 40 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: Relations Board, you do your votes, blah blah, blah blah. Uh. 41 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: If your railroad workers are not covered by that, they're 42 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 1: covered something by something called the Railway Labor Act, which 43 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: lets Congress just be like, no, fuck you, you have 44 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: to take this contract. And the other thing it does, 45 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: I mean, there is like a it is a oh 46 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: I didn't realize that so well before, so well before, 47 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: like you know, the modern era, and Reagan did his 48 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: ship with the air traffic controllers. There was a it 49 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: was written into the law that Congress could say like, yeah, 50 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: you're a to a rail strike. That's really interesting, I guess, 51 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: and it goes back to the days when they were 52 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: literally making them out of human bones. Yeah. I mean 53 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 1: it's been so it's been amended over time and it's 54 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: changed a bit. And there's some other stuff that happened 55 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: in the nineties. After there's a there's a there was 56 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: a failed rail strike in the nineties where Congress is 57 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: also just like, no, fuck you, you have to take 58 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: this contract. But yeah, the the important thing about this 59 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: is that like, okay, so in order to even potentially strike, 60 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: you have to go through so much bullshit. It's called 61 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: self help in the law. Like the people have been 62 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: trying to strike for two years, and everything that we're 63 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: seeing now is the product of two years of bullshit 64 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: of these like there's all of this nonsense you have 65 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: to go through. There's these like cooling off mandatory cooling 66 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: off periods. You can't like, uh, you know, you have 67 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: to like wait before you do anything else, and you 68 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: have to go to the next step, the next step, 69 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: and the final step is Joe Biden had the choice 70 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: to either let these rail workers strike and actually get 71 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: the things that they fucking needed, or he could tell 72 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: them to funk off and just eat a contract. And 73 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: that that that that's what's happened right now, is that 74 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: Joe Biden has just and also again with the support 75 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: of both Houses of Congress. And I also like explicitly 76 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: want to mention here that a lot a lot of 77 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: nominally socialist politicians, including like a lot of social Democrats 78 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: have yet vote. Talk about that too, because that that's 79 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: that's another part of it. That again, so my my 80 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: surface and I guess I'm playing playing the podcast idiot 81 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: in this one, which is not abnormal for me. But 82 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: my like layman's understanding of what happened with this is that, uh, 83 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: there was a bill up in Congress as to whether 84 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: or not to endorse this, and uh, a bunch of 85 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: progressives said that they wouldn't vote on it unless it 86 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: included seven days of paid sick leave, including Sanders that 87 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: got pushed off into a separate bill, And there was 88 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: like some kind of sketchy wording about like, well we 89 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: won't you know, like I I don't. I don't understand 90 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: the congressional hijinks, but I know they just wound up 91 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: voting for the the negotiate like what the union had 92 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: negotiated without any sick leaf like it. Yeah, Like it 93 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: seems like it kind of provided an opportunity for a 94 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: bunch of progressives in the House to vote yes on 95 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: the sick leave knowing that it wouldn't pass the Senate 96 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: and knowing that the strip I would still get stopped. 97 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: Right Like what am I? Um? I mean? It's basically 98 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: that like the I'm not a congress nowhere. Yeah, I 99 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: mean there there's a bunch of sort of hiji inks 100 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: that were happening in Congress where there's different there's a 101 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: sciety different version of the bill in the House, and 102 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: they had this whole thing. But okay, the House, the 103 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: House one for sick leaved did pass with support of 104 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: every Yeah, and it's three three Republicans. But Okay, the 105 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: thing I think I want to point out here and 106 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: I want to move away from the sick leave thing 107 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: because the sick that's the fact that these people don't 108 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: have sick leave is important. This is also not like 109 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: the main thing the strike was about, like things are, 110 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: things are, things are so much worse like things are, 111 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: things are so much like infinitely worse than people like 112 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: at all understands. Like what the thing that the thing 113 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: that's real strike is about, if you if you go 114 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: like actually talk to the people who are doing it, 115 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: is that these people are on call for nine of 116 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: their lives, like and and when I say then of 117 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: their lives, they're on call while they were asleep. They're 118 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: on call constantly. Uh, they're there's there's no way to 119 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: even there's no way