First comes a quotation from the lyrics, then an analysis, for instance:
"From the Monongaleh valley
To the Mesabi iron range
To the coal mines of Appalacchia
The story’s always the same
Seven-hundred tons of metal a day
Now sir you tell me the world’s changed
Once I made you rich enough
Rich enough to forget my name"This excerpt from Bruce Springsteen’s song "Youngstown" suggests that
he is owed something for making the plant owners rich. According to
economists Paul Gomme and Peter Rupert,
labor’s share of value-added in the nonfinancial corporate sector is
around 74%. Are these perspectives at odds with one another? Please
explain.
Here is the blog, an offshoot from Division of Labor. Here is a discussion of "Rock Island Line." Here is George Harrison’s "Taxman." Thanks to Dan Klein for the pointer.
The Trees, by Rush:
There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunligh
And the oaks ignore their pleas
The trouble with the maples
(and theyre quite convinced theyre right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light
But the oaks cant help their feelings
If they like the way theyre made
And they wonder why the maples
Cant be happy in their shade?
There is trouble in the forest
And the creatures all have fled
As the maples scream `oppression!`
And the oaks, just shake their heads
So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
the oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light
Now theres no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw …
labor’s share of value-added in the nonfinancial corporate sector is around 74%
Does this include the owner’s and upper management’s compensation, which goes considerably beyond profit-sharing (I assume this is what’s being excluded)?
It’s “Monongahela”, as any good Pittsburgher can tell you.
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