Ethan 🌒Feb 2, 2020
I’ve finished #TheWobblies (minus the afterword) and it strikes me as quite tragic, the way that the original IWW fell to pieces. A lot of it, of course, was based on personal feelings; that’s impossible to avoid in any organization, but the interpersonal problems in the 20s were exacerbated by jail sentences, communist and soviet sym/antipathiea, and the ever-present tug-of-war between the centralizers and decentralizers. But more than that... (1/3)
Show threadEthan 🌒Feb 2, 2020

...is the disconnect between their revolutionary aesthetic and their near total lack of revolutionary action outside of labor strikes. They never grew food or built houses; rather, they held fundraisers and organized dramatic pageants to support strikers.

Additionally, WWI gave the government the excuse it wanted to utterly demolish the org in the court of law and public opinion. (2/3)

Show threadEthan 🌒
I know that the time I live in is significantly different than the early 20th century, but I hope we can learn from their mistakes. Thanks for reading. (3/3)
Feb 2, 2020 at 1:58pmWeb
Show threadEthan 🌒Feb 2, 2020

(4/3) I also wanna call out the early factions of the IWW for being fucking dumb lol. One of the first major fights that several left orgs had in the 1900s was the over the validity of “political action” (i.e. electoral campaigning and such), AS IF attempting to organize and unite the working class isn’t already really fucking political

By Any Means Necessary, u know?

Show threadEthan 🌒Feb 2, 2020
(5/3) so anyway, be humble in your dealings with others, build dual power, strive always for material benefit for the masses however it can be achieved, all cops are bastards (including their bosses, the prosecutors, judges, and governors), fuck capitalism, go home, peace.