to plan a consistant sly schedule 120 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 1: because you can just be on call. And you know, 121 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: and part part part of what's going on here. And 122 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: if if you read the sort of detailed accounts, you 123 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: will see a lot of people talking about this thing 124 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 1: called precision scheduled railroading. Yeah, precision scheduled railroading was it 125 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: was a great theory kind of that was implemented so 126 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: atrociously badly. It's basically fucked like the entire economy. Um 127 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: that the idea behind it was like you could you 128 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,359 Speaker 1: could schedule when like a freight railroad was going to 129 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 1: go right, and this this would give you a bunch 130 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: of efficiency bonuses. You could plan like you could schedule 131 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: things around each other. Um, this just didn't happen. People 132 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: implemented it, but what they implemented was just this nightmarror 133 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 1: like amalgamation of we're going to reduce a bunch of 134 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: staff and then we're going to make these trains that 135 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: have like two hundred cars on them. And this has 136 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: been a catastrophe. It's called monster trains. That there's there's 137 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 1: Justin Rosniak, who's a podcast. See it doesn't seem like 138 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: a good solution to the problem of not enough guys 139 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: to make trains work is make the trains huge. It's 140 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: justnorable train crash. It's awful. Again, these are your twarter 141 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: trains long right, So if if you don't get the 142 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: wait you ship you should write, the train will fucking 143 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: fall over. They keep doing this there's this has been 144 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: happening for like several years now. Is there's just trains 145 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: everywhere derailing. There's like no coverage of it. You know, 146 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: you know, you know, you know where I knew that from. 147 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: Chris Garrison will tell you when I get when I 148 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: get drunk or something late at night. My favorite thing 149 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: to watch his videos of trains hitting stuff and train 150 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: crashes are amazing to watch. It's incredible to think of 151 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: all the human ingenuity it took to make that big, 152 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: big boom. There's thousands of videos on YouTube of cargo 153 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: getting stuck on train tracks and train happening through there yea, 154 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: and boxes being pull verized in the air they rised. 155 00:07:54,440 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: It's so cool. So the downside is that one day 156 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna have one of these trains that is run 157 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: by a person who has had three hours of sleep 158 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: in the last forty eight hours, and it's gonna be 159 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: caring like fucking I don't know, it's gonna be carrying 160 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: like sodium nitrate on it or some ship and it's 161 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: just going to explode and it is going to kill 162 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: enormous every place. That just actually happened in Canada like 163 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: a decade ago. But yeah, like these trains are too big. 164 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: They're so big they don't fit in the fucking rail yards. 165 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: Like they're so big that most the training infrastructure doesn't 166 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: work for them. They are so everything is okay. They're 167 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: they're really really really badly planned, despite the fact that 168 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: this is supposed to be precision scheduled railroading. Like they're 169 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: unbelievably badly planned. You have people just like being forced 170 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: to just like sit there for twelve hours in a train, 171 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 1: like waiting for the rest of like the other like 172 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: ninety five cars that are supposed to be on this 173 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 1: train to show up. You know. The situation just like 174 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: it is utterly nightmares and everything about this, Right, if 175 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: you're an engineer, right, and you're in one of these 176 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: trains and you're in there for twelve fucking hours in 177 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: this train, you legally can't have your phone because you know, 178 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: I mean, this is a safety thing, right, And in 179 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: some sense this makes sense. It's like a safety measure. 180 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: You can't have your phone because you know, you can't 181 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: be distracted what you're talking about. You're just sucking sitting 182 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: on the tracks for like twelve hours, and you know 183 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:16,719 Speaker 1: this this this stuff is, you know, and the fact 184 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: that the fact that people are on call constantly, the 185 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: fact that the entire rail network is just physically falling apart. 186 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: Because the other thing about these trains, right, they make 187 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: a enormous amount of money, None of them ever fucking 188 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: show up on time. It's a disgaster. It's a catastrophe, 189 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: like like like genuinely like part of the reason why 190 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: we're having all these supply issues is that no train 191 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: has fucking showed up on time in like four years. 