Images from the 'Wisconsin uprising'

That is impressive. Thanks for sharing.

Yes, nice one!

These are excellent. Juan was one of the many heroes of the General Strike effort in Wisconsin in 2011.

I wish they'd hold a social democratic carnival like this in my town: I'd like free pizza.

"They'd hold"? What does that mean, James?

I mean, I wanna give you the benefit of the doubt here, but it really sounds like you're being dismissive of some of the militant actions and the most impressive efforts of dedicated militants we've seen in America this century.

This was a "general strike" that demanded lower wages in return for protecting the political role of unions, which are effectively, at this point, just a fundraising and advertising platform of the Democratic party.

The efforts on behalf of the Democratic party in Wisconsin were unsuccessful. If those political protests are the high-water mark of 21st century American labor militancy - and labor militancy is your only hope - I cannot imagine how you reconcile yourself to such a bleak picture.

Heaven help us.

lettersjournal

... the political role of unions, which are effectively, at this point, just a fundraising and advertising platform of the Democratic party.

This is inaccurate. Some unions function as fundraisers for the Republicans. Others hedge their bets and raise funds for both. And a few are simply vehicles for the personal enrichment of the piecards who run them.

EDIT: With rolling teacher sick-outs and mass student walk-outs in the first week, it was not inconceivable that it could've spread into a general strike. A few Wobblies were at the forefront of trying to seize the historical moment. Hardly trumping for the Democrats. lettersjournal get your facts straight.

Juan, nice pics.

lettersjournal

This was a "general strike" that demanded lower wages in return for protecting the political role of unions, which are effectively, at this point, just a fundraising and advertising platform of the Democratic party.

The efforts on behalf of the Democratic party in Wisconsin were unsuccessful. If those political protests are the high-water mark of 21st century American labor militancy - and labor militancy is your only hope - I cannot imagine how you reconcile yourself to such a bleak picture.

Heaven help us.

Yes, because we all know that the interests of workers and the role of unions in any struggle are identical and inseparable - and that workers are obviously unable to self-organize within a union-dominated struggle.

Do you really think that massive teacher sick-out was done in defense of the Minnesota Democratic Party? Are you that dismissive of workers to think they were incapable of understanding their material interests in this fight?

If anything, the organizing for the general strike was done in defiance of the national unions. It was the unions that sought to push that momentum into a recall vote. To equate the general strike call-out with the unions belies an incredible ignorance of what actually took place.

And even that wasn't the case, would you cross a picket line because it was a union strike? No, of course fucking not. Because whatever legitimate critique you may have of the unions, you still understand that workers should be supported even when they're struggling through the union form.

Admin: no flaming

Totally agree with Juan. People having such a negative response to workers in struggle is quite horrible.