Is Labour The Big Loser?

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Hunter Thompson was never much of an overt supporter of organized labour. I figure he was way too much the Charley Varrick type for that.

But he always rooted for the underdog. And, more importantly, he knew how to find the best in tough times. Here's what he had to say when George Bush squashed John Kerry, just like he'd predicted, based on the parallels between 2004 and Nixon/McGovern in 1972.

"Their army is how much bigger than mine? Three percent? Well shucks, Bubba. Now is the time to establish a network and an attitude," he said. "You make friends in moments of defeat. People in defeat tend to bond because they need each other. We can't take the attitude that it's over and we give up. We're still here."

Point is, progressives, or even centrists, have been banged like a gong for sometime now in all corners South of the 49th.

But that's nothing compared to the losing streak of organized labour up here on Left Coast Canuckistan which, arguably, goes all the way back to the Munrovian Sellout of the Solidarity Movement in 1983. And now the cheerleading sportscasters.....errrrr..... mediamavens are calling it a humiliating shutout loss for the BC Teachers' Federation.

So here's hoping the teachers stick together and gather up all the friends they can find. I certainly consider myself one of them. And so do my wife and kids, who will be taking muffins to them on the line this morning. And if the judge wants to freeze our culinary assets we say 'Come and get 'em!' because the remains are locked away in the basement freezer right beside the summer gone's left-over Revellos.

But, more seriously, here's hoping anybody who works for a living or who has profitted from all things progressive in the Province of British Columbia (ie. everybody) remembers that we, the people, never got anything by knuckling under.

And besides, as another of Mr. Thompson's favorites, young Bob, once said:

"For the loser now will be later to win"

So here's to changing times.

And to all those cheerleaders who keep bleating that it's time for the teachers to pack it in, they should learn something that real players know deep in their guts - that you can't win if you're not in the game.

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