That’s why I qualified my remark with “mainstream”. I’m talking Bernie-like figures who are widely known and respected by liberals.
But Bernie constantly calls for people to organize at the grassroots level, to join unions, to seek alternatives to oligarch resources?
As I said above the problem is that the right people aren’t providing those instructions, but also: strike, strike, strike. I’m getting past the point where I can make authoritative-sounding statements, but I find it really weird that what is arguably the strongest weapon in the working class’s arsenal is barely being talked about. Yes I know groundwork is necessary for that (though I’d argue it’s not nearly as much as commonly thought), but still someone needs to get the conversation from “strike? But my job/insurance/whatever!” to “how do we make it possible,” and at least from my position outside America I haven’t heard of anything on this front.
Bernie has spoken in support of strikes as a tool for pressuring not just employers but the oligarchy more broadly numerous times. If you’re talking a general strike, that’s a nice idea, but as you yourself note, there is a problem of needing groundwork (and support) for that. Groundwork which people seem disinterested in.
But Bernie constantly calls for people to organize at the grassroots level, to join unions, to seek alternatives to oligarch resources?
Organize and do what? Because the only thing I’ve heard Bernie saying in the past five months in the way of concrete action is “vote and call your representative”.
Bernie has spoken in support of strikes as a tool for pressuring not just employers but the oligarchy more broadly numerous times.
Did he do so at any time after Trump’s inauguration? If so I’ll take back my statement, but I remember a conspicuous lack of such rhetoric during the oligarchy rallies, for instance.
Organizing is the first step, the groundwork. This is exactly what I’m talking about when I bitch about people wanting immediate action without placing the groundwork.
Because the only thing I’ve heard Bernie saying in the past five months in the way of concrete action is “vote and call your representative”.
“Join your local unions, form local unions, support strikes”
Short of calling for illegal action (based but probably not realistic to expect from a sitting member of the legislature who will probably be hindered more than helped by a stay in jail) or a general strike (see: above comment about groundwork), again, as mentioned at the start of this, I’m not sure what you want him to be saying.
Did he do so at any time after Trump’s inauguration? If so I’ll take back my statement, but I remember a conspicuous lack of such rhetoric during the oligarchy rallies, for instance.
Fucking hate the enshittification of search engines, finding a set of transcripts or simply searching tweets is a fucking Herculean task. I’ll get back to you on this if I find more than fucking two transcripts.
Certainly true, but what you’re organizing for is also important, because organizing can be the groundwork for anything from negotiating better wages to starting a revolution. My point was that it’s very possible that the sort of organizing we’re talking about is very different from what Bernie is calling for. It’s still useful advice, but not “fighting words,” so to speak.
Fucking hate the enshittification of search engines, finding a set of transcripts or simply searching tweets is a fucking Herculean task. I’ll get back to you on this if I find more than fucking two transcripts.
Certainly true, but what you’re organizing for is also important, because organizing can be the groundwork for anything from negotiating better wages to starting a revolution. My point was that it’s very possible that the sort of organizing we’re talking about is very different from what Bernie is calling for. It’s still useful advice, but not “fighting words,” so to speak.
I would argue that organization is a tool - unions have long been used for much broader ends than just the welfare of the workers in the individual union against the individual employer they are formed around. Being organized is, itself, a means to coordinate action on much broader issues - being organized to negotiate better wages puts you in a better position to start a revolution as well, even if that’s not your initial intent. I mean, that’s why unions have been at the forefront of nearly every major leftist revolution.
More broadly, it’s why fascists (and, before fascism as a mass movement arose, late 19th century imperialists) co-op things like sports clubs, and why, historically, guilds and public fellowships were often suppressed or coopted by the reigning authorities - a tool may be made with a single intent, but it invariably has many uses if people become motivated to apply them.
Uh… good luck, you’ll need it.
Yeah, I’m… not sure that I have the motivation or morale to continue much more on that account.
Normally I’m an enemy of nostalgic thinking, remembering quite distinctly what the mid-late 2000s were like, but fuck, man, at least the search engines worked.
But Bernie constantly calls for people to organize at the grassroots level, to join unions, to seek alternatives to oligarch resources?
Bernie has spoken in support of strikes as a tool for pressuring not just employers but the oligarchy more broadly numerous times. If you’re talking a general strike, that’s a nice idea, but as you yourself note, there is a problem of needing groundwork (and support) for that. Groundwork which people seem disinterested in.
Organize and do what? Because the only thing I’ve heard Bernie saying in the past five months in the way of concrete action is “vote and call your representative”.
Did he do so at any time after Trump’s inauguration? If so I’ll take back my statement, but I remember a conspicuous lack of such rhetoric during the oligarchy rallies, for instance.
Organizing is the first step, the groundwork. This is exactly what I’m talking about when I bitch about people wanting immediate action without placing the groundwork.
“Join your local unions, form local unions, support strikes”
Short of calling for illegal action (based but probably not realistic to expect from a sitting member of the legislature who will probably be hindered more than helped by a stay in jail) or a general strike (see: above comment about groundwork), again, as mentioned at the start of this, I’m not sure what you want him to be saying.
Fucking hate the enshittification of search engines, finding a set of transcripts or simply searching tweets is a fucking Herculean task. I’ll get back to you on this if I find more than fucking two transcripts.
Certainly true, but what you’re organizing for is also important, because organizing can be the groundwork for anything from negotiating better wages to starting a revolution. My point was that it’s very possible that the sort of organizing we’re talking about is very different from what Bernie is calling for. It’s still useful advice, but not “fighting words,” so to speak.
Uh… good luck, you’ll need it.
I would argue that organization is a tool - unions have long been used for much broader ends than just the welfare of the workers in the individual union against the individual employer they are formed around. Being organized is, itself, a means to coordinate action on much broader issues - being organized to negotiate better wages puts you in a better position to start a revolution as well, even if that’s not your initial intent. I mean, that’s why unions have been at the forefront of nearly every major leftist revolution.
More broadly, it’s why fascists (and, before fascism as a mass movement arose, late 19th century imperialists) co-op things like sports clubs, and why, historically, guilds and public fellowships were often suppressed or coopted by the reigning authorities - a tool may be made with a single intent, but it invariably has many uses if people become motivated to apply them.
Yeah, I’m… not sure that I have the motivation or morale to continue much more on that account.
Normally I’m an enemy of nostalgic thinking, remembering quite distinctly what the mid-late 2000s were like, but fuck, man, at least the search engines worked.