Boiled In Oil

From Moonbootica at Eschaton:

http://mutualist.blogspot.com/2008/05/review-mind-of-market-by-michael.html

The average American, likewise, looks at the inequalities and injustices of our corporatist economic system, made possible by massive state intervention on behalf of organized capital, and sees it defended as the "free market." And his response is the same: "If this is the free market, I'll go to hell."

Case in point: A local contract worker was, and I shit you NOT, literally boiled in oil here. Because he was a contract worker, all of the health care and money he will ever get is from the Worker's Compensation fund, due to a recent decision by the State Supreme Court:

Eiland says big business had already been pushing a law that would shield them from contract employee accident claims in Texas, but, “Since 1995, there have been five attempts,” he said. “Five times, shot down.”

So, without the legislature’s help, experts say industry began focusing on another possibility: the Texas Supreme Court and the case of Entergy vs. Summers.

It’s where they finally succeeded.

In the case, the judges ruled that if Texas companies bought a certain type of worker’s compensation insurance, they were protected from contract worker lawsuits stemming from injury.

Eiland’s reaction?

“My initial reaction was ‘they didn’t do this,’” he said.

"If this is the free market, I'll go to hell."