by Peter Molenaar
With considerable frequency, the convenient Lake Street Latin food offerings prevail as the most satisfying answer as to what to eat next. A fat burrito with a side of guacamole does the trick. Invariably, it is observed, a corn chip with a lush dollop of the guacamole enters the mouth first. Savored with eyes closed, it is said to be a short cut to heaven.
The naïve person will google guacamole for the recipe only to find hundreds of variations. The ripe avocado shall be extended with some ratio of mayonnaise, and or sour cream, cream cheese, or even yoghurt. For flavor bits, one might add diced tomatoes, chile peppers, onions, garlic, pimentos, black olives, grated cheese, or even a hard boiled egg. Lemon or lime juice? Cilantro, coriander, cumin, salt, sugar, red or black pepper? Okay.
But what? During Superbowl 44, most of us were racing to the bottom of our guacamole dip while transcending “the grudge” to become Who-Dat-Nation fans. This we did even as another race to the bottom went unnoticed. I am referring to the ongoing worldwide race to the bottom on wages and working conditions.
Two days before the Super Bowl, a global workers”' rights advocate and watchdog group issued a report about the sweatshop in El Salvador where the $80 Peyton Manning jerseys were sewn. The workforce there, about 80 percent women, are paid the equivalent of 10 cents an hour. They are in essence forced to work over 60 hours a week with no overtime pay.
A workers”' spokesperson stated: “When we were making these jerseys we didn”'t even have time to go to the bathroom, nor to drink water. Sometimes we didn”'t even leave for our breaks so as not to fall behind in the work. The factory is very hot. By afternoon we are dead tired.”
Such is the logic of capitalism, especially the de-regulated “free trade” variety favored by the dominant wing of “our” capitalists. Meanwhile, the U.S. based garment industry has been closing plants for decades. It is said that working people everywhere will be sucked into this “endless spiral to the bottom”. Or, will we?
For centuries the capitalist ruling class has extolled the raptures of their own super bowl of guacamole dip. The chosen few have had their moment in heaven. I suggest that an “explosion from below” will inevitably blow the top off. This too is the logic.
