McCallum’s book well illustrates how the pandemic revealed what Gramsci called capitalism’s “morbid symptoms” (a phrase McCallum borrows). But Essential is equally a cautionary tale about how capitalists can shift the cost of their crises onto workers if workers aren’t strong enough to resist.
The film’s plot was frequently directionless and overly saccharine. I developed a grim respect for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (Barbie and Ken) who work hard to carry off the script. But outside of a few satisfying gags, I found much of the humor over-reliant on a stale self-reflexivity and nostalgia factor for the little plastic doll.
The film, Memorial Day Massacre: Workers Die, Film Buried, available to view for free at your local PBS station until May 1, 2024, shows not only how U.S. corporations have historically used murderous violence to prevent workers from organizing into unions, but also why most workers are not aware of this history: The corporate media has systematically suppressed it from being reported to the public.
Joe is a well-respected labor activist and writer who has previously written the excellent books Strike Back and Reviving the Strike. His latest book will certainly provoke much discussion.
