Majority of families, 70%, support vaccine mandates at school, higher than even 2 years ago, prior to Trump and RFKJr gutting the public health system. Meanwhile Louisiana is suffering its worst pertussis outbreak in 35 years, with 2 babies already dying from the preventable disease. And measles continues to plague rejoins of the US, with another child death occurring in Los Angeles. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/parental-support-school-vaccine-mandates-remains-high-up

War with Venezuela looks imminent. But the case Trump makes for it is a whole lot shakier than other recent US wars of aggression. So, is it really about trying to gain the legal justification for mass deportations under the 1798 Aliens and Sedition Acts? And a power play against China, which is now South America's largest trading partner, and US oligarchs' largest competitor? Gangsterism in the service of Capital. #venezuela #imperialism #trump #immigration #deportations

True, but organizing to overthrow capitalism and replace it with a system that prioritizes human needs and well-being over profit and privilege will do an even more thorough job. And, if done right, it'll end poverty and homeless.

A glimmer of hope

It's absolutely mind-blowing (in the most depressing and frustrating way) how quickly and easily most of the mainstream institutions (media, professional sports, law firms, universities, etc) and the Dems are rolling over and accepting it all, most without barely a protest. Not surprisingly, Butler is also Jewish, nonbinary, and writes extensively on gender--their ideal target. They've also gone after Hatem Bazian, who founded Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Berkeley in the 1990s and American Muslims for Palestine #freespeech #ucberkeley #judithbutler #lgbtq #palestine #censorship

Today in Labor History September 16, 1982: Phalangists and Israelis massacred as many as 3,500 Palestinian civilian refugees at the Sabra and Shatila camps in Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the Phalangist to clear the camps of PLO fights and then watched and did nothing as they slaughtered civilians. In 1983, the Kahan Commission found that the Israeli military bore indirect responsibility by allowing it to happen under their command. The commission also blamed Ariel Sharon, then Defense Minister, forcing him to resign. This sordid past worked in his favor in the long run, however, as his “toughness” helped him to win the national election for Prime Minister. #workingclass #LaborHistory #sabraandshatila #palestine #israel #lebanon #massacre #zionism #occupation #refugees #arielsharon #idf #civilians #warcrimes #humanrights

Today in Labor History September 16, 1945: 43,000 oil workers went on strike in 20 states. During WWII, most of the major unions collaborated with the U.S. war effort by enforcing labor “discipline” and preventing strikes. In exchange, the U.S. government supported closed shop policies under which employers at unionized companies agreed to hire only union members. While the closed shop gave unions more power within a particular company, the no-strike policy made that power virtually meaningless. When the war ended, inflation soared and veterans flooded the labor market. As a result, frustrated workers began a series of wildcat strikes. Many grew into national, union-supported strikes. In November 1945, 225,000 UAW members went on strike. In January 1946, 174,000 electric workers struck. That same month, 750,000 steel workers joined them. Then, in April, the coal strike began. 250,000 railroad workers struck in May. In total, 4.3 million workers went on strike. It was the closest the U.S. came to a national General Strike in the 20th century. And in December 1946, Oakland, California did have a General Strike, the last in U.S. history. Overall, it was the largest strike wave in U.S. history. In 1947, Congress responded to the strike wave by enacting the Taft-Hartley Act, restricting the powers and activities of labor unions and banning the General Strike. The act is still in force today and one the main reasons there hasn’t been a General Strike in the U.S. since 1945. #workingclass #LaborHistory #GeneralStrike #oakland #oilworkers #union #strike #strikewave #worldwartwo #tafthartley #uaw #coal #railroads #inflation #steel #wildcat

Today in Labor History September 16, 1920: A bomb exploded outside the J.P. Morgan Company on Wall Street, killing 30 and injuring over 100. Authorities blamed "anarchists," forcing many to flee to Russia. The bombing was never solved, although investigators and historians now believe it was carried out by Galleanists (Italian anarchists). In particular, there is evidence that Mario Buda (1884–1963) was responsible and did it to avenge the arrests of his associates, Sacco and Vanzetti. The Wall Street bomb killed more people than the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times building, which had been the deadliest terrorist act in the U.S. Several authors have written about the bombing “The Day Wall Street Exploded,” by Beverly Gage; “The Death Instinct,” by Jed Rubenfeld, and “Buda's Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb,” by Mike Davis #workingclass #LaborHistory #anarchism #terrorism #bombing #saccoandvanzetti #wallstreet #carbomb #jpmorgan #russia #losangelestimes #books #writer #author @bookstadon

Today in Labor History September 16, 1873: Ricardo Flores Magón was born. He was a revolutionary Mexican anarchist, founder of the Mexican Liberal Party, and major player in the Mexican revolution of 1910-1917. He was also a member of the anarchosyndicalist union, the IWW, and founding editor of the newspaper, Regeneracion. In the wake of the deadly Cananea Copper Strike, he organized a brigade of revolutionaries to avenge the deaths of striking workers. Later, during the Mexican Revolution, he helped lead an invasion of Baja California in which major cities, like Tijuana, were conquered. In the U.S., after the Revolution, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his opposition to World War I, and died in Leavenworth Prison in 1922. #workingclass #LaborHistory #recardofloresmagon #IWW #union #strike #mexico #Revoltuion #cananea #prison #antiwar #anarchism