Vol. 64/No.18 May 8, 2000

Great Society

Militant subscription, anyone?—A searching analysis of the recent market crash, presented by the Los Angeles Times, was aptly summarized in the headline: "Time to Buy. Sell or Hold? It Depends, Planners Say."

Cost of slaughter escalates—The new, more "sophisticated" version of the Patriot missile, which Associated Press says gained "acclaim" in the 1991 U.S. war against Iraq, will cost 30 percent more than estimated. A thousand of the weapons will cost a reported $10.1 billion.

The march of capitalist civilization—"Six more prisons to be prepared for women"—Headline, the Times, London

New win for 'Labour' gov't—The European Community granted the Labour Party government in the United Kingdom a 12-year grace period in establishing a 48- hour maximum work week for junior medics in the National Health Plan.

Contract time? Show this to the boss—Two U.S. Postal executives were given $248,000 to cover moving expenses. Being transferred to Alaska? Nope. Just a bit further into the burbs. One 30 miles from his office, the other 10. The deal includes $25,000 each for such "hidden" costs as installing new drapes, and for hooking up the washing machine.

Check out Capitalism's World Disorder— "Japan's unemployment rate in February hit a record high of 4.9 percent, underscoring the effect of increasingly aggressive cost-cutting by employers." —News item

Yeah, but the rent's lower down there—We've often reported the corporate honchos taking home billions in "wages" and bonuses. So we should report that Mackey McDonald, top dog of the VF Corp., took it on the chin. Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and maker of Wrangler jeans, VF is one of the world's biggies. So McDonald's bonus dropped from $1.54 million to a mere $555,000. But the directors took some mercy, increasing his salary 5.3 percent, to $800,000.

In this country? No way — "Higher Ratio of Black Women Strip-Searched at Airports"—News headline.

The elderly poor, sock it to them —Nearly half the older people in the United States can't afford medication insurance and pay at least 15 percent more for their pills than the insured. Clinton says he is preparing to "phase in" a plan. The drug racketeers say they agree with him that it's a complex situation.

—By Harry Ring

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