5 ms·

In what form of government is a vocal minority of activist workers allowed to take over their employer's place of business? Please don't say "communism" as the

In what form of government is a vocal minority of activist workers allowed to take over their employer's place of business? Please don't say "communism" as they would be sent to the gulag or worse in every communist regime that has ever existed.

Animats 2y ago
When that happened in Poland in 1980, the activist workers won.[1] That's one of the places where the downfall of the USSR began. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_%28Polish_trade_union%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_%28Polish_trade_uni...
- dh2022 2y ago
  Oh please. USSR broke to pieces because of internal problems not because some Polish workers locked themselves up in a shipyard.
  - sakjur 2y ago
    Animats did not claim otherwise AFAICT. The forming of a union in Poland in 1980 is something I’ve been taught was one of the earliest public signs that Kremlin was losing its grasp over the east bloc. That’s not at all incompatible with Soviet falling apart due to internal problems.
    - dh2022 2y ago
      Well I read Animats’ comment in the context of activism producing change - not in the context of activism being a symptom of change…
- sakjur 2y ago
  The Czechoslovak velvet revolution in 1989 also comes to mind.
cad31 2y ago
These are called sit-ins or "sitdown strike", and are not particularly uncommon. They happen in many democracies around the world (not at google though).
hulitu 2y ago
[flagged]
gorbot 2y ago
This comment is confusing. It makes me think that you believe their endgame is actually become the owners of the office they occupied or otherwise gain something. Their goal was to make themselves be heard. Us talking about it right now means it’s working.
- swexbe 2y ago
  We’re discussing about a group of google employees. Not about the issue they were protesting.
- rags2riches 2y ago
  The actual acts performed in the protest may very well be the goal for some of the protesters. The stated goals are in that case only rationalizations.
pyuser583 2y ago
Communist countries absolutely used “vocal minorities” as a way to control people. The vocal minority might be organized crime, the Red Guard, or anonymous denunciation. It wasn’t a coincidence that communist countries had massive police forces and widespread crime. They are both parts of the same function.

Animats 2y ago

When that happened in Poland in 1980, the activist workers won.[1] That's one of the places where the downfall of the USSR began. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_%28Polish_trade_union%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_%28Polish_trade_uni...

dh2022 2y ago
Oh please. USSR broke to pieces because of internal problems not because some Polish workers locked themselves up in a shipyard.
- sakjur 2y ago
  Animats did not claim otherwise AFAICT. The forming of a union in Poland in 1980 is something I’ve been taught was one of the earliest public signs that Kremlin was losing its grasp over the east bloc. That’s not at all incompatible with Soviet falling apart due to internal problems.
  - dh2022 2y ago
    Well I read Animats’ comment in the context of activism producing change - not in the context of activism being a symptom of change…
sakjur 2y ago
The Czechoslovak velvet revolution in 1989 also comes to mind.

cad31 2y ago

These are called sit-ins or "sitdown strike", and are not particularly uncommon. They happen in many democracies around the world (not at google though).

hulitu 2y ago

[flagged]

gorbot 2y ago

This comment is confusing. It makes me think that you believe their endgame is actually become the owners of the office they occupied or otherwise gain something. Their goal was to make themselves be heard. Us talking about it right now means it’s working.

swexbe 2y ago
We’re discussing about a group of google employees. Not about the issue they were protesting.
rags2riches 2y ago
The actual acts performed in the protest may very well be the goal for some of the protesters. The stated goals are in that case only rationalizations.

pyuser583 2y ago

Communist countries absolutely used “vocal minorities” as a way to control people. The vocal minority might be organized crime, the Red Guard, or anonymous denunciation. It wasn’t a coincidence that communist countries had massive police forces and widespread crime. They are both parts of the same function.