192 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: And it's there's a new contract. It's okay that the 193 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: new contracts signed in says that workers can have up 194 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: to three unpaid days off for medical appointments. Oh wow, 195 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: that's something. It's a three unpaid tabs stays off for 196 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: pre made medical appointments. Yeah, no, none of forever. Yeah. 197 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: And it gets like like these people are on call 198 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: for of their lives. You can't even like like you 199 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: can't schedule when you're going to sleep because you might 200 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: be on call and on call might be you have 201 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: to fucking like drive like several hours to a place 202 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: so you can get on a train, and the train 203 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: cannot leave, and the train eventually leaves like six hours 204 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: later and you fucking drive and then you're just like 205 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: dropped off somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and then unpaid, 206 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: you have to go back to like where you live. 207 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: It is like, like, Okay, the thing, the thing I 208 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: wanted to like get out of this is like the 209 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: railroading system in general, that the system of freight railroading 210 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: that we have in the US is in the midst 211 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: of collapsing. Like it it is falling apart, It is 212 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: not working, it is is becoming increasingly dangerous. It is 213 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: I mean utterly inhumane for the people working on it. 214 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 1: And and you know, none of the fucking even this 215 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: even the sick Bowl contract, like didn't do anything for it. Right, 216 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: The only way this actually could have been resolved is 217 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 1: if Joe Biden and in a fifth Democrats and if 218 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: Congress hadn't been fucking hours and had let these people 219 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: strike because these kinds of concessions like and you know, 220 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 1: I also like I don't want to let the fucking 221 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: unions off the hook here too, because they know all 222 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: of this. But again, most of the sort of like 223 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,079 Speaker 1: senior union people are very tight with a very tight 224 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: with Democratic Party. This is part of why all of 225 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: this ship was postponed until after the elections because they 226 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: didn't you know, they didn't want to deal with the ship. 227 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:21,839 Speaker 1: They've been trying to force people to sign these contract too, 228 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: and it's it's it's a ship show. It is a 229 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: just absolute catastrophe on on every every level. Yeah. I mean, 230 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: it's almost as if the rail system probably shouldn't be 231 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 1: run by private interests. Yeah, because there's going to be 232 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: now a hundred hundred fifteen rail workers who are forced 233 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: to work under these still not great conditions. Meanwhile, the 234 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: managers and the owners of the railroads get to go 235 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: back to just making tons of money. Yeah, and again 236 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,719 Speaker 1: record profits. None of this is happening, Not that that 237 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 1: would make it okay, but none of this is happening 238 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: in an environment well, well, you know, we're running at 239 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:59,719 Speaker 1: a loss and we we have no money and no 240 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,679 Speaker 1: ability to like like they have. They're making hundreds of 241 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: billions of dollars profits like this is this is like 242 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: one of the most profitable times to run a railroad 243 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: in US. You can incentivize more people to be railroad 244 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: road workers if the job isn't a fucking nightmare. For example, 245 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: what if instead of not being able to have their phones. 246 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: We gave each of them a DVD player in a 247 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: screen with a DVD of step Brothers, and they could 248 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: watch step Brothers as much as they want while piloting 249 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,839 Speaker 1: a train. I think that would actually get I think 250 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: that would cause mass, mass layoff set at a rail yard. 251 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 1: That's that's how we get the strike. We include this 252 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: in the next provision for destruction. I was I was 253 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: stealthying in my accelerationist beliefs here. This is the fastest 254 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: way it can transit infrastruction. We've got like two years 255 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: before this holding fucking implodes anyways, because part part of 256 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: what's keeping people in the railroading system is that so 257 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: railroading also has its own pension system that's like disconnected 258 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 1: from the regular pension system him and you have to 259 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 1: you have to work there for ten years in order 260 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: to collect your pension. This is why like enormous numbers 261 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 1: of people just haven't left right. People have been leaving right, 262 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: But there's a there's a huge number of people who 263 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: were hiring these giant expansion in two thousand four, and 264 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: you know, like we're two years out from that contract 265 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: from all these people being able to collect their pensions 266 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: and fucking leaving. Yeah, that's just like it's like, this 267 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: is the only chance I have to ever not work 268 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: myself to death, so I have to tough it out. 269 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, but these those those people are those 270 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: people are going to leave. And you know, this is 271 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 1: this is the sort of like this is the sort 272 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: of hammer that capitalism has built over its own head, 273 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: which is that like, yeah, congratulations, you you successfully flexibilized 274 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: