I used to really dislike unions. Perhaps it was the poor experience with the automotive unions my dad had to face off with, or maybe because I read too much Ayn Rand as a teenager (I’m past it now, thankfully – with caveats. The Republicans that love her definitely twist the shit out of what she preached. Her problem was getting too caught up in capitalism and forgetting we live in a symbiotic system, in which we cannot separate ourselves from the things with which we connect. To exist solely for oneself in such a system ends up causing behaviour similar to a parasite or cancer. That said, there’s much to be said for creatives and independents, as well as government overreach).

In any case, I’m much more fond of them now, though they, like any institution where money or power is involved, are prone to corruption. Still, I would rather favour those who have little than those who have more than enough.

So, happy Labour Day, and long live the unity of the underclass.

Target: 1500 words
Written: 992 words, novel: Father Lightning