This piece brings into focus a form of terrorism that is always present in worker environments. It is so much a part of our work experience that we sometimes fail to even recognize it. It's so engrained in our consciousness that it is hard to imagine other methods of management and discipline. And, if by chance we are placed in positions of authority, we tend to behave the same way toward those we supervise--not only because our jobs depend on it, but because we often see such hierarchical behavior as normal. People who have internalized such hierarchical norms are required in a system in which a few people on top control everything of importance.
It's like water that fish swim in or the (polluted) air we breath, it is ubiquitous, and we often aren't even conscious of it. But the fact is, we work daily with this threat to our lives and it shapes our behavior so that we remain tolerant of conditions of exploitation and abuse while producing goods and services that may have harmful effects to us or others, or the environment. It is the primary method that capitalists use to insure that we continue to serve their interests of profits and power.
All worker wage-slaves have had to deal with this throughout the reign of private ownership of the social economy, otherwise known as capitalism.
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| Your fired! |
Workers often say that the fear of firings is one of the main reasons it’s so hard to get people to fight back. The power that bosses hold over workers through firings can put them on the curb for standing up. This fear is often unspoken, but present everyday in our workplaces. This piece we share explores how truly arbitrary that power is and its effects. When bosses can hurt us and sometimes ruin lives without any reason at all, it also reminds us why we need to organize.