B&R are definitely labor aristocrats but, in my experience, are also gatekeepers and redirect a lot of young revolutionary energy into pointless committees and discussions and proposals, and so on, until it just gets murdered in bureaucracy. And the ones I know talk a big game about unions but when it comes time to actually holding solidarity with them they basically tell the unions to go fuck themselves because they’re doing their own thing. It’s not a sexy tale of political intrigue. But it sounds and felt to me like how feds try to prevent an increasingly radicalizing segment of the population from thinking that socialist parties or socialism in general are worth pursuing.
Whether they are feds or just assholes doesn’t even matter, the effect is the same. They push everyone out in their attempt to hold onto power and then the people who leave are bitter about organizing or socialism in general. It’s really sad actually.
I was already radicalized and organizing before most of those idiots so it didn’t jade me generally but it hits people trying to get organized for the first time very differently. And I think that’s the point.
pointless committees and discussions and proposals, and so on, until it just gets murdered in bureaucracy
This honestly sounds like the white collar idea of organizing which, without theory, is defaulting to your own workplace. I kind of struggle with that as a developer but at least kanban boards prioritize doing actual work.
B&R are definitely labor aristocrats but, in my experience, are also gatekeepers and redirect a lot of young revolutionary energy into pointless committees and discussions and proposals, and so on, until it just gets murdered in bureaucracy. And the ones I know talk a big game about unions but when it comes time to actually holding solidarity with them they basically tell the unions to go fuck themselves because they’re doing their own thing. It’s not a sexy tale of political intrigue. But it sounds and felt to me like how feds try to prevent an increasingly radicalizing segment of the population from thinking that socialist parties or socialism in general are worth pursuing.
Whether they are feds or just assholes doesn’t even matter, the effect is the same. They push everyone out in their attempt to hold onto power and then the people who leave are bitter about organizing or socialism in general. It’s really sad actually.
I was already radicalized and organizing before most of those idiots so it didn’t jade me generally but it hits people trying to get organized for the first time very differently. And I think that’s the point.
This honestly sounds like the white collar idea of organizing which, without theory, is defaulting to your own workplace. I kind of struggle with that as a developer but at least kanban boards prioritize doing actual work.