organization
"In his writings of this period, Foster tied together the themes of organization, power, and manhood. Among craft workers threatened by the divisive forces of technological change in the early twentieth century, a manly bearing on the job entailed maintaining a dignified pose toward the boss or foreman, and required that workers respect shop-floor traditions of mutual respect and solidarity. foster clearly sought to evoke such traditions when he wrote that unorganized workers were neglecting their duties to their families: workers outside the union constituted a 'miserable picture of incompetence and cowardice' and 'the sufferings of their women and children awaken no echo of revolt in their dull hearts."
- Forging American Communism, The Life of William Z. Foster by Edward P. Johanningsmeier
Molly and I read this book (well, actually, she read it to me while I did my prep work for the cart). William Z. is a true giant, and shines despite the author's confused and ambivalent feelings.
The paragraph above is the one that has stayed in my mind, despite the author's almost complete misunderstanding of the importance of Foster's words. It is not the connection between "organization" and "manhood" which is important, but between inside and outside, between the private and public life of a unionist.
Unionism, in Foster's view, is not simply a matter of joining, of submitting to another public role. Organization is not merely instrumental and external. It is thoroughgoing, a process which begins as an echo in the heart of private reflection (note, "an echo" response to something outside), beginning a renewal of public relationships, which in turn totally changes the individual (in fact gives form to the individual), and therefore the strength and richness of his private life.
This understanding is key, and demands futher research, as Edward J. seems utterly oblivious to it's importance.
Here, finally, is something that can stand up to the immense promises that "professionalism" offers to today's worker. If there is any task I hope to accomplish in this blog over the next year, it is to begin to outline the major difference (and contradiction) between these methods of self-development.
Molly says: "You're on to something here -- this will appeal to women." (so much for the connection btwn org. and manhood!)
I'll leave you with some more Foster:
"American trade unionism, [Foster] wrote, 'has transformed the workers, employed and unemployed, from a mob of humna commodities and articles of commerce into a disciplined army of freemen fighting against the common enemy for their rights.'"
Posted by Sam at May 20, 2005 03:21 PM
echo here only gets at it kinetically
like reflection
the dialectic of in and out
is not an echo chamber
the come ats and come backs are
"material other" sourced
notice i say dialectic
not merely dialogic
the various splinterings and recombos
of the self other contradiction
is the beast of burden one must retain at all costs in a fullest possible formulation
the other as self the self as other
are more inportant then the mere bounce off
or bounce backs along diagonal
of the other as other
or
the self as self
