Green & Red Podcast – Best of G&R: Happy Scrappy Labor Day!! The Ruling Class vs Radical Organizing (G&R 414)

Date: September 1, 2025
Hosts: Bob Buzzanco (B), Scott Parkin (A)

Episode Overview

This Labor Day episode of the Green & Red podcast is a spirited blend of radical history, critique of mainstream labor politics, and a celebration of grassroots organizing. Hosts Bob Buzzanco and Scott Parkin riff, rant, and reflect on the co-optation of Labor Day, current labor struggles, the legacy of radical movements, ruling-class manipulation, and the necessity of a revived class-conscious labor movement. True to the podcast’s “scrappy” ethos, they spotlight the contrast between symbolism and substance in labor politics and set a distinctly anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Banter, Setting the Tone [00:00–01:42]

• The episode begins with regional joking—Scott representing “left coast elitists” and Bob anchoring from Texas, “the land of Abbott, crazy Republicans and oil companies.”
  • Quote: "From the Gulf coast, not from the elite liberal coast." (B, 00:26)
• Brief jabs at political figures like Ted Cruz and playful takes on conspiracy memes set a relaxed but critical tone.

2. This Week in Radical History [01:42–09:03]

Civil Rights and Radical Leaders

• Emmett Till & Civil Rights: The murder of Emmett Till and its catalytic role in the civil rights movement.
• Fred Hampton: In-depth history of Fred Hampton, his multiracial “Rainbow Coalition,” and his assassination by the FBI and Chicago police.
  • Quote: "We're not going to fight capitalism with black capitalism; we're going to fight it with socialism." – Fred Hampton (A, 04:29)
  • Analysis: Praise for Hampton’s intellectual and organizing prowess, noting the sophisticated class analysis of the Panthers.

Labor Movement History

• IWW’s Little Red Songbook (1911): Celebrating Joe Hill’s “Preacher and the Slave” and its critique of organized religion’s complicity in labor suppression.
  • Quote: "Talks about the role of organized religion suppressing people’s movements." (B, 05:12)
• Attica Uprising (1971): The violent repression of the Attica prison revolt, critique of the bipartisan carceral state.
  • Quote: "The use of outright violence is kind of, you know, we don’t talk about enough." (B, 06:12)

3. Labor Day: History and Co-optation [09:11–16:50]

• Origins of Labor Day: Born from the 1894 Pullman Strike; Grover Cleveland’s aim to appease labor by co-opting the movement.
  • Quote: "Not a rail strike that was shut down by the most pro-union president in history." (A, 09:29)
• May Day vs. Labor Day: US authorities sought to replace May Day (international workers’ holiday) with Labor Day to suppress more militant traditions.
  • Quote: "The US Government and corporate leaders wanted to not give workers… a holiday to rally around, which was May Day." (A, 11:23)
• Corporate & State Co-optation: Discussion on symbolic gestures by politicians and corporations (corporate “purpose,” rainbow merchandise, etc.) versus material gains.
  • Quote: "You create these… politics of symbols… Labor Day is kind of like that too. I mean, it’s a consumer holiday." (B, 13:08)
• The Democratic Party & Symbolism: Critique of “politics of symbolism” as a replacement for substantive material changes.

4. State of American Labor and Current Strikes [16:50–21:48]

• Public Approval of Unions: 67% support for unions, a historic high.
• Recent and Ongoing Strikes:
  • Auto Workers: Anticipation and public support of possible UAW strikes.
  • UPS: The complexities of the recent settlement, especially for part-timers.
  • Hollywood Strikes: Fran Drescher’s and Ron Perlman’s class-conscious rhetoric, Disney’s PR crisis, and pay disparities.
  • Amazon, Starbucks, and Service Sector: Noting new centers of labor militancy.
• Union Leadership & Rank-and-file Tensions:
  • Quote: "Union leadership right now, its main goal was to support Biden rather than help the workers out." (B, 11:49)

