The Action Corporation versus the Movement Company

[Tsiyu]

Action versus Movement



Once upon a time, the Action Corporation and the Movement Company found themselves working together on a project. The goal was to build a house.


The Action Corporation acquired the property where the house was to be built, arranged for inspections and permits and contractors and decided exactly how they wanted the house to look.

Some Movement Company members learned of the plans for the house and became concerned. They knew they would be the ones called upon to build the house. The Movement Company was alarmed because the project was going to be huge but the plans didn’t provide for enough materials. There were no safety rules in place for the workers. Some workers would be legally discriminated against.

Worse, the house was intended for the use of only one person, when everyone knew that the neighborhood in which it was to be built was inhabited by hundreds of homeless people! For the price of one person’s comfort, all of those people – men, women and children – could have shelter.


The Action Corporation ignored the Movement Company’s protests and demands. Some members and friends of the Action Corporation worked in Congress to get the laws passed defining exactly how the house should be built.

The Movement Company was – of course - hired to build the actual house. When they arrived at the job site, they found shoddy materials, dangerous cutting of corners, environmental violations and even human rights violations. Some of them stopped working on the house in protest; their consciences would not let them continue. The Action Corporation called them “crazy and lazy.”

Over time, the Movement Company totally abandoned the project, left the shell of the house standing. It was not worth building if people were only going to be injured, underpaid and mistreated for one person’s benefit. It was not worth building if it was going to fall apart in a few years due to crappy construction.

Was the house finished? What was the cost? How many endings to this story could there be?

In one, the Action Corporation listens, the Movement Corporation wins in the end, a multi-family dwelling is constructed using safe building practices, and the workers are treated well.

In the other ending, the Action Corporation turns its back on the Movement Company and courts the worst sorts of people – those who thrive off shoddy construction and selfish projects and abusing their fellow humans – and hires them to build the house.



Action versus Movement

Do we listen to each other and work together for the benefit of many?

Or do we ignore the other side out of self-interest (and self-indulgence) or legitimate outrage?







War

Torture

Discrimination

Foreclosures

Lack of privacy

Wage Slavery

Health care crisis

POVERTY

These are the issues facing us as we build the house.

[Vincardog]

1. The Action Corportion hire those who thrive off shoddy construction and selfish projects

and the house burns down doe to shoddy construction and sub standard materials.
The Insurance was canceled for non payment and the Action Corporation can't figure what went wrong.

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[nashville_brook]

3. well done.

[Autumn]

4. Excellent

K/R

[treestar]

5. Not exactly

The Action company was building the house for the Movement company, which stood on the sidelines and made complaints and suggestions and demands. Not knowing a thing about electricity, for example, they criticized the electricians and said they should be doing the wiring a different way; said there were not enough outlets in the house, criticized the locations of the outlets - got mad when the drywall went up saying it was the wrong kind - it wasn't the best, but it was the best they could afford at the price they could pay, but they demanded that Action company include the expensive kind without cutting back on other expenses. When this proved impossible and the Action company exclaimed in frustration, Movement company members said they were insulted and left the scene. The house was built but stayed empty and was never improved upon in any way, and in fact, Republican Company came and took it over and smashed it down completely.

[blondeatlast]

7. Did the Action Company discuss the concerns with the Movement Company,

or did they just insist that the house would burn to the ground if it wasn't done the AC's way?

[treestar]

11. It tried to and explained everything, the wiring, the drywall

and other things, but the Movement Company would not hear it and said it was insulted to even hear these things. Further it accused Action of not really wanting to build the house!

[blondeatlast]

16. A little social protocol makes for good management. Sounds like AC

needs some help in that area--smart companies know how to deal with aggrieved customers without losing their status and amking all involved happy.

[treestar]

24. The customer is not always right

Sometimes they are unreasonable and want what they can't have. If people wont' be convinced, it's not only the would be persuader's fault. Some people won't listen and think just insisting on what they want will make it possible.

[blondeatlast]

26. Just what in this scenario isn't negotiable or workable? Did you get the two

eventual scenarios--or did you even bother to read that far?

[Hannah Bell]

9. the action company has never built shit. it just comes in after the movement company to run things

& take the credit -- until it runs them into the ground.

[Bobbie Jo]

12. Excellent response.

:thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

15. The Action Corporation can't build anything because they don't have

the personnel. That's why they needed the Movement Company.

