Monday, August 11, 2014

The Jungle -- August 11, 2014


The All Star Feature Corporation produced a 5 reel adaption of Upton Sinclair's muckraking novel The Jungle

Just recently I read in Christina Wilkie's article "Charles Koch Hijacks Martin Luther King Jr. To Pitch His Vision For Low-Wage America" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/charles-koch-america_n_5655669.html?utm_hp_ref=koch-brothers):

"WASHINGTON -- Conservative billionaire Charles G. Koch laid out his prescription for reviving the American economy on Wednesday in an op-ed published by USA Today.

"In it, Koch argues that the economic recovery is hampered by 'destructive regulations affecting whether and how business invests and employees work.'

"He's referring to regulations designed to protect workers' safety, ensure fair pay, provide for clean air and water, eliminate dangerous consumer products and other benevolent results. For a good sense of what America would be like without these protections, pick up a copy of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle."

Jurgis Rudkus is injured on the job and gets fired with no compensation.  His wife Ona is raped and sexually exploited by her boss.  With no possibility of legal redress, Jurgis attacks the boss and goes to jail.  When Jurgis gets out, he finds that his family is homeless and Ona dies in childbirth because they cannot afford health care.  It sounds like a Koch Brothers wonderland. 

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