The Bridge Over The River Tweed

Last week I watched The Bridge Over The River Kwai for the first time ever. Excellent movie and I highly suggest it be watched. Sadly I saw a corollary between the movie and the UFT and the DOE.

For those unfamiliar with the movie here is its synopsis in a nutshell.

Think about it. In the role of the Japanese commandant of the prison camp, Colonel Saito is Joel Klein. In the role of Colonel Nicholson is Mike Mulgrew. No think about it. Saito tried to break Nicholson who claimed that officers, according to the Geneva Convention were allowed to do manual labor. Nicholson showed a copy of the Geneva Convention to Saito and Saito threw it away, much as our contract has been respected by Joel Klein.

Nicholson is then put into the hole, or the Rubber Room. When he survives it and refuses to give in he is cheered upon his release. The scene then cuts to a crying hysterical Saito realizing he had lost.

This is where we had Bloomberg and Klein last year on extending mayoral control, an the recent cave for the RtTT. We had Saito, or Klein if you will, on the ropes. The UFT was in control.

So Nicholson decides that he is going to build the bridge. He and his officers have a meeting with Saito and his staff. Nicholson is in control of the agenda the entire time. Saito is a mere sock puppet for Nicholson. Nicholson and the prisoners were in control.

But the bridge is being built under the guise of it being a morale boost. Nicholson is slowly turning into a collaborator.

In comes escapee Major Shears, played by James Eterno. He is on a mission to blow up the bridge. Him, and a couple of English chaps.

So at night Shears, er I mean, Eterno put explosives all along the bridge. The plan is to detonate the charges the next morning when the first train passes over.

But what happens? The river recedes and the lines and explosives are exposed. Nicholson notices this and starts to follow the lines with Saito in tow. Nicholson follows the line to the rock in which a detonator and one of Shears pals is hidden. At the last second Shears buddy jumps up and does away with Saito, but Nicholson cries out for help. Shears' pal is gunned down and now comes Shears to the rescue. Shears is also shut and then and only then does Nicholson come to his senses. He cries out, "what have I done?" At this point he is hit with a mortar round and falls on the detonator. KABOOM goes the bridge.

So what is my point? My point is, and after seeing this over at Queens Teacher, is what the heck happened? The union had the DOE by the gonads in 2002, 2009, and 2010 and just caved. I know I am not an expert negotiator, but I do know once you have hand you don't give it back. Why do we have a collaborator better suited for Vichy France or the ghettos of Poland leading us?

Madness, madness.