ageism protection: a one way street

[homegrown terror]

i've seen this in several companies' "policy handbooks" and it never ceases to piss me off- they'll list characteristics that are against the rules to discriminate against as such: "race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age (over 65), veteran status, etc." what they're saying is that it's against policy to discriminate against someone for being old, but it's perfectly kosher to discriminate against someone for being young. while i know there are some cases where this could be necessary (not letting teenagers work certain positions due to danger or responsibility required) but as a general principle it's just indicative of the old wealthy rats of industry protecting their generation and keeping themselves in positions of power over the emerging young workers of the world.

if i can find data on it, i'll post a list of major companies who use this policy, but i can tell you right off the bat that walmart is one of the biggest ones. having worked there, i can report firsthand that the old get so much preference over the young and strong that they've basically codified "respect your elders" into a bylaw. (i could go into HUGE detail about the other horrors of working for big blue, but that'd be a whole other thread.) the basic point, our generations need to tear down these persecutions before we're old ourselves, and the majority of us start to fall complacently into the pattern and soak up the ill-gotten gains of social treason.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

As with most other traits in the capitalist system the ruling class uses age as a weapon in order to divide and weaken the working class movement. In most circumstances teenagers are capable of running any section which older workers can.The only exceptions would be where specific knowledge or physical ability is required. Discrimination against people-young and old-will be a major battle which militants must face in order to create socialism.

[cynicles]

Don't forget the good old cappy tactic of generational warfare that they do so love to employ.

[piet11111]

At my workplace i often hear the older ones saying when work is handed out to let the young ones do it as they are "fit and healthy" and when one of the young ones call in sick they say that can't be true nobody in their twenty's could ever have a sore back or get any kind of illness they surely must be lazy.