The Action Corporation is good at taking credit for what the Movement Company builds, though. You have to give them that. :)

[Tsiyu]

18. Reread the story

Nowhere does it say that the Movement Company is made of know-nothings.

Some of the Movement Company, in fact, were quite knowledgable about wiring and they also knew the drywall was from China and was going to ruin the house.

As usual, they were called idiots for demanding better drywall and wiring.

And the Action Corp was building the house ostensibly for EVERYONE; at least that's what they maintained.

Or are Action Corp members merely elitists looking their noses down at Movement Company people?

[treestar]

23. Movement company didn't want to pay for better drywall

They just wanted what they wanted. They also wanted diamond paned windows for the same price as ordinary windows. When explained over and over again that their budget did not allow for it, they said they were tired of the corporations charging so much for diamonds - why didn't Action company just get the diamonds for a cheaper price? If they just demanded it, they could get it!

Action company knew this would make them look stupid, and knew they could build a decent shelter without diamond paned windows. Movement company said a house without diamonds with no house at all, no better than the empty lots Republican company would leave there.

[blondeatlast]

25. Since the OP is clearly a parable, I'd love to know what "diamond paned

windows" represent in real political life?

Seems like you just aren't getting the fact that BOTH factions are needed here.

[treestar]

31. They represent single payer I suppose

Or anything that's just not damned good enough.

[Tsiyu]

27. This is how your story ends

Action people are all experts.

Movement people are all pie-in-the-sky dreamers.

How ludicrous. If rights for gay, impoverished, or young people are equated with diamond -paned windows in your book, this explains the problem quite well. If seeking justice and standing up against torture is just "impractical fluff" in your book, you have made my point better than I could.

thank you

[treestar]

32. No one said anything about pie in the sky dreamers

Just dreamers who think of something but don't contribute to making it a reality and criticize those who do try.

I knew you'd say something like that, so the answer is that my diamond paned windows are whatever the votes just aren't there for. No matter how important we need the votes. And you're lying that the government is still torturing people.

[Tsiyu]

34. "And you're lying that the government is still torturing people"

"So stop saying that!"


Okay, can I ask if we should not prosecute those who did torture? Or is that another fluffy diamond-paned window?

Rhetorical question of course....

[Romulox]

35. So to be clear: the "diamond paned windows" DON'T represent the $Trillions sent to AC's bank buds?

:hi:

[laughingliberal]

46. +1000 nt

[Warren Stupidity]

52. Do you have a clue what the rendition program is?

And there is no evidence at all that 'special interrogation techniques' have stopped. The rules issued by the Obama administration, while restricting some of the abusive practices of the Bush administration, have normalized torture as policy. This administration, like the previous one, just defines their practices as 'not torture'.

[Tsiyu]

57. Thank you n/t

[laughingliberal]

47. The price for the drywall was sufficient for the best. AC reached a compromise which involved...

giving the contract for the drywall to a big corporate supporter in order to get an important vote that was needed to move the project forward. Big corporate supporter was paid for superior drywall but found they could order it from China and increase their profits. Drywall was installed and was then found to be inferior and full of formaldehyde. Drywall must now be torn out and replaced, further increasing costs...

[Tsiyu]

53. But but but

inferior drywall is the BEST WE COULD DO!

"If we fight for better drywall, it's Palin in 2012!!!!!!!!!!!"

[dionysus]

51. !!!! YEAH!

:rofl:

:thumbsup:

[blondeatlast]

6. You got it. Big, enthusiastic k/r. nt

[NYC Liberal]

8. Yup. I consider myself an action liberal.

:hi:

[Radical Activist]

10. So what you're saying

is that the movement company is composed of whiny backseat drivers who can't be counted on to pitch-in with the real work and they certainly can't be bothered to design and build a house on their own? That's harsh.

[Tsiyu]

54. No, what I'm saying is that Action peeps

count on Movement folks for votes and work, even when Action folks do not even try to LISTEN to Movement folks or their concerns.

And that Action folks think rights for GLBQT, affordable housing and health care, and torture are merely "fluff" issues, whereas Movement folks think these are primary concerns..

These issues mattered to BOTH sides pre-obama.

What the fuck happened to y'all Action peeps? Lose your principles often or just this week?

[bobbolink]

58. Yup, worker bees used up and tossed away like used Kleenex. Kinda like the corporations do to

*their* workers.

Kinda like BP did to the people near the Gulf.

Notice a trend?

