I looked it up, found my local chapter and joined. I’m looking forward to going to my first in-person meeting and getting newsletters. I am ready to make my voice heard.
I think that one of the reasons why socialism has never taken root in America, unlike elsewhere in the world (I’m writing from London) is that your relatively young country hasn’t had to contend with overt fascism, unlike so many other countries in the world. Also, the election of the Orange Moron is the natural conclusion of a system which demonises collectivity and promotes individualism. Trump’s election is the shock that you all needed to reform your political system. The useless Democratic Party are just a part of that rotten system. All power to the many good, thoughtful people in America in your resistance to the Right wing.
So is it accurate that average Britons’ incomes have tumbled since Brexit? I hear from friends in Portugal that vacancies are up because Brits used to make up over 50% of the tourist demand there.
The UK had the National Front since 1967 but it never really gained power, did it? We’ve had the KKK since long before that but it never obtained a foothold outside of the South. Recent UK polling indicates that large percentages of UK’s young are favorably disposed to authoritarianism. UKIP and Reform UK aren’t actual fascist were/are they? Regardless, you don’t have a Churchill and we don’t have an FDR and neither of our countries have too many citizens left who know the kind of character these men possessed. That’s the problem.
That is not true. In the 1920's during the postwar period, the KKK was very popular in NY, and all over the Midwest, the West, and the West Coast, as well as the South. What dampened the KKK was WWII and the fight against Fascism. People have forgotten about the German American Bund, George Lincoln Rockwell, and so.
Sadly, I think you might be, Starmer is essentially the same as your Cheeto turd. He’s really a Conservative, as he will do whatever he is told to by the establishment. His (Kid Starver’s) only interest is personal power, just like your Orangina. BTW, he’s called Kid Starver - sometimes Granny Harmer - here because he refused to lift a cap introduced by the Tories (Conservatives) on child benefit, More than two children don’t receive child benefit - that was something that the Tories introduced because of right wing rubbish about poor people living like King’s on benefits …!!!! I live on sickness benefits since retiring from work, and it’s crap. Kid Starver, in his infinite wisdom, decided that as a nation we couldn’t afford to lift the Tory cap on child benefits. - But, we can send millions to Ukraine to fight that proxy war. Also BTW, ‘Tory’ is the nickname for Conservative here; it’s largely forgotten that it comes from the Irish toraidhe, meaning robber or bandit. A very appropriate nickname, shame it’s origine has been forgotten. Back to your original point, Kid Starver will go along with whatever crap the Cheeto turd (tee hee!) wants.
Interesting take. I was in Portugal right before the U.S. election and there was a big kerfuffle about members of the Labor Party campaigning for Kamala. It was nothing more than Cheeto Jesus creating excrement again from his mouth. But I got the impression that Labor would stand up to this turd we’ve got here driving us over a cliff. I guess I was mistaken.
I’m not too sure about incomes, as I’m recently retired, but everyone is hard up. There seems to be very little money around and everything is expensive. Going abroad on holiday seems like an unjustifiable expense to many people.
Yep: since the stupidity of Brexit, we don’t have the protection of Europe against the US any longer. Now all the bad social, trade and economic practices from America will come to Britain. Starmer won’t stop it: he’s encouraging it 🤬🤬🤬
The National Front didn’t gain power, but sadly with the last - quite rotten - Conservative administration, they were so right wing that many of the NF policies had become incorporated into their governmental policy. What’s even worse is that the horrible Starmer shows no signs of reversing any of their policies.
Interestingly I tried sharing this post to Facebook, twice, and both times it was removed my Facebook. I'm suspecting you're hitting a nerve for whatever reason...
One difficulty, in Canada at least, is the large unions, although not all of their Locals, have bought into a social democracy concept that promotes a kind of compassionate, fair capitalism. The major labour central in Canada, the CLC (Canadian Labour Congress) is a joint party in the social democratic party (the New Democratic Party - NDP) which does not promote socialism or worker control. Canada has two right wing parties: the Liberal Party currently leading a minority government mostly with support from the NDP, and the Conservative Party, now an extreme right wing/neo-fascist party poised to form government after next year’s election. The labour movement can’t get its members to vote social democrat/NDP and makes very little effort to educate them. There is a huge hill to climb for the left in Canada and today’s labour movement is not up to it so I wonder if civil movements are the better option, hoping labour will follow.
