>Bitch | Lab wrote:
> >
> > After bitching about this crap yesterday, the ridiculous boycotts of Coca
> > Cola on behalf of workers in Columbia (but apparently, these college
> > students can't et up the gumption to boycott coke on behalf of the workers
> > here in the states, too? Fuck them.)
>
>I must have missed whatever post this refers to.
>
>But political activity has to start someplace; why not with solidarity
>(ridiculous or not) with someone in Colombia? In Guatemala organizers at
>Coca Cola were being killed; I wasn't aware of whatever events you speak
>of, but below is one thing I found googling Colombia.
>
>Carrol
Because, to harken back to an old discussion, it is not unlike the way people in the US --especially men -- will get upset about rapes in Afghanistan and elsewhere, claiming that as a reason to support Imperial intervention, yet will tell women here in the US that our particular feminist struggles are so much fluff. What on earth are we complaining about? We have it good. What's your problem bitch?
because this kind of activity is feel-good bullshit that's opposed to Big, Bad Meany corporations. If they gave a shit about labor, then why NOT all coca cola workers? But, that's not what motivates their concern is it? Why wasn't this movement one that worked ON ALL coca cola workers? Is it that hard? Or is it just that difficult to get anyone to give a shit -- unless it's about some exotic other we feel we need to patronize with our liberal guilt?
Because there's some good research out there to indicate that political activity moves from close to home outward better than the other way around.
because it's bullshit imperialism: we feel bad for the exotic Other and don't see the same damn shit going on _to us_.
because it's focusing on the extremes, like the anti-porn folks focus on the extreme, rather than taking a look at how it operates in a completely ordinary way.
because these students can't imagine also being in solidarity with the coca cola plant bottling worker? because these students can't imagine being in solidarity with the coke truck driver? What is up with that?
I know what's up with that: because they don't think the coca cola plant worker in the US is exploited. They don't think the coca cola plant worker needs a union. Because they think people who make crappy wages in the US deserve to make crappy wages.
Why can't these students be in solidarity with themselves? Because a lot of them are working for these big, bad meany corporations.
I'll leave y'all with that and ditch the thread. I've got work to do. This is always a pointless conversation because it's usually based on foundational presuppositions that no one in this conversation wants to have to question. E.g., Carrol, as I recall, you are absolutely committed to political struggle as anti-war struggles and absolutely committed to the real struggle as one that must first begin with solidarity with the people of Imperialized nations, first. Or, did I get that wrong? I could be wrong, but in our discussions in the past, you've been absolutely committed to that and have used your experience with US postal workers as one of the reasons why you reject other approaches.
Bitch | Lab http://blog.pulpculture.org