and casualized your entire workforce. That means that if people 275 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: like don't want to do your shitty job, they can 276 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: leave and find another job. And at some point, like 277 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 1: there are there is a ship that in this economy 278 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: that like actually does need to be done. But these 279 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: people have been sort of like so blinded by just 280 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: like you know, they're so so blinded by lying goes up. 281 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: They're so blinded by short term profit that they really 282 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: don't understand that at some point there's just not gonna 283 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: be fucking workers to run the railroad. Yeah, I mean, 284 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: And a lot of this situation is built off of 285 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 1: and instead of being compared to Reagan's stuff for their 286 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: traffic controllers, it's actually more similar to what Carter did 287 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: with some with some airline workers. Um. Then also with 288 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: the with the the nineteen eight kind of a railroad 289 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: Deregulation act Um which which caused would would you, which 290 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: gave a lot more power to companies to run the railroads. 291 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: And that's that is what kind of shifted shifted things 292 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: to our to our current, our current problem because they 293 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: were they gave permission for these rail companies to close 294 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: down lines that were less profitable and to set their 295 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: own um freight rates. And yeah, it's it's not being 296 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: controlled by the inter State Commerce Commission. Instead it's being 297 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: controlled by execuity. That that thing's weird, right because like, 298 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: on the one hand, like the wave of corporates, all 299 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: dation that happened after that is like a disaster, and 300 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: the fact that there's basically like four real like reil 301 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: companies now is a disaster. On the other hand, like 302 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: it is also true that the Interstate Commerce Board was 303 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: like dogshited his jaws. It also sucked. Yes, absolutely it sucked, 304 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: and for a short period of time it actually did 305 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: improve things. But now it's it's it's it's powers coalescing 306 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: again into the very types of monopolies that caused the 307 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: that caused railroad regulation to be necessary back in the 308 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: nineteenth century. Like in the first place, um power is 309 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: being consolidated again, and it's it's this vicious, vicious cycle 310 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: that are that fundamentally puts short term profits above of 311 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: the conditions of workers. Yeah, I think, like, you know, okay, 312 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: so there have been a lot of people talking about, 313 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: like what the potential solutions to this are in a 314 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: sort of macro sense, because like, okay, even even with 315 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: a better contract, right, like, something actually has to be 316 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: done in order to force the railroads to not fucking 317 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: suck and to like actually properly scheduled their goddamn trains 318 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: and not work everyone to death. And you know, I 319 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: want to put that it is worth noting like we 320 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: actually did like have national nationalized railroad company for a while, 321 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: and it was kind of a ship show like it. Okay, Okay, 322 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: this is something that's also important. Think about this, Like 323 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: there's a lot of like there's a lot of different 324 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: kinds of nationalization, right Like there there there was a 325 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: huge difference between a firm that's like like you know, 326 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: like we we we we sort of technically nationalized a 327 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: bunch of the like car companies after two thousand eight, right, 328 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: we bailed them out, but you know, like we like 329 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: when in that stuff, we didn't really like take it. 330 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: We did we owned, we owned like a bunch of 331 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: their stock. We didn't like take a control employees, and 332 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: like we we got like Nick Tonight like proto neoliberal 333 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: nationalization of the railroads last time, and it kind of 334 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: atributed so the problems we have now. There was also 335 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: a period where Conrail's union was trying to like buy 336 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: like the railroad, so we all we almost we almost 337 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: got a railroad system that was run by its by 338 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: it was owned by its own union, and then the 339 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: company just like refused to sell it to them because 340 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: they were like waiting to hold on, we can't have 341 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: a worker run railroad. But one thing, one thing I 342 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: am interested in is I I don't actually know this. 343 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 1: What would what would the how would how would an 344 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,199 Speaker 1: illegal strike actually work? Like, what's what's the what is 345 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: the differences between people striking illegally? Now, Like there's some 346 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: some discussion of that, who knows that's actually actually happened, 347 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: But what is the main kind of difference between that 348 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: and um, the non illegal stow Okay, so the big 349 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: thing is Okay, So the thing about the National Labor 350 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 1: Relations Act, right, which is the thing that covers normal strikes, 351 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: was that like and this is also true to sem 