As Lenin notes, union are not revolutionary organisations, they are part of capitalism. Revolutionary unionists, however, have a responsibility to knit unions into a wider class struggle aimed at building socialism. Workers need a working class party that can be their own tool to build their own power. Learning from the bottom up strategies discussed here is part of that process. ✊🏼
Hey Ron- I'm moving back to Canada later this year. If you have resources to share around effect labor movement organizers or anything relevant, could you post them?
It's fascinating as an Australian watching, we normally follow the US politically and we're a couple years behind as usual.
Currently the anti union sentiment from our government is insane. Our government and media has been painting our strongest unions as a criminal organisation implying they're thugs and brutes to justify a government takeover including firing hundreds of unionists.
Watching our government destroy our unions and watching what's happened overseas without unions makes you feel like your government is up to something nefarious and they do not have the best interests of blue collar workers.
Many Australian think we are exempt from global politics and this article has given me language that will help me discuss that with those around me.
Thanks for the reminder of why backing blue collar workers is so important.
Here’s the problem with that. The freedom we all supposedly hold so dear, that tens of thousands have given their all for their very existence. The central core of the ideal that is America is not the average American in today’s world strives for or even covets.
You see, even the intellectually laziest among us somehow understands that freedom requires responsibility. One of the things that’s high on the list of real world dynamics the average American avoids at all cost.
Our supposed longing for freedom is near lip service. The last thing the average ‘Murikkkan covets is responsibility.
Considering that same individual shirks his responsibility of civil duties and every opportunity, I contend at least my theory is correct. The concept speaks for itself.
The American dream of freedom is a bit like a child’s dream of freedom. To be free to not brush teeth and not have to do homework and be allowed to eat ice cream for dinner. It lacks foresight.
Interesting take on Argentina. Keep in mind that not only are there strong unions there, but there are almost daily large protests. There is no class consciousness in the U.S. Maybe just maybe, more will emerge with the billionaire class corruption and power being exposed. But the divisions based on racism and the disinformation here point in a different direction. Must work with the realities we have here. How will tRump voters react to what he is implementing? Don’t think the plans he is implementing are why many voted for him. And apparently in his FOX interview he said he didn’t care about the economy.
“…If you recall the history of fascism, you might know that a strong state was often a key facet of the programs implemented in the 1930s and ‘40s. The fascist leadership typically sought to limit the autonomy of capitalists and their corporations, and subordinate them to the state. But the iteration of fascism embodied by Trump and Milei prioritizes the interests of the oligarch class to such a degree that limiting the capacity of the state, both to regulate corporations and to provide services that could instead be privatized for profit, becomes the number one priority.”
So what they are doing doesn’t meet the definition of fascism so let’s change it?
Illuminating article. Thank you. One thing that worries me is the union activism angle. Union density has decreased dramatically. I don’t see a willingness among American workers to engage in mass strikes and other disruptions.
So very good. There is much more that we can do than just protest in our capitols. We must organize a labor movement to oppose the privatization of our public entities. GeneralStrikeUS.com is a good place to start.
In a nation of gig workers, myself one of them, how do we unionize? I work for my clients, mostly one on one. I belong to a professional organization for licensing and insurance but I don’t think an association of massage therapists is gonna be where I find the fuel to fight. Gosh. I hope I’m wrong.
Sorry, just seeing this…This really is WW3, isn’t it? The Nazi, Authoritarian, Fascists vs the forces of Democracy. We all need to join the Resistance.
Your writing has inspired me to join my local DSA organization. I just went to my first meeting and am feeling energized. Thank you for your work.
I looked it up, found my local chapter and joined. I’m looking forward to going to my first in-person meeting and getting newsletters. I am ready to make my voice heard.
What is DSA? I want to help; to be ready; to be part of the resistance…. But I don’t know what to do.
Democratic Socialists of America. I think J.P. Hill has links to their website in his newsletter. Look for a chapter local to you.
Thank you! I will.
I believe she’s referring to her local Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) org
Rockin! I just joined my local DSA chapter! Planning on going to my first event next week!
Why did you choose DSA over PSL? Just curious.
Cuz I don't know what PSL is:)
Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL)
Great book suggestions. I just recently started Let This Radicalize You.
