The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is headed by Karen Lewis, who spends no time in classrooms. Of course, you likely think the Czar is criticizing her teaching experience; in fact, she appears to have spent little time in classrooms as a student herself.

As you heard, she made yet another firebrand speech—what is it with these lefty speeches lately—in which she stated that labor has reached a point where killing people might be necessary pretty soon. In other words, she’s a total idiot who should be condemned and censored, but because she’s she’s a progressive liberal, that’s something that will be celebrated by the media instead.

Curious how quickly progressives assume violence is the necessary next step.

But proof of her utter ignorance follows that money quote:

That’s scary to most people. But the key is, they think nothing about killing us. They think nothing about putting our people in harm’s way. They think nothing about lethal working conditions.

This is typical union bullcrap.

There hasn’t been a lethal working condition in this country since mining was redone by the unions in the 1940s. Instead, it’s been nothing but today’s soft and pissy union members living off that safety quote like they had anything to do with it.

The Czar would be curious to see a union member from 1918 brought to 2013, and get his response to all the things unions are crying poor about. No doubt he would be excited at first to see that labor won many essential concessions, and that his kids would not die in the same factory he probably did. But then, his elation would turn to disgust when he saw how today’s members were taking credit for what he and his brethren did. And then disgust would turn to horror when he saw that the only things unions were fighting for today were more and more odiously over-reaching pay hikes. Because he would realize in an instant that unions became the fat pigs calling the shots that they fought against.

Today’s unions are a bunch of pathetic whiners who live in fantasy land.

Now, mind you, the Czar still thinks trade unions (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and so on) do fantastic work and can cite many examples of their superior craftsmanship versus non-union competitors. But trade unions understand free trade, and keep their interests small and controlled. Many trade unions are open to negotiations, and often assure management that a weak economy is the worst time to strike.

But Karen Lewis is a public sector union member, and the only hardship she ever had to face is, once, she had to work to almost 5:01 PM on a weekday. Not one of her administrators has ever been killed by a stapler. She has never been put in harm’s way. She has never known lethal working conditions, unlike some of the students in Chicago Public Schools, who literally risk life and limb in some high schools thanks to her very union.

No doubt she will say, “That’s true,” and add, “Thanks to my union.” But no one in the CTU has ever faced sickness or disease in an unsanitary school, or had their hands severed by an unsafe cutting machine in a school office, or been forced to work until exhaustion, perhaps 80 hours a week, under the age of 16. Even in 1918.

For her to associate herself with Jurgis Rudkus watching a co-worker ground into sausage is utter fantasy. Here are other things she could also take credit for:

1. …Like the time the CTU beat the Soviets to the moon.
2. …Like the time the CTU charged Bunker Hill to the heat of British guns.
3. …Like the time Karen Lewis trudged through the paddies of the Sông Hồng valley dealing with some REMF logisitical team.

The Czar likes that last one, because if anyone is a Rear Echelon MFer, it’s Karen Lewis.

Of course, you can hear the laughter and applause from the audience; laughter, because the Czar thinks half the audience thought she must be joking. And applause, because the other half thinks she’s right.

Anyone who educated Karen Lewis at any time in her past cannot be proud of what she said; they can only be embarrassed that they did not do a better job in teaching her. She denigrates the real human beings who suffered under horrible working conditions almost a century ago; she denigrates herself absolutely.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.