[Tsiyu]

60. "Just shut up and vote, " they say

"Even if you don't get anything out of it, we do! And we're very important Don't forget how important we are . And how useless you are!"

"In fact, you are so useless, your opinions are ridiculed any time you have any! We'll make sure of it."

"But vote for what we want, m'kay?"

[Radical Activist]

61. Then your post makes no sense.

Maybe you're thinking of conservatives and not liberals. The liberals I know are still working hard for the things on your list and that includes those who believe Obama is doing a good job addressing those issues. You seem confused.

[Greyhound]

13. K&R

I almost rebutted the lone critic with the guts to at least write a reply, before I realized the futility of such action. The false premise is the only way any of their arguments can stand.
:kick: & R

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

14. An excellent parable.

And that's coming from Someone who was known to write a few Myself.

[CBR]

17. Proud member of Action Corporation. nt

[Tsiyu]

19. thanks for the recs and responses

I think most of us get it :)


Just trying to help the "action" folks see a little clearer - but they seem to prefer to muddy the water rather than help clear it up

[blondeatlast]

21. Seems fairly clear to me, but since I've worked for both companies maybe

I get it better than others.

Heh, I'm also a paralegal who's sat in on contract and divorce negs. Invaluable! :rofl:

[Tsiyu]

29. Divorce abitration

AAAAAGGHHHHH! :yoiks:


Mediation is hard work.....;)

[blondeatlast]

30. It's much harder when there isn't a "bad guy" in the room, yanno?

When both have something to offer it takes longer and is more intricate but everyone comes out happier and the kids win in the end.

I think the analogy is fitting in many ways...

[Tsiyu]

36. We're just a culture set up to be adversarial

From our Family Courts to our politics, it's always "Us" and "Them."

But the answer isn't compromising on core beliefs. It never has been. Change is born out of long struggles, but they don't have to be long nor do they have to be horrific struggles.

Recognizing the dignity and value of every human is just not that difficult, unless someone stands to gain a lot personally from denying someone else their rights.


Edit to add a thank you for your contributions to this post

[blondeatlast]

37. Edit: Oops, I read that wrong! But yep, God help anyone who can't easily find their "side." nt

[Tsiyu]

38. S'okay

:)

I'm on both sides, i suppose.

But I resent that Movement Co. members are characterized as 'impatient, impractical'

They exhibit a lot of patience, especially here on DU

[blondeatlast]

42. Indeed! nt

[bobbolink]

45. Some people took copious notes from the previous 8 years on how to muddy waters.

:hi:

[Tsiyu]

55. Yes Indeed

Pre-Obama, it seemed like we all had the same goals.

Suddenly, all those goals are just "misty-eyed dreaming."


i guess some here DID learn a lot from the previous administration's obfuscation, talking points and callous disregard for anyone's wellbeing but their own.

[demmiblue]

20. K&R

:kick:

[leeroysphitz]

22. Are either one of these businesses hiring? n/t

[Starry Messenger]

28. k & r

[Romulox]

33. The "Action Corporation" would just outsource the jobs and demand more "free trade" for supplies.

:hi:

[Tsiyu]

56. And yet, they "care"

they care so deeply! :hi:

[TriMera]

39. k & r. n/t

[Eyerish]

40. K&R

[Tsiyu]

41. Kick n/t

[MisterP]

43. the actual split isn't action/movement: it's left/right

many establishment Dems are COMPLETELY FOR one or more of war, torture, prejudice, foreclosure, 4th-Amendment violations, wage slavery, the healthcare crisis, and poverty; their rhetoric may oppose all that, but what COUNTS, their proposed policies and their votes, shows they have the same goals as the 00s GOP mainstream

we don't have mandates without price controls because that was the only way to get funding for clinics and a few extra years on the family insurance plan; it's because, as numerous documentation has shown, the WH wanted to protect Big Insurance and to hell with the populace they're now ordering to vote for them in case Leo Ryan arrives and ruins everything the mean ol' Baggers and Boehner might gloat

[leftstreet]

49. +1

[TBF]

59. I'd call it labor/owners -

but right there with you. "Establishment Democrat" should be an oxymoron, but now it's becoming the status quo.

[readmoreoften]

44. The Action Corporation cons the Movement into building them a house

and then they steal it and give it to their Republican friends and say "Hey, well at least we gave you a JOB!"

[laughingliberal]

48. Nailed it! nt

[meow mix]

50. ++rec