I think that one of the reasons why socialism has never taken root in America, unlike elsewhere in the world (I’m writing from London) is that your relatively young country hasn’t had to contend with overt fascism, unlike so many other countries in the world. Also, the election of the Orange Moron is the natural conclusion of a system which demonises collectivity and promotes individualism. Trump’s election is the shock that you all needed to reform your political system. The useless Democratic Party are just a part of that rotten system. All power to the many good, thoughtful people in America in your resistance to the Right wing.
So is it accurate that average Britons’ incomes have tumbled since Brexit? I hear from friends in Portugal that vacancies are up because Brits used to make up over 50% of the tourist demand there.
The UK had the National Front since 1967 but it never really gained power, did it? We’ve had the KKK since long before that but it never obtained a foothold outside of the South. Recent UK polling indicates that large percentages of UK’s young are favorably disposed to authoritarianism. UKIP and Reform UK aren’t actual fascist were/are they? Regardless, you don’t have a Churchill and we don’t have an FDR and neither of our countries have too many citizens left who know the kind of character these men possessed. That’s the problem.
That is not true. In the 1920's during the postwar period, the KKK was very popular in NY, and all over the Midwest, the West, and the West Coast, as well as the South. What dampened the KKK was WWII and the fight against Fascism. People have forgotten about the German American Bund, George Lincoln Rockwell, and so.
Sadly, I think you might be, Starmer is essentially the same as your Cheeto turd. He’s really a Conservative, as he will do whatever he is told to by the establishment. His (Kid Starver’s) only interest is personal power, just like your Orangina. BTW, he’s called Kid Starver - sometimes Granny Harmer - here because he refused to lift a cap introduced by the Tories (Conservatives) on child benefit, More than two children don’t receive child benefit - that was something that the Tories introduced because of right wing rubbish about poor people living like King’s on benefits …!!!! I live on sickness benefits since retiring from work, and it’s crap. Kid Starver, in his infinite wisdom, decided that as a nation we couldn’t afford to lift the Tory cap on child benefits. - But, we can send millions to Ukraine to fight that proxy war. Also BTW, ‘Tory’ is the nickname for Conservative here; it’s largely forgotten that it comes from the Irish toraidhe, meaning robber or bandit. A very appropriate nickname, shame it’s origine has been forgotten. Back to your original point, Kid Starver will go along with whatever crap the Cheeto turd (tee hee!) wants.
Interesting take. I was in Portugal right before the U.S. election and there was a big kerfuffle about members of the Labor Party campaigning for Kamala. It was nothing more than Cheeto Jesus creating excrement again from his mouth. But I got the impression that Labor would stand up to this turd we’ve got here driving us over a cliff. I guess I was mistaken.
I’m not too sure about incomes, as I’m recently retired, but everyone is hard up. There seems to be very little money around and everything is expensive. Going abroad on holiday seems like an unjustifiable expense to many people.
Labour is no better than Tories which have adopted NF policies? Maybe the UK is as bad off as the US?
Yep: since the stupidity of Brexit, we don’t have the protection of Europe against the US any longer. Now all the bad social, trade and economic practices from America will come to Britain. Starmer won’t stop it: he’s encouraging it 🤬🤬🤬
The National Front didn’t gain power, but sadly with the last - quite rotten - Conservative administration, they were so right wing that many of the NF policies had become incorporated into their governmental policy. What’s even worse is that the horrible Starmer shows no signs of reversing any of their policies.
An American Beast
There’s a pair of cowardly yellow eyes staring out of the heart of the darkness.
Staring up at the moon like a baleful werewolf,
Keeping to the shadows
Well away from the water lest he catch a glimpse of his own bestial reflection.
He licks his lips and drools his greed onto his matted stained hair
An American beast is hungry for the lives of our children
He only feasts on promises as the truth twists his stomach sick.
An American beast charms the habits off of nuns and desecrates their crucifixes to hang burning bodies from.
An American beast prowls the suburbs at night
Spilling the trash cans filled with hypocrisies all over their emerald sprinkler lawns
There is no midway between lies and facts.
There is no halfway between discourse and violence.
There is no middle ground between democracy and fascism.
There is no soul beating within the American beast
There is no worth to the MAGA-beast!
Http://igorgoldkind.com
Interestingly I tried sharing this post to Facebook, twice, and both times it was removed my Facebook. I'm suspecting you're hitting a nerve for whatever reason...
Your still using?
