David O'Connell
@daviduk.bsky.social
🍞⚘️ तत्त्वमसि PhD | Trade Unionist | Global Labour University Alum | Occasional Jacobin Contributor | Writing on Employee Ownership, Supply Chain Industrial Relations, Philosophy 📍Germany based https://global-labour-university.org/
The people of Clacton have the chance to do something VERY funny.
After 250 years, we should be able to ask: Was the American Revolution a success? Well, I think the only sane answer is to repurpose the quote by Zhou Enlai about the French Revolution and say: "It's too early to tell." Happy 4th of July 🇺🇸
I don't take people seriously unless they are capable of intellectually understanding Libertarian Socialism. Just to be clear: I don't mean they have to agree with it, but they have to display at least the cognitive capacity to grasp it as a political philosophy.
Not to be rude but will Zohran do any Democratic Socialism? Or did he just mean social democracy?
A corrupt, dysfunctional or service oriented trade union is 100x better than no union. If it's not yellow, join it.
I actually voted against Andy Burnham for leader in 2015 (and was then directly expelled from the Labour Party), but if he loses in Makerfield it would mark the end of Labour as an electoral force, and solidify Reform and Restore as credible representatives of working class anger.
Deng Xiaoping will be viewed in the future as one of the most important political figures of the 20th century. This is especially crazy given that he only took office in 1978.
I still can't believe Michael Foot lost to Margaret Thatcher in 1983, and I was minus five years old when it happened.
My latest piece in the Global Labour Column discussing how Employee Stock Ownership Plans were designed to save capitalism, but have accidentally given organized labour an incredible tool for wealth redistribution. globallabourcolumn.org
The goal of socialism is freedom. Worker ownership of the means of production. To oppose this is to support the tyranny of the bosses.
Found a rare photo of my Grandad (top right) serving King and country during the Korean War. Or at least playing hockey during it.
Punk may have done more damage to Anarchism than Franco
"And do you think that unto such as you: A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew God gave a secret, and denied it me? Well, well, what matters it? Believe that, too" Omar Khayyâm
I once met the great grandson of Nestor Makhno's personal driver. He told me Makhno "drunkenly beat his great grandpa quite a lot", but that he'd remained a loyal Anarchist until the day he died, saying he'd "frankly probably deserved it".
I have a crippling fear of spiders. I once almost jumped out of a moving car because of one, and suffer terror-attacks or blackouts if they get too close. I'm going to Costa Rica and need your thoughts and prayers.
Proud to have a chapter published (in German) alongside so many incredible people - looking at the successful role of employee buyouts in building union power. Yes, this is an attempt to push German unions in that direction. Happy to give 30% discounts for those interested in a copy. ✊🏻
So basically, throwing McSweeny under the bus didn't work. www.bbc.com/news/live/c7...
Starmer facing Labour MPs after cabinet ministers back PM to stay in office
Support from Starmer's team came as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the PM to resign, saying
bbc.com
Spain's constitution promises democracy at work. Last year, @yolandadiaz.bsky.social convened an expert group to study how to make good on that promise. Lead by @isabelleferreras.bsky.social, we have delivered what is, we think, the highest-level 400-page report on economic democracy out there. 1/2
Throughout the 80s, the United Steelworkers negotiated "rights of first refusal" into CBAs with companies. This meant that if it was sold off or closed, the workers got to make the first bid to buy it out - making it employee owned. Imagine doing this at scale in the public sector
"The goal is nothing, the movement everything" Eduard Bernstein, 1899
Never thought I'd live to see Neil Kinnock accurately explain Syndicalism and Proudhon to Rory Stuart and Alistair Campbell.
I found some old Libertarian Socialist pamphlets, circa 1960s. Not entirely sure where I got them, but they're a real gem.
What a true party of the people Reform is shaping out to be. Who knew so many Tory MPs had secretly always wanted to stand up to the Westminster elites on behalf of the working class. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Ex-Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK
The MP was unveiled as Reform's latest recruit by leader Nigel Farage at a rally, bringing the number of the party's sitting MPs to eight.
bbc.com