capitalism

Every Day is Labor Day

/ Brienna Parsons / Leave a comment

“Nothing binds you except your thoughts; nothing limits you except your fear; and nothing controls you except your beliefs.”

— Marianne Williamson

The big 1-2-5.

That’s right, 125 years ago, 1894, Labor Day was marked on mental calendars of the working class for the first time. Class consciousness has been beaten out of us since then however, so if you’re unfamiliar with the international struggle, this is a refresh.

Fascism doesn’t take kindly to freedom. A controllable society, one built on hierarchies, the one we live in, has been keeping its fascist face behind a mask. The capitalist class, and their war of division and hate, has been called out before by Marianne Williamson, an author, activist, public speaker, and Democratic candidate for President.

Bread & Roses

You’ll see it in many places. It comes from a rich socialist history. Bread for the fruits of our labor and roses for the peace to enjoy it. Today, we have neither.

“A New Jersey town was forced to cancel its Labor Day parade Monday after multiple small explosive devices were found near the route where Gov. Phil Murphy was set to march, officials said.”

New York Daily News, Sept. 2, 2019.

“The images of children crying after their parents were arrested in a massive immigration raid in Mississippi revived a longstanding complaint: Unauthorized workers are jailed or deported, while the managers and business owners who profit from their labor often go unprosecuted.”

AP, Aug. 14, 2019.

“There’s a very common lie… the lies they scare in you… the lies they use to control you…”

— Camp Cope, Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steal Beams

Not Without Struggle

Biden Is Betting on Unions. They Might Bet on Someone Else.

“This Labor Day weekend, thousands of Muslim Americans descended on Houston, Texas, for the annual three-day Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention. This year’s ISNACON featured many well-known figures, such as Trevor Noah, who shared his story of growing up in South Africa and joked about the ups and downs of “The Daily Show.”

Noah wasn’t the only draw. Well-known Muslim Americans, including Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Women’s March organizer Linda Sarsour, spoke to large crowds. The most popular person, however, was a 77-year-old Jewish man born and bred in Brooklyn. I’m speaking of 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, of course. While Noah, Tlaib and Sarsour attracted the attention of many, Sanders packed the venue that held nearly 7,000 — receiving several standing ovations.”

Dean Obeillah, CNN | Opinion

Earlier this year, Democratic candidate for President, Senator, and activist, Bernie Sanders announced his inspiration to see the progress of FDR’s New Deal continued today. After a rocky and violent three years of an unapologetic President — of a country — landlord, mob Don, con artist, white nationalist, misogynist, and fascist.

Labor is “the last line of defense,” Sanders said as he accepted his first major labor union endorsement. Following several other endorsements this one is mentionable for its size and name recognition. Especially today.

Mother Jones

“Bankruptcy exposes the economic vulnerability and insecurity of middle class women.”

— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Women’s labor has a noticeable history, not just in the forming of revolutions in France or Russia, but in the successful organizing of labor. From the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, to Lucy Parsons, let’s embrace women 100 years after winning the vote and 125 years to today: Labor Day.

That’s why women have been leading this movement from airlines to schools to factories. Women have been speaking up. So when you celebrate Labor Day every day, celebrate with unionized women close to you.

“If they want to hang me, let them. And on the scaffold I will shout Freedom for the working class!”

— Mary Harris “Mother” Jones

#ACAB

“If there is going to be class warfare in this country, it’s about time the working class won that war.”

— Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Following law as a tool to protect property, and estate, the mercantilism of earlier capitalism is revived in the class warfare of today. The police enforce the law; the law of property becomes protected by force. Prisons become the place where those unwilling to labor, or those who threaten property, if they must remain alive, are kept. Especially following slavery, sheriffs became the tool for enforcing property laws, while the slave-catching role falls onto the average officer.

This is a part of the struggle. A part of the class struggle. Increasingly militant and militarized, this spells class war. Why haven’t unions brought roses to this front in the war for bread?

Progress

There’s a lot of ground to cover for making up for labor rights and frankly other basic and human rights that have been shorted out by corporate corruption of government and policy. For trans folx in the United States we see this, for migrants this is most prevalent to mind right now, but there is still quite a lot blocking progress for everyone equally under the law which historically has affected Black communities across the country not only first, but worst.

Not to say there isn’t progress, there is. It’s just hard-fought. Slowly we’ll see a major change in labor in the United States, and I don’t mean automation.

Worker power is on the rise. Different industries have had more successes unionizing or organizing, from those in media, education, retail such as Amazon, Walmart, and fast food, the new and booming marijuana industry. Part of that power is coming from a younger generation, and also one which is less familiar with unions due to their nationwide victimhood in the past hundred years.

“So much of what we take for granted each and every day – the 40-hour workweek, weekends off, a minimum wage – is the result of the blood, sweat, tears, and in some cases even lives of those who fought to give American workers a better life.

If labor unions weren’t so uniquely effective, the coordinated, heavily-financed campaign to decimate them wouldn’t exist. Unfortunately, the campaign is working – union membership is less than half of what it was 40 years ago. Recent decisions from the Supreme Court’s right-wing majority, such as Janus v. AFSCME last year, threaten to worsen this trend.

