Blue Collar Empire w/ Jeff Schuhrke

The Dig

Daniel Denvir

News, Politics

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 2 April 2025

⏱️ 104 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jeff Schuhrke on his book Blue Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor’s Global Anticommunist Crusade. During the Cold War, organized labor’s top leadership acted as an agent of the US national security state abroad: undermining left-wing unions, fomenting right-wing coups, and promoting the US-led capitalist order. At home, those same forces destroyed left-wing unions and organizers. That history goes a long way in explaining the weakened, conservative, and ineffectual workers’ movement we still confront today.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of The Dig is brought to you by our listeners who support us at patreon.com and by
0:06.6	Haymarket Books. The far right ascends around the globe amid war and wildfires. The coming period
0:14.1	promises more and deeper crises, but also to ignite mass social movements with increasing frequency.
0:21.6	It's a crucial time for the left to come together and build durable organizations,
0:27.6	coalitions, and relationships.
0:30.6	At this critical juncture, the Socialism Conference, July 3rd through 6th in Chicago,
0:36.6	will be a vital gathering space for organizers
0:39.9	and activists to sharpen analysis, hone strategy, and build community. Featured speakers at Socialism
0:48.3	2025 will include Boots Riley, Robin D.G. Kelly, Kim Tallbear, Dean Spade, Sarah Schulman, Calliakuno, Loria Garcia-Pena, Richard Seymour, Sophie Lewis, Jesse Higopian, Eric Blanc, Misha Frazierel, me, Daniel Denver, and many more.
1:13.8	The Socialism Conference is brought to you by Haymarket Books in partnership with
1:18.7	dozens of endorsing left-wing organizations and publications.
1:23.0	Visit socialismconference.org to learn more, and register by April 25th for the early bird
1:30.8	discounted rate. Hope to see you there.
1:33.6	Welcome to The Dig, a podcast from Jacobin Magazine. My name is Daniel Denver, and I'm broadcasting from Providence, Rhode Island.
1:52.1	Leftists, and even some liberals, frequently invoke the power of the labor movement to transform the world.
1:58.4	But at a moment when less than 10% of workers in the United States are unionized,
2:03.0	most Americans who hear this have to take it on faith.
2:06.6	Union power has been in free fall for close to half a century,
2:10.1	probably for the entire lives of most people listening to this.
2:13.7	Many of us, myself included,
2:16.0	have never personally witnessed a period of organized labor
2:19.8	strength in the United States.
	...

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