Here is a photo of Rich Trumka when he stood up in deeds, not just words, for workers, when he stood up against racists and other bigots, when he stood up against science denialists, and against Trump.
Yesterday, AFL-CIO president Rich Trumka died. Nobody who really cares about workers will mourn his death. But the greatest condemnation of Trumka came from Mark Milley, former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff on then-president Trump’s attempt to institute a coup following his election loss: “They [Trump & Co.] may try [to institute a coup], but they’re not going to fucking succeed. You can’t do this without the military. You can’t do this without the CIA and the FBI. We’re the guys with the guns.”
In other words, capitalist democracy was protected by the armed wing of the capitalist state. Where was the labor movement?!! Why wasn’t it – why isn’t it the foremost barrier to one man dictatorial and racist rule? If the US working class has to rely on “the [uniformed] guys with the guns” to protect democratic rights, then we are in pretty bad shape!
Categories: labor, Uncategorized