>Do I really need to add modifiers to everything I say to indicate that I'm not speaking in absolutes?

Fair and I do try not to do this wantonly. Here I feel that your gp argument breaks down in the absence of such an absolute. If indeed, we cannot prima facie trust that unions work in their members ( and their students') best interest; why shouldn't we use the troubles of unionized education ( or unionized policing...) as a caution against a possible bad outcome?

Perhaps I misunderstood; and this has just been another internet argument for the wind .