european general strike: "end this downward spiral"

Four European workers explain why their union is participating in the general strike: "Why we are striking against austerity in Europe" in The Guardian.

In many sectors, union "leadership", content to settle for crumbs, were dragged along by the organized rank and file. Even among unionized employees, there is no substitute for self-organization, no shortcuts to liberation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

marxism 2011 program notes: prospects for the left under a harper majority

These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * This was just weeks after the 2011 election, and is very interesting to think about at the one-year mark of Harper's majority. Given what we know now - Jack Layton's death, the NDP's election of a centrist leader, the continued revelations of Conservative election fraud, the extreme ideology of the Harper government - what would we add to this today? Prospects for the Left under a Harper Majority Panel Discussion, May 28, 2011 Monique Moisan, Quebec Solidaire The election results from Quebec amazed everyone. We knew there was an “orange wave” but no one knew how big it was! Quebec is clearly anti-Harper. We know what Quebec doesn’t want! This was not an anti-Bloc vote, as many think. It was a statement that sovereignty is not an issue for most Quebec voters. The issues are was Layton talked about: public services, health care, pensions. Economic security. The Bloc formed in 1993 ...
Read more

wolves get reprieve, let's make it permanent

Image
While I wait for an important update on some war resister news, I'll post this info from NRDC. If you value the wild places left on earth, and you oppose killing animals simply out of bigotry and bloodlust, please sign this petition. Public opinion does matter in these issues. The fate of Yellowstone's wolves is hanging in the balance right now. Hundreds of wolves got a last-minute reprieve when President Obama put a freeze on Bush's midnight rule that would have stripped wolves in the Northern Rockies of their endangered species protection -- leaving them vulnerable to mass killing. But this "stay of execution" is only temporary, pending review by the new Interior Secretary. Now we must rush into action -- and convince Interior Secretary Salazar to reverse Bush's deadly policy and maintain strong federal protection for wolves. Please make your own voice heard. Send your Citizen Petition to Save Wolves to the Interior Secretary now. We must act swiftly. Altho...
Read more

freecycle rocks

This is amazing. I'm happy to get rid of stuff, I'm happy that perfectly usable things can continue to be useful and won't end up as landfill, and of course, people are always happy to get Free Things. Freecycle is even cool on an emotional or spiritual level. Generosity brings out the best in people. All the Freecyclers I've emailed with or spoken to so far have been so nice. Several of them just moved to New York, and maybe I've given them a good feeling about the city.
Read more