Tag: work

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A review of CrimethInc’s Work

by Wode

The poetic propaganda of crimethinc reaches for our hearts yet again in a burgeoning dialogue effectively aiming at a wider audience than previous works may have been able to reach.  Blossoming forth from this offering is the narrative’s ability to navigate the banal world of work without being overtly academic, or failing to relate to the common experience.  This book seems effective in dismissing most any defense of work that may manifest itself in the insipid hands of its defenders.  While this may seem like old hat to some, the vast majority of people who may have not considered all, if any, of these ideas will likely find something relevant to their own lives.

The only way this piece may have failed in its accessibility would likely be found in its length, which at 376 pages is not excessive, but neither is it something folks who don’t read are likely to pick up.  Still, there are a number of free posters and two pamphlet excerpts that can be printed for free from their website and distributed en masse.  Regardless of the medium chosen, the material is succinct, reasonable and accessible, making it a valuable tool in the ever-present discussions on economics.

If this does not once and for all ease the hapless critique of the anonymous, varied collective who’s moniker literally anyone can publish under, I’m not sure what else could.  Nevertheless, it is great to see such a thorough (and some might say, mature) analysis of our present situation that hasn’t sacrificed its passion one bit.

Art by Albo Jeavons

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An Island beyond this World

By Matt Dineen

“Well, I better get back to work now…”

When I returned to the back room of the café to tend to the dishes, I knew exactly what I wanted to write for this. Feeling my boss’ passive-aggressive gaze as we stood in front of the counter talking about the zine, Fulvia could probably sense my discomfort. Unlike the rest of that shift, our conversation actually mattered—a brief moment of liberation from the stifling on-the-clock constraints of wage work. 
After abruptly saying goodbye to Fulvia I found myself standing at the industrial sinks cleaning plates and coffee mugs, thinking about the Wooden Shoe. I thought back to when I first moved to Philly and how the Shoe helped me stay balanced, providing meaning to my new life here. This was particularly true after I started working at a nearby grocery store. The contrast between my experience at this hierarchical capitalist workplace and participating in the Shoe’s directly democratic collective further confirmed my desire for a new world, one that looks more like our dear infoshop. Everywhere. Everywhere.
Despite the fact that the Shoe is still a store operating within the current system it is still an island of possibility, a respite from the pervasive miserablism of capitalist society. The fact that we just celebrated our 35th birthday proves that there are functional alternatives to top-down decision making, oppressive social relations, and greedy individualism. The Shoe is an island beyond this world. One in which solidarity, community, and mutual aid is part of the air we breathe. A radical island where no one is in charge, because we are all in charge…together. Beyond the daily challenges we face lies an unlimited potential because the island is ours; it is what we make it.

Luckily, the Wooden Shoe is not completely alone amidst this vast sea of hierarchy and authoritarianism. We are part of an archipelago of resistance, a local (and global) network of liberated spaces in which ideas and compassion are elevated above power and domination. Our continued existence all these years is proof that a new world is not just possible, but already here. Let’s keep it going.

Art by Albo Jeavons