One difficulty, in Canada at least, is the large unions, although not all of their Locals, have bought into a social democracy concept that promotes a kind of compassionate, fair capitalism. The major labour central in Canada, the CLC (Canadian Labour Congress) is a joint party in the social democratic party (the New Democratic Party - NDP) which does not promote socialism or worker control. Canada has two right wing parties: the Liberal Party currently leading a minority government mostly with support from the NDP, and the Conservative Party, now an extreme right wing/neo-fascist party poised to form government after next year’s election. The labour movement can’t get its members to vote social democrat/NDP and makes very little effort to educate them. There is a huge hill to climb for the left in Canada and today’s labour movement is not up to it so I wonder if civil movements are the better option, hoping labour will follow.
As Lenin notes, union are not revolutionary organisations, they are part of capitalism. Revolutionary unionists, however, have a responsibility to knit unions into a wider class struggle aimed at building socialism. Workers need a working class party that can be their own tool to build their own power. Learning from the bottom up strategies discussed here is part of that process. ✊🏼
Organize my family.
Hey Ron- I'm moving back to Canada later this year. If you have resources to share around effect labor movement organizers or anything relevant, could you post them?
Great piece.
It's fascinating as an Australian watching, we normally follow the US politically and we're a couple years behind as usual.
Currently the anti union sentiment from our government is insane. Our government and media has been painting our strongest unions as a criminal organisation implying they're thugs and brutes to justify a government takeover including firing hundreds of unionists.
Watching our government destroy our unions and watching what's happened overseas without unions makes you feel like your government is up to something nefarious and they do not have the best interests of blue collar workers.
Many Australian think we are exempt from global politics and this article has given me language that will help me discuss that with those around me.
Thanks for the reminder of why backing blue collar workers is so important.
Here’s the problem with that. The freedom we all supposedly hold so dear, that tens of thousands have given their all for their very existence. The central core of the ideal that is America is not the average American in today’s world strives for or even covets.
You see, even the intellectually laziest among us somehow understands that freedom requires responsibility. One of the things that’s high on the list of real world dynamics the average American avoids at all cost.
Our supposed longing for freedom is near lip service. The last thing the average ‘Murikkkan covets is responsibility.
Considering that same individual shirks his responsibility of civil duties and every opportunity, I contend at least my theory is correct. The concept speaks for itself.
The American dream of freedom is a bit like a child’s dream of freedom. To be free to not brush teeth and not have to do homework and be allowed to eat ice cream for dinner. It lacks foresight.
Our most cherished freedom is the freedom to say and do extremely stupid shit…..
And to have endless uneducated opinions about everything
Fantastic article. Thanks
Interesting take on Argentina. Keep in mind that not only are there strong unions there, but there are almost daily large protests. There is no class consciousness in the U.S. Maybe just maybe, more will emerge with the billionaire class corruption and power being exposed. But the divisions based on racism and the disinformation here point in a different direction. Must work with the realities we have here. How will tRump voters react to what he is implementing? Don’t think the plans he is implementing are why many voted for him. And apparently in his FOX interview he said he didn’t care about the economy.
“…If you recall the history of fascism, you might know that a strong state was often a key facet of the programs implemented in the 1930s and ‘40s. The fascist leadership typically sought to limit the autonomy of capitalists and their corporations, and subordinate them to the state. But the iteration of fascism embodied by Trump and Milei prioritizes the interests of the oligarch class to such a degree that limiting the capacity of the state, both to regulate corporations and to provide services that could instead be privatized for profit, becomes the number one priority.”
So what they are doing doesn’t meet the definition of fascism so let’s change it?
Maybe you are the fascist?
Illuminating article. Thank you. One thing that worries me is the union activism angle. Union density has decreased dramatically. I don’t see a willingness among American workers to engage in mass strikes and other disruptions.
So very good. There is much more that we can do than just protest in our capitols. We must organize a labor movement to oppose the privatization of our public entities. GeneralStrikeUS.com is a good place to start.
In a nation of gig workers, myself one of them, how do we unionize? I work for my clients, mostly one on one. I belong to a professional organization for licensing and insurance but I don’t think an association of massage therapists is gonna be where I find the fuel to fight. Gosh. I hope I’m wrong.
https://generalstrikeus.com/
sign up! They also have a list of partner organizations to get involved in
Sorry, just seeing this…This really is WW3, isn’t it? The Nazi, Authoritarian, Fascists vs the forces of Democracy. We all need to join the Resistance.