Salt of the Earth (Part 1)

[1ballz08]

So why were the makerz (the writerz, producerz and director) of this film blacklisted in Hollywood?

[FlintPublic]

@1ballz08 They were victims of Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy's communist witch hunt. 

[1ballz08]

@FlintPublic Ah, I see. Thanx for that info, Flint. I'll definitely have to look into this more. :)

[SLACKER614]

im watching this film on TCM...classic struggle...should be viewed by all interested in justice...we must destroy capitalism..imperialism and the american empire..

[FlintPublic]

@SLACKER614 Here, here!

[outerspaceoutpost]

Yes, life is very hard, but this couple isn't going to get anywhere if they don't stop bickering & try to understand one another & work together & that's in any year. It's easier to break one stick than two or more. Thanks FlintPublic & my heart really goes out to the children who suffers most of all. Blessings to you..

[SpectacleofDebord]

Capitalism is tyranny, always.

[RevelationWarriors]

without consumers, the rich are powerless. we must buy their product or services to make them rich. they employ us and pay us, so we can buy more products. and if they give us shit, we won't take it. thanks for uploading this film.

...and that was the most epic wood chopping ever. lol

[MrDavito2]

thats why the rent a centers are in black neighborhoods.

[slovak80]

the best american film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[karaokesinger83]

my grandfather played luis quintero.... :)

[redwallace]

@karaokesinger83 Your grandfather made history. Thanks for posting! Mujeres en La Lucha- March on May 1st!!

[solidaritet2010]

Great Film - Thanks!

[illinoisan]

My favorite part is where Esperanza talks about being the oppressed of the oppressed.

[toddcurl]

Thanks for posting this. I watched this as a teenager with a group of comrades and a gentleman (who had ultimately become a labor organizer) who actually had a small role in the movie. Quite an interesting history about the film from what I recall.

[mikey60077]

On the other hand, Salt of the Earth, which was an authentic and I thought very well-done story about a strike and the people involved in it, that was just flat killed, I don't even think it was shown anywhere. I mean, you could see it at an art theater, I guess, but that was about it. I don't know what those of you who know something about film would think of it, but I thought it was a really outstanding film."- Noam Chomsky (excerpted from Understanding Power, The New Press - 2002)

[mikey60077]

So On the Waterfront is about this Marlon Brando or somebody who stands up for the poor working man against the corrupt union boss. Okay, things like that exist, but that's not unions -- I mean, sure, there are plenty of union bosses who are crooked, but nowhere near as many as C.E.O.s who are crooked, or what have you. But since On the Waterfront combined that anti-union message with "standing up for the poor working man," it became a huge hit. @mikey60077

[mikey60077]

Now, you can ride the crest of the wave and try to use it to get power, which is the standard thing, or you can ride the crest of the wave because you're helping people that way" It came out at the same time as On the Waterfront, which is a rotten movie. And On the Waterfront became a huge hit -- because it was anti-union. See, On the Waterfront was part of a big campaign to destroy unions while pretending to be for, you know, Joe Sixpack. @mikey60077

[mikey60077]

This is the one movie Noam Chomsky cites as "factually accurate", because it shows that "the real work is being done by people who are not known, that's always been true in every popular movement in history. The people who are known are riding the crest of some wave. @mikey60077

[renMcgowa]

You can Download this Search google for 'TheNewsBuzz"

[pratt123]

Just ignore uzijohn, he doesn't understand the fact that 70% of the business in this country survives on consumer purchases.

If the middle class and more importantly, the poor (the most reliable spenders) lack purchasing power and proper income levels, the result is anemic growth for all of America. When the middle and lower classes have higher purchasing powers, the economy roars.

When inequality between the classes rises, America suffers in terms of economic growth.

[FlintPublic]

Thanks for sharing these great thoughts, Pratt.

[peterfdrucker]

Thanks for posting this! Very cool movie.

Also about uzijohn - there's nothing wrong with "an average high-school educated" person making more than a University Professor! You don't deserve more money than someone else just because you have a higher degree than them. That's a comment that shows where a persons values are.

But 1 good point lurking in uzijohn's comment - there needs to be better labor cooperation, not just securing a good contract for me, but for all workers.

[FlintPublic]

Changes to UAW work rules being voted on now will impact safety. $14/hr, no pension, no healthcare in retirement is not fair compensation for 30 yrs of body-breaking labor. That's what was forced on new union autoworkers in '07. Why would non-union autoworkers still get $23/hr? That won't last. The new philosophy that never-quenchable thirst for profits at the wealth creators' (workers') expense is natural & good won't allow it. Is a race to poverty reasonable? Is your impartiality an illusion?

