A MACHINE MADE OF MEAT--RICK'S FACTORY EDUCATION
I am not making this up, and it is a direct quote from a short story by Terry Bisson in 1991, a Science Fiction story, from which they made a short film in 2006. In the story, two aliens are remarking that they cannot believe these "machines made of meat" actually could contact outer space. The reason I am quoting Terry's brilliant story is that this is a viewpoint that so many CEOs and managers of workers have in our country. The assumption is that people on the floor do not need any special treatment, safety guardrails, or anything which would preserve their health. They are simply "machines made of meat." My husband, who earned money for college (Michigan State) in the 1960s worked in the enormous General Motors plant in Lansing, Michigan. He saw guys get killed trying to unload the trains which came right through the factory, carrying thousands of floor pans and parts for the cars. Old timers, who knew better, would open the door...
