Feral Cat of Freedom's Blog

There is a phrase heard more and more lately.  “The Democratic Party is where social movements go to die.  It is the grave yard of social movements. ”  Bruce Dixon used it at blackagendareport.com  And Bob Fitch who wrote the 2006 book “Solidarity for Sale” makes a similar remark about reforming unions from within.   He calls this attempt at reform “the roach motel syndrome”.   “The leftists go in but they don’t come out.”  When you enter these roach motels, you encounter bosses just like you do in the workplace.  You encounter union bosses and mob bosses.  The beauty of the Occupy movement and the original occupation in Wisconsin was the lack of bosses.  But eventually some bosses took over in Wisconsin and we ended up with what cultural critic Stuart Hall calls “authoritarian populism” winning over limp noodle party politics.  (More on this in “‘Authoritarian Populism’ and the Wisconsin Recall by Connor Donegan).  Right wingers came across as brats and beer freedom fighters and the left came off as near beer party poopers. Continue reading →

Filed under: Politics | Tagged: Bob Fitch, Democrats, Doug Henwood, labor, Unions, Wisconsin recall | 1 Comment »