Constructive criticism, high expectations are a form of love

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body; it calls attention to the development of an unhealthy state of things. If it is heeded in time, danger may be averted; if it is suppressed, a fatal distemper may develop.”

Winston Churchill said this in 1939 in an interview with Kingsley Martin. (Coincidentally, Mr. Churchill was in the final stages of building his own brick home when Martin visited.)

He was specifically talking about the idea that totalitarian governments were the world’s de facto military leaders because they could get things done “without criticism.” He obviously disagreed with the sentiment of blind allegiance as policy, as do I. Which is why, when I hear the following (and I do, often), I cringe:

Whether it is in national politics, local concerns, or a job, there’s always a selection of people surrounding you who cannot accept an opposing idea, let alone any change it might precipitate. Even if they might benefit from it.

Journalist Sydney J. Harris said, “The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war.”

In each instance, be it regarding our government or office politics, I believe that people in power have cultivated “nationalist” thinking in order to maintain their power. They’ve tricked people into thinking a certain paradigm is their identity, and if it tries to evolve, the people feel this anxiety over their ownership of it slipping away.

“Love it or Leave it.”

It might seem like nothing but a catchy phrase for bumper stickers and cheap made-in-China T-shirts, but it’s connected with an isolationist viewpoint that is dangerous if taken at face value. Nothing about America or being an American should be attached to this absolute ultimatum. Just because I disagree with the status quo I should be relegated to another country?

The U.S. was founded on freedom of speech, freedom of beliefs, and a governing body to represent our voices. A lot has changed over the last couple of centuries, and the only thing we know for sure is that change is inevitable. So why not push for what you think is right? That’s the beauty of living in a free society: the idea that we can shape the direction of our country, and that we’re not just pawns to a dictator or king. We don’t have to leave if we don’t love our current position. The American Way is to be part of the change you want to see.

Some of you might remember the string of robberies and thefts I went through in 2016. This isn’t uncommon in Detroit; in fact, it’s borderline impossible to have worked and/or lived in the city for any amount of time without having your car stolen or broken into, or knowing a handful of people who have. It’s been normalized to the point where people aren’t getting upset. They either leave once they’ve been targeted or just shrug their shoulders and say, “Well, that’s just Detroit!”

Here, over 95 percent of car thefts slip through without a single arrest. Commit a violent crime of any type and you’ve got at least an 80 percent chance of getting away scot-free, and that’s before considering the very probable case that you’ll still not go to jail if you get caught. My fabrication shop was wiped out on Thanksgiving night. The guys who did it are seen clearly on video, yet not one arrest has been made. The two cars stolen were my Scat Pack Shaker and a Dodge press 392 Challenger. The Detroit police basically rolled their eyes at me when I reported them. I wrote a long piece about it then called “Detroit Vs Detroit.” Unfortunately, the story has aged very well.

The reason I’m passionate about Detroit’s problems isn’t because I hate the city, it’s because I love it despite its faults. No, I don’t want to leave, I want it to become better. Yet I had dozens of people tell me our crime is just like it is everywhere else; that it’s been like this forever; that it’s going to be like this forever; and that I should shut up, leave, or both.

I currently work as a driver/mechanic in General Dynamic Land Systems’ prototype shop. It’s a UAW shop and overall it’s a pretty cool gig. The benefits are great, but pay is all over the place, depending on when you hired in and what you hired in at. We’ve lost a large part of our raises and have seen other benefits erode from contract to contract. I’m usually pretty vocal about things that I think can be improved, whether it’s closing the pay gap between one employee making $15 per hour more than another who is doing the exact same job, the slow progression (raise) rate, or lack of new hires to fill the places of mechanics that have retired or quit.

All around me are co-workers, from low-seniority guys making relatively small wages to higher-seniority guys at the top of the pay scale, saying things like, “Just be happy you have a job.” “If you don’t like it you can quit.” “Other places are worse.” This isn’t from management, or the union. It’s from working individuals who stand to gain from better conditions, tools, money, and benefits.

I’m still blown away by the phenomenon whereby the most vocal critics of things like an increased minimum wage are the workers making $2 more than minimum wage. Billionaire execs laugh and rake in bonuses while we all fight each other.

In the blue-collar world there is no such thing as standing still. The Man will always take from you as much as possible, for as little as possible. You are either fighting to gain more, or you are slipping behind, and if you are content you will be taken advantage of.

Mixed martial arts fighter Georges St-Pierre sums it up nicely: “Standing still is never a good option. Not in the ring, and not in life ... When you stop moving, you’re done.”

In each of the statements mentioned I’ve gotten blowback from people who would benefit greatly from the change I’m proposing. We need to stop fearing change at its face, and stop quietly taking whatever our politicians, law officials, and bosses deem good enough. We should loudly fight to shape the change to our liking.