David O'Connell

Profits are unpaid labour

The people of Clacton have the chance to do something VERY funny.

After 250 years, we should be able to ask: Was the American Revolution a success? Well, I think the only sane answer is to repurpose the quote by Zhou Enlai about the French Revolution and say: "It's too early to tell." Happy 4th of July 🇺🇸

I don't take people seriously unless they are capable of intellectually understanding Libertarian Socialism. Just to be clear: I don't mean they have to agree with it, but they have to display at least the cognitive capacity to grasp it as a political philosophy.

Not to be rude but will Zohran do any Democratic Socialism? Or did he just mean social democracy?

A corrupt, dysfunctional or service oriented trade union is 100x better than no union. If it's not yellow, join it.

I actually voted against Andy Burnham for leader in 2015 (and was then directly expelled from the Labour Party), but if he loses in Makerfield it would mark the end of Labour as an electoral force, and solidify Reform and Restore as credible representatives of working class anger.

Deng Xiaoping will be viewed in the future as one of the most important political figures of the 20th century. This is especially crazy given that he only took office in 1978.

I still can't believe Michael Foot lost to Margaret Thatcher in 1983, and I was minus five years old when it happened.

My latest piece in the Global Labour Column discussing how Employee Stock Ownership Plans were designed to save capitalism, but have accidentally given organized labour an incredible tool for wealth redistribution. globallabourcolumn.org

It's actually as simple as this.

The goal of socialism is freedom. Worker ownership of the means of production. To oppose this is to support the tyranny of the bosses.

Found a rare photo of my Grandad (top right) serving King and country during the Korean War. Or at least playing hockey during it.

LOL

Punk may have done more damage to Anarchism than Franco

Pura Vida 🇨🇷

"And do you think that unto such as you: A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew God gave a secret, and denied it me? Well, well, what matters it? Believe that, too" Omar Khayyâm

I once met the great grandson of Nestor Makhno's personal driver. He told me Makhno "drunkenly beat his great grandpa quite a lot", but that he'd remained a loyal Anarchist until the day he died, saying he'd "frankly probably deserved it".

Cologne's 'Kiosk Kultur' is unrivaled.

I have a crippling fear of spiders. I once almost jumped out of a moving car because of one, and suffer terror-attacks or blackouts if they get too close. I'm going to Costa Rica and need your thoughts and prayers.

They're getting nervous 😏

Let's get real, it's time to abolish the monarchy. www.republic.org.uk

Proud to have a chapter published (in German) alongside so many incredible people - looking at the successful role of employee buyouts in building union power. Yes, this is an attempt to push German unions in that direction. Happy to give 30% discounts for those interested in a copy. ✊🏻

So basically, throwing McSweeny under the bus didn't work. www.bbc.com/news/live/c7...

Spain's constitution promises democracy at work. Last year, @yolandadiaz.bsky.social convened an expert group to study how to make good on that promise. Lead by @isabelleferreras.bsky.social, we have delivered what is, we think, the highest-level 400-page report on economic democracy out there. 1/2

Throughout the 80s, the United Steelworkers negotiated "rights of first refusal" into CBAs with companies. This meant that if it was sold off or closed, the workers got to make the first bid to buy it out - making it employee owned. Imagine doing this at scale in the public sector

"The goal is nothing, the movement everything" Eduard Bernstein, 1899

Never thought I'd live to see Neil Kinnock accurately explain Syndicalism and Proudhon to Rory Stuart and Alistair Campbell.

I found some old Libertarian Socialist pamphlets, circa 1960s. Not entirely sure where I got them, but they're a real gem.

What a true party of the people Reform is shaping out to be. Who knew so many Tory MPs had secretly always wanted to stand up to the Westminster elites on behalf of the working class. www.bbc.com/news/article...

While Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things, The fate of Empires and the fall of Kings; While quacks of State must each produce his plan, And even children lisp the Rights of Man; Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention, That the Rights of Woman merit some attention Robert Burns, 1792

Solidarity is strength.

Capitalism has its moments 😅

Let's build terrifying union power.

The UKs National Health Service is the largest socialist institution in the west. A non-profit, decomodified universal healthcare system won by the labour movement. I'm proud to have been born within it, and proud of the immense work it does to save and protect life.

"The less you eat, drink, buy books, go to the theatre or to balls, or to the pub, the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint, fence, the more you will be able to save and the greater will become your treasure, which neither moth nor rust will corrupt. The less you are, the more you have" Marx

What's the UN up to these days?

Everything can change, on a new years day.

"If ever I get all the money I earn, my boss will be broke and to work he must turn." - Bruce Duncan Phillips

Socialism is workers’ control over production. That’s it.

Come do a Masters Course in Germany, for trade unionists! Application period: 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026 Questions? Email glu.germany@uni-kassel.de (or ask me, happy to help) More info here: global-labour-university.org/studying/mas...

Capitalism is not markets, and socialism is not planning. In fact, capitalism can be highly planned, and socialism can utilize free markets. E.g. market socialism, with a system of worker cooperatives participating in a genuinely free market. The difference is who owns the means of production.

This is very, very interesting.

Ian Mikardo. Labour MP for Reading from 1950, pushed for the implementation of widespread employee ownership and worker self-management as part of the Attlee Government's nationalisation programme. A reminder of the party's transformative, more socialist tradition. He'd probably be expelled today.

The left should talk more about power redistribution than wealth redistribution.

They let me into the US!, a pleasure to meet great comrades at Rutgers' Labor Education Center 🇺🇸

The trade union is the pathway to socialism

India now has its first ever worker owned taxi company. This is good news.