I am so down with that message. But I want to mutate it somewhat... "worker" doesn't mean what it used to mean.
At the time the Internationale was written, industrial capitalists weren't yet in a position to pick and chose their labor markets. The rabble rousers were fighting a defensive struggle, the battle was being brought to them.
Now that everyone can be a scab for anyone else in the world, the idealistic labor unionist has got to go on the offensive in order to make hir point. You shouldn't have to be currently employed to consider that your interests are linked with the workers. But capitalists have got us where they want us, when we frame the struggle according to their rules.
By way of analogy, big capitol would far rather we vote with out pocketbooks and buy the things we agree with and boycott the things we disagree with, than for us to use our status as citizens to go about rgulating what should and should not be offered for sale. If we're consumers rather than citizens, then they get to make all the important calls, and we get to register our displeasure after the fact.
So too with "workers of the world": we're part of that conversation if we're employed. If we're not yet in the job market, or firmly out of the job market, then that conversation isn't one we can really play a part in.
I'm not picking on you specifically, I'm just seeing a lot of may day posts today, and you might be in a position to sympathize.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-05-02 01:44 am (UTC)At the time the Internationale was written, industrial capitalists weren't yet in a position to pick and chose their labor markets. The rabble rousers were fighting a defensive struggle, the battle was being brought to them.
Now that everyone can be a scab for anyone else in the world, the idealistic labor unionist has got to go on the offensive in order to make hir point. You shouldn't have to be currently employed to consider that your interests are linked with the workers. But capitalists have got us where they want us, when we frame the struggle according to their rules.
By way of analogy, big capitol would far rather we vote with out pocketbooks and buy the things we agree with and boycott the things we disagree with, than for us to use our status as citizens to go about rgulating what should and should not be offered for sale. If we're consumers rather than citizens, then they get to make all the important calls, and we get to register our displeasure after the fact.
So too with "workers of the world": we're part of that conversation if we're employed. If we're not yet in the job market, or firmly out of the job market, then that conversation isn't one we can really play a part in.
I'm not picking on you specifically, I'm just seeing a lot of may day posts today, and you might be in a position to sympathize.