For posting all the anonymous reactionary bullshit that you can't post anywhere else.
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cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/11825025
https://xcancel.com/jacobin/status/2062565041677672631#m
https://jacobin.com/2026/06/smalls-amazon-labor-organizing-celebrity
Money quote:
[Smalls] blames the two-party system for the state of the American labor movement
He organizes in his community, and was on one of the flotillas to Gaza. I've got more respect for him than any writer at Jacobin
They keep repeating that he's being "left-sectarian and self-promoting" when Smalls is criticizing AOC and Bernie for their defense of Israel. Also very cool of jacobin to blame a worker who organized his workplace for other failed campaigns. If it's a group effort why is it only his fault? It's not like the reform caucus that took over ALU has won a bunch of Amazon warehouses since then. Amazon is an anti union Goliath, maybe they should take their own McAlevey advice and focus their organizing on the employer and not pointing fingers at people on their side.
Complaining about his ‘focus’ on celebrity and becoming bigger than the movement while at the same time expecting him to be this omnipotent labor organizer who accomplishes everything.
Weird. I thought it was MY fault biden lost based on the liberals I've talked too. (Sarcasm)
"Sure, he's doing good things, but he's doing them wrong"
I also noticed that they're really upping Smalls as an entertainer.
but at what cost?
Money quote:
[Smalls] blames the two-party system for the state of the American labor movement.
Maybe Jacobin's follow up will be "Abundance - done the right way - is the answer."
if only he were [redacted], then he could be a beloved black martyr to put on t-shirts, wall art, and commemorative covers of magazines like jacobin. unfortunately, he's inconveniently alive and organizing in real world spaces.
he were [redacted], then he could be a beloved black martyr
COINTELPRO never stopped. It's a legitimate worry to have for any young black men trying to do any organizing. The number of BLM leaders who have died in police custody or without investigation is over a dozen.
Amerikkkans have a problem fetishizing martyrdom.
I think it's why Amerikkka has an adventurism problem. Libs and chuds alike want the instant gratification. They'd rather throw their lives away botching an assassination attempt and get themselves killed, it's less effort than actually organizing.
I think many people have this problem, myself included. I always say I'd die for a good cause, and while I invest my time in organizing, I don't feel like I'm doing enough to justify that belief.
Mentioned in the other post that the use of the term "left sectarian" means this is a DSA liberal and the worship of Jane McAlevey means this is someone who has spent more time listening to paid labor speakers than organizing their workplace. A performative "labor ally".
Did a bit of Googling and yes, literally a NYC DSA liberal.
She reviews Opera for a living! Like i don't want to make this about cultural signifiers, but come on!
You mean the author of the article?
Yeah
Ive had some run ins with a few Jane McAlevey oriented folks (one called themselves a McAleveyian) . There was a common pattern of class reductionism, tailism, but at least militant in activity. What have your experiences been? Just curious what you're alluding to here.
The big McAlevey fans I've interacted with the most will bend over backwards to go listen to people talk about labor. They think it is extremely important to do this. And they talk about it a lot. But in terms of actually doing anything, they're extremely deficient. They can do "solidarity" actions like bringing donuts to a strike but when it comes time to do hard work like salting or actively leading a new organizing effort they either don't do it or they screw it up because they think they're already experts.
Gotcha. That's an unfortunate pattern. Come to think of it, the ones ive met mostly engaged with already organized workers or with workers that already had some kind of winning track record (like Starbucks workers).
The word "militant" in my original comment really isnt quite right. A better description would probably be instant or demanding. They also tended to associate with (or be) the types of people who would insist workers need to jump into a strike right away, in some cases before a union is anywhere close to being developed.
Yes some of the people I'm thinking of were in the SBU orbit and despite appearances were very bad at their jobs. The workers were good though
Jacobin once again with such a bad take you have to wonder if it's rage bait
~~Jacobin~~ Yakubian