352 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: I sent under the rover, but like, okay, so if 353 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: you're doing a legal strike, you have legal protections right 354 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: like they're they're there are things corporations can't do to you. Um, 355 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: like yeah, there there there, there's there's a bunch of 356 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: stuff that can't Like, I don't like it's it's it's 357 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: a lot harder to just sort of fire people. The 358 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: other thing is that also, like especially something like this, 359 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 1: there's a like you you if you do if you 360 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: do a wildcat strike like this and you do you 361 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,880 Speaker 1: specifically a strike that is like that is specifically illegal 362 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 1: under this act, like you can all get fired. Um 363 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: I'm I think that I think they could technically arrest you. 364 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: Like it's it's I don't know that that part of 365 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 1: it's not exactly clear to me, But yeah, I don't know. 366 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: I mean there there's sort of like I feel like 367 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 1: if if if they arrest you just for not going 368 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,439 Speaker 1: to your job, I feel like that is a I 369 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: mean that that has happened to people like I know 370 00:18:55,359 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: people have been yes, like in the long history of 371 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: labor struggles, people have been straight up killed. Um, but 372 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: at least in twenty two I think it would be 373 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 1: a bad look. Yeah, I mean I think, Okay, so 374 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: I think where we're headed, and I think what they 375 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: ought to do is just force get all of like 376 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: the worst criminals and I mean the murderers, the terrorists, 377 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,479 Speaker 1: all of those guys, and you make them run the trains. 378 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 1: Whoever blew up all of those power transformers in North Carolina. 379 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,919 Speaker 1: You make them run the trains, and it'll be fine. 380 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: Nothing bad will happen as a result of this. It 381 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: will work out perfectly well. The the the alternative plan 382 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: and the thing that maybe these rail companies are just 383 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: holding out for because maybe they're just making conditions be 384 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: not great and underpaying and not giving sick days, is 385 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: because they're waiting for trains just to become autonomous. They're 386 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,360 Speaker 1: already planning to severely cut down the crews that are 387 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 1: on the trains. There's already trains in Australia that are 388 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: a totally autonomously run that carry mining materials over for 389 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: hundreds of miles, and that is the future that these 390 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: that these companies want, because then they don't they need 391 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,679 Speaker 1: to pay for employees to actually run the train. Frustrating 392 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 1: because like in an actual if we were anything that 393 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: approached a society that like dealt with things ethically and humanely, 394 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: uh and equitably, then this would be good, like because 395 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: it seems like working on train sucks and it would 396 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: be great if we could automate most of that work. Uh, 397 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:39,879 Speaker 1: and then people less people would have to work in 398 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 1: order to keep society running. But that's people don't have 399 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: to work. We were just going to run through these 400 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: people's bodies by like as we get up to autonomy automization, 401 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 1: and then we will throw them away. Yeah, and then 402 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: there will and then because they'll do it badly, there's 403 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: going to be a disastrous train crash caused by the 404 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: fact that they got all of the people off of 405 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: a train and hauling nitro glystener or whatever, and it's 406 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: going to destroy I don't know, duluth Um, which you know, 407 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 1: not the worst city to lose, but I I sorry, 408 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: duluth y'all are fucked well, Okay, it's it's worth one. 409 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: Like this stuff, like the automation stuff is already happening 410 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,400 Speaker 1: right like that we have, right, we have like this 411 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: well and I mean it's like a very real sense 412 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:30,919 Speaker 1: that there's this sort of nightmare. One of the other 413 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: sort of nightmare things that's going on right now is 414 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: that there are these like like I don't know, like 415 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: driver assistance programs basically that are being run on trains. Now. 416 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: Where that are that are? You know, they're supposed to 417 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: be like making decisions like for and with the drivers, 418 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: but ay, they suck ass um be there. They're they're design. 