Strong Trade Unions are Vital Gerry OShea During my working years, I recall a female colleague named Catherine coming to my office on the verge of tears. I was taken aback to see her in such a vulnerable state because our relationship had never advanced beyond a professional acquaintance. She apologized for her surprise visit and her distressed state. Really distraught, she started talking about her father who, at 71, had just taken a job filling shelves in a supermarket. This decision was driven solely by economic necessity because he could not cover his bills every month. Catherine opened up with her family story. She was the second of three daughters raised in the rent-controlled apartment in the East Bronx, where her father still lived. Her mother died eight years earlier after all three sisters finished college and moved away from home. She described her father as a determined, hard-working man who provided well for his family, including paying the tuition for al
The Decline of Moderate Politics in America Gerry OShea Aristotle, the renowned ancient Greek philosopher, counseled his followers that moderation should be their guiding principle in all deliberations. This advice is encapsulated in his famous Latin dictum: in medio stat virtus , meaning that wisdom and virtue are usually found by following a middle course, away from extremes. The history of American politics since the end of the Second World War affirms this perspective. With one exception, all presidents have been careful not to step far outside the mainstream of popular beliefs. Democrats favor imposing higher taxes on the wealthy and loosening the purse for anti-poverty and infrastructure programs, while Republicans always preach in favor of lower tax policies and fewer government regulations. There is no gainsaying that these important differences were argurd in every modern presidential race, but whichever candidate won, he understood that his opponents’ core beli