Two years of the #COVID-19 #pandemic have transformed the landscape of labor in the United States. Out of a workforce of 153 million, well over a quarter of workers quit their jobs in 2021, and the trend continued into 2022. Propelled by rage and desperation and amplified by a notorious #Reddit page, anti-work sentiments achieved widespread exposure in late 2021, at the same time that economists were talking about a supposed “labor shortage.”
One would think that these conditions would be favorable for labor organizing. Yet despite high expectations, a real strike wave has yet to emerge. The breakthrough vote to create the first #Amazon #union inspired optimism about the prospects for a renewed #labor movement in the United States, but we are a long way from a return to the heyday of union organizing—and when labor unrest does emerge, it may take entirely different forms, as foreshadowed by “the great resignation.”
What does it mean to be “anti-work”? How should we understand today’s anti-work sentiments in their historical context? How is workplace #resistance changing alongside #work itself, and what strategies are likely to serve us in these new conditions?

https://de.crimethinc.com/2022/05/10/anti-work-from-i-quit-to-we-revolt-strategizing-for-21st-century-labor-resistance #usa #economy #wealth #capitalism #society #strike #history #colonialism #china #india #russla #bangladesh #drugs #theatre

Anti-Work: From “I Quit” to “We Revolt”

How are workplace struggles changing alongside work itself? Strategizing for 21st-century labor resistance.

Let’s imagine a common situation on the social networks. You see some vicious and aggressive comment like "I would execute people like you! Die, you ugly beast!" Such words shock you a bit, so you decide to check this person's profile, to see maybe she is some sort of a maniac. But what you see there is a mom's blog full of kids, suns, and flowers. And the profile pic has some motivational words like "may everyone have love in their soul". Slightly shocking, right? But it shouldn’t be. Unfortunately, there is nothing extraordinary in this. "Unfortunately," because meeting such a contrast is always unpleasant, and sometimes even deadly dangerous.
Now we have a lot of comments on #Bucha, a lot of explanations, but almost every speaker stumbles talking of #violence. Like, we didn't expect such atrocities. It hardly needed mentioning that most of locals also could not imagine that the photos of their town would very soon be all over the world media with horrible headlines like "Bucha #massacre". The evacuation from the town started on March 9, and it was relatively safe to leave by bus or by personal cars then. But some people decided to stay. Some of them did not know about the evacuation or could not come to the meeting place physically. And the rest remained as they simply did not see the danger. Do these good boys really pose any threat to us? And by "good boys" I mean those that now animal rights activists ask not to call "animals." Out of respect for animals.

https://detector.media/in-english/article/198376/2022-04-15-ordinary-evil-my-experience-of-communicating-with-the-russian-military-in-bucha/ #war #russla #military #propaganda #culture #ukraine