Now Its Abby

We open with a docking accident, and look at the life of the proletariat on B5. its, not great. A thing I enjoy about Babylon 5 is that it is not so far in the future that our society has made much progress, and thus stories about our society are ripe for the telling.

Long hours, overstressed, failing equipment, high pressure job.

This episode is about the 81 air traffic controller strike right? This story is a condemnation of the reagan administrations response and the decline of labor protections that followed.

Oh well, I'm sure they'll just suck it up and get to work

When you make striking illegal you remove the only non-violent recourse workers have. The last resort the capitalist who is desperately clinging to their stolen wealth.

And it doesn't even work! I grew up in West Virginia, I'm very familiar with "labor disputes" (more on this later). My sister is a teacher. Teachers, as state employees, are not allowed to strike, but that sure as shit didn't stop them from doing a wildcat strike some years ago. And it worked! So, point is, making strikes illegal does stop them happening. It just gives the government an excuse to abuse workers.

Damn sinclair looks like shit lol. The more we learn of earth gov the worse it seems lol. Idt we're given much historical info on the Rush Act, only that it seems to be the sword of damocles that hangs over all labor disputes. The legal justification for using violence to resolve them in the governments favor whenever it wants.

Ain't it always the way. This episode is aimed squarely at the american government. Always ready to buy more bombs, never willing to help its people.

Also this 'negotiator' is so fucking bad at his job lmao. Comes in just looking for an excuse to invoke the rush act, doesn't even pretend to try and work with the union just "we already decided how much money to give you and I can't do anything to help. I only the power to hurt you if don't agree".

Anyway the inevitable happens.

Matewan is a real place, in case you were unaware. Its in West Virginia (told you it'd come up). A coal mining town that started the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest violent labor dispute in American history. The truly excellent movie Matewan (1987) dramatize this and I heartly recommend it if you are interested. It makes me weep for the West Virginia that could have been.

Also, it's "Mate-wan" not "Mat-a-wan".

Heh get 'im. Daily reminder thay cops are class traitors. The conflict is resolved with Sinclair's cleverness, however, and violence is generally avoided.

Asking for clarification like this should put anyone on alert for malicious compliance lmao

This resolution has pretty lib vibes, I'll admit, but damn if it isn't satisfying to see someone's weapon used against them

Oh and there's also the B plot is honestly a lot of fun

See! I told you the Narn have a faith, multiple in fact. I really wonder way it never came up in episode 5. Anyway, the accident that kick starts the main plot also starts this one. G'kar had a special plant on that transport that he needs for a religious ceremony. Mollari is the only person on station with one, and that means we get so many delicious interactions between the two of them

Its a lot of tit-for-tat style bickering and petty crimes and its just great.

I feel its also an important step in pulling G'kar away from the "villianous schemer" archetype he has for much of the season, as it gives him a lot of sympathy.