[uzijohn]

FlintPublic,

Here is the cost of an average UAW worker (2006 figures)

Ford $141,020 year per UAW worker

Chrysler $151,720 year per UAW worker

GM $146,520 year per UAW worker

THIS GREED destroyed the

American Auto Industry, do I pity these Unions? look at the numbers again!

An average high-school educated UAW auto worker costs 57% more than a University Professor with a PHD

An average Non-Union U.S. Honda, Nissan or Toyota worker costs $96,000 per year, I call that REASONABLE

[FlintPublic]

Where are those figures from? Center for Union Facts? This is 2009. New hires are making $14/hr. No pension. Gutted health benefits. Sounds like those profs need a union. Non-union autoworkers are only making as much as they do because of the UAW. We need more people making more money, not less. We can all work for slave wages and have the corporate class keep the rest, but they only have so much time to spend all that money that once was ours. Our labor creates all wealth. Yes, ALL wealth.

[SBFHawk1]

@FlintPublic This story is just like my moms and my dads. They came here with nothing and made something. I will tell you that we are at war with the elite. We are to endure thru all of this. Were will it all end. I know that we are the salt of the earth

"for the poor shall inherit the earth" "for you are the salt of the earth but if the earth lose its saltiness where will it gain it again"

[FlintPublic]

@SBFHawk1 Thanks for sharing this testimony, Hawk! Couldn't agree more. All working class people (and if you're not the boss, that's you) have more in common with each other than the bosses we've convinced ourselves are our benevolent pals. The sooner we act on that knowledge, on solidarity, the sooner things will get better for those who make all wealth and all societies possible. Onward!

[bootleg42]

Where do those numbers come from??!?!?!?!???

FlintPublic is right in that new hires got only 14 an hour, no pension, etc.

And also, why don't those university professors unionize??? That would get their salary up.

And what the owners of private power make is very UNreasonable. They shouldn't even have that power and money to begin with.

[uzijohn]

bootleg42,

I have many sources, the one I cited came from Autoblog . com Search

U of M Economics professor tackles tough question of UAW wages

The $14 dollar an hour figure is a purposeful half truth, brand new unskilled employees dont start with top wages or benefits anywhere, as an employee gains skill theyre value and compensation increases (what a novel idea)

Once Vested all the benefits kick-in

Ill try putting the articles address on my page under comments

[RiverboatWillie]

@uzijohn And you think that prevented GM, Ford & Chrysler from making a good car? They still can't.

[uzijohn]

Wow about a new version, unions become the #1 driving force in politics, they involve themselves with organized crime and corrupt politicians

Then they're own greed could exceed that of business owners, common citizens hate them but are forced to pay theyre excessive wages through inflated price

Lets show UAW workers costing $73 an hour and running jobs out of the country

For the final scene they bankrupt GM, the largest company in America

End the movie with everything set ablaze

[uzijohn]

Change How for Wow

[FlintPublic]

Change hedge fund managers, bankers, CEOs, Wall Street brokers, real estate agents and other wealth skimmers for the UAW. Come on, folks, autoworkers did not wreck the economy. You either pick on them out of fear of the real culprits or out and out naivety about the nature of money and power. You have much more in common with a factory rat than a titan of money shuffling. Know your enemies. Better yet, know your allies. Solidarity

[uzijohn]

FlintPublic ,

The people in this movie wanted safe working conditions and "fair" pay

But when demands exceed reasonable, businesses are destroyed or chased-off,

This causes a loss of respect for the unions and they're workers

So then, what is reasonable?

When a majority of impartial "peers" say it's fair, I'd probably agree

American CEO's are commonly overpaid, but thats another problem

Politicians wrecked our economy by obstructing reforms,

Many of them were union supported

[jubileeshine]

damn wages cuttin into profits...

i hate when they do that

yr ceo's are unhinged.

nationalize the banks & auto industry.

[phantastickyle]

It was both the unions and the companies at fault.

[callingcox]

it was $7x/per hour in total worth of the benefits.

What happened was decline of wages across the board despite rising productivity, meaning cost of living went / but wages went -, so to live labor borrowed credit that was in fact their original productivity loaned to them at interest in lieu of wages! People couldnt afford it, it collapsed.

[manudunk]

Thank you for posting this film.

[manuelsmb]

Excellent! THanks! Ive studing the realistic cinema! This is so good, so deep!

[ectoren]

Thanks!

[dogpatchgirl]

Thank you for posting this, I am so glad that anyone and everyone can finally watch it.

Feminists, socialists, and unions ...oh my.

[IWW610]

Thanx for posting this! I look forward to waching the whole thing when I have time.

[jbrenner2007]

So sad. I'm ready for part 2