419 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: They're designed to basically maximize design to maximize profitability, right, 420 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 1: And the way you maximize profitability is by running trains 421 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: really really slowly. And you know that's contributing to the 422 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 1: fact that every train is fucking late now and the 423 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: phrases it doesn't work. And the third problem is that 424 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: these is that these things keep fucking running trains off 425 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,719 Speaker 1: Like this is another reason why trains keep sucking crashing 426 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: is that they suck. They keep they keep running trains 427 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 1: off the tracks and like you know, and like that 428 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: there's there's there's like there's there's a lot of ship here, 429 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:20,160 Speaker 1: right because it's like if you if you override the system, 430 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: like you can, you can get disciplined for for for 431 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: overriding the system, but then you have this sort of 432 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:27,159 Speaker 1: like you have this thing where it's like, okay, so 433 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: do I do I get disciplined for overriding system and 434 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 1: not making the train crash or do I just make 435 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: the fucking train crash and doing the trolley problem? Yeah? Yeah, 436 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,880 Speaker 1: it's literally yeah, just a lot like like you love 437 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: that this is just gonna inevitably gonna result in an 438 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: exact recreation of the trolley traffle. It's already like this 439 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:47,439 Speaker 1: is already happening to people, and it's just like like 440 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 1: it's none of the none of the stuff works automatics 441 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: into this orphanage. I can divert it instead of this 442 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: old folk. So it's like it's literally happening, like it's 443 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,239 Speaker 1: just like none of this stuff, Like Okay. The thing 444 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: that's like frustrating about this, right is okay, if any 445 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: of the people at the sort of like at the 446 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: level of where they're planning these trains could even sort 447 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: of do their job right that this isn't even a 448 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: thing that's like an inevitable contradiction between capital and labor, 449 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: Like this is just if any of these people could 450 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: actually fucking schedule the railroads, which is the thing they're 451 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: supposed to be trending to do. If they could actually 452 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: schedule when the train was supposed to go and when 453 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: it was supposed to leave, you wouldn't have these problems 454 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 1: because then all of the people who worked there would 455 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: also be told when the fucking train was leaving and 456 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,679 Speaker 1: they could schedule around it. But no, they can't fucking 457 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 1: do it because they're too fucking lazy, they're too fucking stupid, 458 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 1: and they don't want to spend the money to actually 459 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: make any of these systems fucking work. And so the 460 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 1: consequence is just this bullshit. And then also because again 461 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: and this is everything like that, like capital is also 462 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: really falling down in the job here, because like the 463 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: rest of capital needs to get their ship together and 464 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 1: force the railroad to do something, because like, it's your 465 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 1: asses on the line too if this railroad then collapses. 466 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: But because of because of the sort of immediate amount 467 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: of money that that that these these shitty rail companies 468 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: that pumped into Congress, they were able to buy people off, 469 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: and the rest of capital was just like, yeah, we 470 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 1: don't care. That's like three years out, we don't have 471 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: to care about this ship. It's like guys like Bernie 472 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: Sanders is fighting to save capitalism, right, these people are 473 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: trying to save you from yourselves and you know you 474 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: won't won't even let's that's their entire job though, like 475 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: of course, it's like, yeah, what what what is happening here? 476 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: Is that like is liberalism is running an accelerationist program 477 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: to like cause the American American infrastructure to fall apart, 478 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: and social democracy is attempting to save capital from itself, 479 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: and capital was like literally, fuck you eat ship. No, 480 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: it's it's I've i've I'm reading right now in interview 481 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: with the railroad Workers United member and they're they're talking 482 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: about how like there's this plan to increase, uh increase 483 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: their pay over the next five years, and they're like, 484 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 1: he says that lots of the railroad workers that he's 485 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 1: talked to as a part of the union is saying, 486 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: like people are willing to work for less money and 487 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: take a job at like an Amazon factory or like 488 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: a trucking job because at least those offer slightly more 489 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: consistent hours, and like, yeah, like it's it's at least 490 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: when you're not working. You're not working, yeah, And I 491 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,160 Speaker 1: just wanted to mention that because because we were bringing 492 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: up like how these people are getting not very good pay, 493 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: which is which is true, but for a lot of people, 494 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: it isn't even just to pay question, it's it's it's 495 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: just overall working conditions. And like when you're thinking about 496 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 1: moving to an Amazon factory instead because they have better 497 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 1: working conditions, like oh god, yeah, it's like, I mean, 498 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:46,120 Speaker 1: they've they've managed to create like one of the worst 499 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: systems that is imposed on like any worker in the country. 