It’s no surprise that income inequality has increased dramatically over the same period.

With labor battles still taking place all over our nation – such as the #RedforEd movement to earn higher wages for teachers across the country – I hope you’ll take a moment this Labor Day to reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.”

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)

Americans Are Starting to Love Unions Again

Even progressive political campaigns for Sanders, Warren, Booker, and Castro, are unionizing. It’s not only good for the working class that workers the country over unionize, but great for the capitalist class. If collectives negotiate wins for the working class, there’s no reason for capitalists, in and out of government, to be concerned of an imminent general strike.

Ironically, a nationwide Walmart strike would likely be just as fatal to the capitalist engine against the working poor and that’s a single corporation. For instance, earlier strikes over Walmart’s gun sales have recently proved fruitful, maybe even pressuring one of the country’s other largest retailers to act as well, Kroger. Dick’s Sporting Goods also followed suit.

Sanders is ahead of the curve on this issue. He’s been speaking out for unions before he ever reached Congress, so it comes as no surprise that he has a powerful Workplace Democracy Plan. Or as Vox put it, Unions for All, and a campaign that Labor 411 called “a rapid action tool to support striking workers.”

His plans to empower the press, the working class, and every student and healthcare professional are revolutionary. Yet, regardless of support from workers’-revolution-minded organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America, he’s the candidate everyone takes seriously when he says “Not Me. Us.“

“In Times of Tragedy, Labor Steps Up”

For Jazz: Our Shared Dream

/ Brienna Parsons / Leave a comment

No, not Jazz Jennings. As another trans woman, I would, of course, love to meet such a celebrated soul in my community. Pero no.

While stopping at a local laundromat to clean my soiled clothes, I couldn’t help but multitask. My phone was charging on the other side of the long, machine-lined room, so I flipped through my Canon DSLR’s photo gallery. I usually do this or write in a notebook, because I’m all about process.

“Do you do videos?”

Now, I won’t lie, an attractive man my age saying anything to me at all gave me butterflies. The fact that he seemed interested in something creative — and that he wasn’t asking something sexual — was the icing on the cake. Hallelujah!

I didn’t know that it was about to get even better though.

“Yeah, but I mostly shoot animals, nature, events, stuff that falls under photojournalism.” I said something to that effect. And knowing me, I probably over-explained.

Zeke the Dog, enjoying the Eloy, AZ sunset all over this tree.

That’s when he introduced himself: Jazz, a 27 year-old entrepreneur from California, who was asking for a band he’s producing.

If you’re reading, Jazz, I want to reiterate: f*** yeah, dude.

We got to talking on a lot of subjects when I told him that I had just backpacked over 200 miles to volunteer to help refugees. He was intrigued by my goals to help others, explore, and create something for myself. Especially that I wanted to create a nonprofit to change the world.

We may have had differing opinions on how to fix democracy and what policies were necessary, but that was the most fun about talking to him.

We dove deep on this subject especially. His inner father of two came out. You could see the passion, like fire in his eyes.

He believed, as I do, that we can talk things out and get involved, and leave the world a better place for our children.

It was refreshing to have such a critical discussion and debate without any altercation, conflict, or negativity.

Jazz described himself as a conservative in the policy sense, otherwise a devout independent with liberal social leanings.

We agreed on a lot, but we had to work out exactly how a moral capitalist society could grow. A lot of the issue, we found, was in a lack of values, geared towards the greater good. That, and the hypocrisy of our current political system and the leadership therein, including corporations.

As a small business owner, he enjoyed tax breaks. However, as an individual executive, he knew that doing good meant something too. His background growing up helped inform this desire to help others.

We also found common ground on businesses like music, media, and utilities. Facebook, Google, Amazon, Sony, etc. They’re taking over markets and don’t appear to be doing their fair share to mitigate nepotism and other forms of corruption.

Back to democracy.

We agreed on something that seems like it would be a basic necessity in governing: local democracy.

However, even in local democracy, there too we cited nepotism. The hiring of friends and family for self-enrichment rather than hiring people who could do the most good in the public interest, is an endemic issue in every U.S. city.

If people could spare the time, make the space to research, and had the funds to pitch in, local democracy would surely be more direct.

Maybe with integrity in local news and constant communication, officials and voters could share the burden of the work.

Perhaps everyone could be paid for their contributions to society, no different than elected government, receiving benefits in equity.

This is where Jazz seemed most interested in my proposal for a nonprofit.

I tried to describe the concept in as few words as possible.

Basically, to find volunteers, and the people willing to struggle to make a difference — independent journalists, teachers, nurses, first responders, and activists — and unite them.

Not stopping there though!

In creating an open university between them, a location independent newsroom, and a free-formed space to train volunteers and those hoping to build more resilient communities.

This idea, he brought back to my attention, was something I’ll likely be working on for the rest of my life, especially if I don’t build my team quickly.

So that’s my next mission: in addition to helping where I can, photographing, and journaling, I’m looking for those people that want to travel with less of a negative impact and more of an empowering one.

Jazz, that sounds like you. We’ll see where your band fits in. I can’t wait to chat again.

Are you like Jazz? Are you creative or interested in creating something that benefits a larger community? Leave your story in the comments below!

And as always; thank you for reading.