In the early 19th century at the start of the industrial revolution in Britain, a group of skilled weavers tried to resist the introduction of machine weaving in the early 19th century by various means, including sabotaging and wrecking the machines. They were called Luddites. Now it seems that a form of Luddism has returned over AI. Just as the Luddites had a case about protecting their livelihoods, so do Gen Z workers now.
“We are still in emergency mode. We are simply trying to enhance our people’s resilience and preserve their dignity. Gaza’s future remains uncertain. Everything we are doing is an emergency measure. We cannot address the root cause. All we can do is take a humanitarian approach to keep people from falling into the abyss.”
Throughout U.S. history, conservative and reactionary forces have taken advantage of the perfectly legal ways that the Constitution allows political minorities to veto or derail the popular will. That was how the Jim Crow Democrats maintained their control over the South and the federal government for a century. It’s how the loser of the popular vote became president five times, including twice in the last quarter century.
Just as slavery did not end because plantation owners suddenly developed a conscience, today’s ruling class will fight tooth and nail against making concessions to workers and the oppressed until they are forced to, from below.
The U.S. deferred all its ostensible reasons for the war— “regime change,” Iran’s nuclear program or Iran’s support of regional allies—to an undetermined future, if they are considered all. In diplomatic practice, deferring “hard questions” to future negotiations is often a way of never resolving them.