500 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: Like it is. It is genuinely stunning. And right now 501 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: again they're they're getting bailed out that people are by 502 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:58,239 Speaker 1: the fact that people are stuck in because they want 503 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: their pensions. But like, but as soon as as people 504 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: are done and we start moving to more autonomous things, 505 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: then it's not it's not going to be worth it. 506 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 1: I know, media companies have spent decades trying to convince 507 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: kids to work for trains, with Thomas the train chuggington 508 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,920 Speaker 1: for for decades and decades, You've tried to send train 509 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 1: propaganda to these kids, and I don't think I don't 510 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: think they're gonna buy it. Yeah, did you guys know 511 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: that in Thomas the Tank Engine, canonically World War two 512 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,439 Speaker 1: happened and canonically all of the diesel engine signed sided 513 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: with the Nazis. Well, that doesn't rest today and that 514 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:40,400 Speaker 1: is official Thomas the Tank in Jin Laura, I wonder 515 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: how many other zoomers will um symbolize with me on this. 516 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,719 Speaker 1: I recently found out that Thomas the Train wasn't just 517 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: the uncanny train segments that used to have live action 518 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 1: actors in like little inter cut scenes, because it was 519 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: fucked up because by the time Thomas the Train was 520 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: airing on television when I was a kid, all of 521 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: those were re edited. They had they had, they had 522 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: no live action segments at all. It was all the 523 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: weird stop motion animation, which is still very uncanny, with 524 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 1: like the faces. But I had no idea until like 525 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: a year ago that there was live action actors in 526 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 1: the original additions of Thomas the Train. Completely oblivious. Well, 527 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: I'm glad, I'm glad we could have this important union discussion. 528 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: I am too. I'm gonna I'm gonna admit to you 529 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: all right now. There was a moment earlier where Chris 530 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: You kept saying that that the owners of the railroads 531 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: were blinded, And I very nearly went into a bit 532 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: where I just started reading the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's 533 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: Blinded by the Light. But I didn't do it. I 534 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: didn't do it that. I'm glad we were saved from that. 535 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 1: That's that's that's because everybody, nobody, nobody gets the lyrics 536 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: to that one, right, because of the Manford Man's earth 537 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: band version, which makes it sound like he's saying douche 538 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: when he's really saying deuce and talking about an engine, 539 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: which is why it would have been relevant to railroads. 540 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: But none of you all would have got that, and 541 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: you would have fucking made a big thing about it 542 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: on Reddit. So to hell with you all. Anyway, support 543 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 1: rail workers if they do an illegal strike, make sure 544 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 1: we set up things so that they get protected and 545 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: they get food and things to fight cops, go make 546 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: rail way, I mean, people like, just keep it, keep 547 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: an eye on what's going on, and if it happens, 548 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: there will be ways. There will be ways to support 549 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: these through the US government. Like I don't know things 550 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: of this nature. Yeah, I mean that would be that, 551 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 1: that would be nice. But if we got to put 552 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: a pin in that you know, keep an eye on 553 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: the situation. And if these people go on strike, there 554 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: will be community resources and what not popping up to 555 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: support the wildcat strike. It's the thing that's happened before. 556 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: Wildcat strikes have a long history in this country too, um, 557 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: you know, and we will we will be collecting resources 558 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: if that happens for ways people can help with the wildcatters. 559 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: So this is a thing to have on the old 560 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: on the old noggin as we as we lurch forward 561 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: into the holidays and uh possibly gigantic labor battle. We'll see. 562 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 1: And I like people in the UK have been doing 563 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 1: rail strikes, uh like for a good part of this year, 564 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 1: like they've been they've been. There's been on and off 565 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: rail strikes for most of for like, for like the 566 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: most of the past few months. Um, it's possible, except 567 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: again they're they're they're they're British, so they stopped doing 568 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 1: the strike when the Queen died. Well of course, So look, look, 569 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: there's certain realities that can't ever be eclipsed. Regram. Here's 570 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: the here's the thing we have thrown off the shackles 571 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: of the anglos are where all rail strikes stops for 572 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: no one, al right, except for the most pro labor president, 573 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: Joe Biden. Alright, and that's the episode. Yeah, it's the episode. 574 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: And remember, if you see a Diesel train, it is 575 00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: a Nazi you you were obliged to punch it. M M. 576 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: It could Happen Here as a production of cool Zone 577 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: Media and more podcasts from cool Zone Media. Visit our 578 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: website cool zone media dot com, or check us out 579 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 580 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: you listen to podcasts. You can find sources for It 581 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: Could Happen Here, updated monthly at cool zone Media dot 582 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: com slash sources. Thanks for listening.