1. "The most successful engineers in a manufacturing plant are usually those who have the best rapport with workers. The engineer may have a superior theoretical background, but the long term employee knows the practicalities of what works and what doesn't work. "

2. "In quality and productivity improvement team meetings, some of the best ideas come from the hourly paid workers."

3. "New technologies are usually developed and tested via the implementation and involvement of experienced, conscientious employees, including all levels of the organization: workers on the line, engineers, professionals of all kinds and managers."

All of these were said by - get this - a management consultant. So as you see there's a liberal bias in management as well.

Have you even seen one of those "quality circles?". Sometimes they're called "productivity improvement teams" or "task forces". All of them resemble soviet commitees. And look at the things they talk about: "if we're more efficient, won't that mean downsizing?" Greedy workers, all they care about is their jobs, no matter what effect it has on profits.

And they go on and on, saying that just because productivity and profits had gone up they should have more pay, more vacations, and more less stressful jobs. Notice the pattern - MORE! MORE! MORE! But it isn't workers that make the economy grow - only investors can do that.

What managers need to understand is that workers should be treated the same as any other machinery - in fact, they should be treated worse than machinery, because machines don't suck up profits like workers do.