5. Labor Politics, the Ruling Class, and the Limits of Symbolic Progress [21:48–29:35]

• Shift from Industrial to Service Economy: Rise of organizing among teachers, service workers, and logistics workers.
  • Quote: "The future is in the Starbucks and the independent coffee shops and the fast food Amazons…" (B, 30:08)
• Corporate Liberalism & Its Demise:
  • Historical note: Once, “smart capitalists” wanted workers’ stability more than constant conflict. This “corporate liberalism” (minimal concessions for labor peace) is largely gone.
  • Quote: "What capitalists want… is stability… And so you started to see this idea… If you kind of address some of the needs… then you’re going to have harmony… That clearly has evaporated." (B, 23:07)
• Contemporary Union-Busting:
  • Companies talk diversity but fiercely oppose unionization (e.g., Starbucks' Howard Schultz, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos).
• Public vs. Private Sector Unionization:
  • Public-sector union density remains higher (~35%), but private-sector unionism is near-historic lows.

6. Labor Militancy: Yesterday and Today [31:01–32:57]

• Legal Obstacles & Militancy:
  • Pre-New Deal violence; today’s “insidious” union-busting through law, PR, and cultural issues.
• Wildcat Strikes/New Worker Tactics:
  • Teachers and service workers often strike without formal unions, especially in red states.
  • Quote: "They’re wildcatting. They have these state laws where they’re not allowed to go on strike and they’re just like, screw that." (B, 30:57)

7. Class Struggle, Anti-Imperialism, and the Broader Left [34:26–38:59]

• Solidarity Against McCarthyism and Imperialism:
  • Endorsement of Jodie Evans (Code Pink), pushback against NYT smear pieces, and warnings against left complicity with state repression.
  • Quote: "Anti-imperialism has to once again become a core value of what we do. It’s the other side of the coin [with] class struggle at home." (B, 36:25)
• Military Spending vs. Social Needs:
  • Billions spent on Ukraine and military bases, while Americans struggle with rent, debt, and healthcare.
  • Quote: "We’re spending billions on, you know, war in Ukraine… [while] a lot of people are still living hand to mouth." (A, 36:51)
• Call to Action:
  • Make trouble everywhere for labor justice; connect anti-capitalism with anti-imperialism.
  • Quote: "Fight power and… take care of each other. Remember what Che said… ‘The true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love, 100%.’" (B, 38:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Labor Holiday Co-optation:
  "Labor Day… a consumer holiday, right… It’s your last weekend of the summer. Go to the beach… it’s become lots of barbecues and sales. But we… think anytime there’s any reason to celebrate labor… you should do so." (B, 13:08–13:59)

• On Corporate Liberalism and Its Fallout:
  "There was a period when the… ruling class… took labor seriously… to create these relationships… less onerous… But today… they just… offer them these kind of symbolic things." (B, 25:14–25:58)

• On Wildcat Strikes and New Power Centers:
  "We’re seeing… a lot of these strikes… coming from teachers, service workers, logistics workers… which is actually… an important sign about how the economy has shifted…" (A, 25:58)

• On Imperative for Anti-Imperialism:
  "If you want to consider yourself… a good human… you have to be anti-imperialist…the more you’re doing in Ukraine… that’s stuff you’re not doing in Hawaii… not going to healthcare." (B, 37:47)

Key Segment Timestamps

• [01:42–05:06]: Emmett Till & Fred Hampton radical history
• [05:06–07:45]: Joe Hill, IWW, Little Red Songbook, Attica uprising
• [09:11–13:59]: Labor Day origins, co-optation, symbolism vs. substance
• [16:50–21:48]: Union popularity, current strikes (auto, UPS, SAG-AFTRA, WGA)
• [23:37–30:13]: Corporate liberalism, labor history, shift to service sector
• [31:01–32:57]: Wildcat strikes, red-state labor militancy
• [34:26–38:59]: Anti-imperialism, NYT smear on Code Pink, military spending
• [39:36–41:14]: Outro: Joe Hill’s “Preacher and the Slave” performed (audio clip)

Tone and Style

Conversational, irreverent, and explicitly radical, the hosts combine historical narrative, current analysis, and biting humor. They frequently contrast the surface-level “wokeness” of politicians/corporations with the brutal realities faced by workers and oppressed communities.

Summary Takeaway

Green & Red’s Labor Day special connects labor history, class struggle, and present-day organizing, urging listeners to see through symbolic “progress” and instead support real, disruptive worker movements. The episode links anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist critique to current labor struggles and encourages direct action and solidarity—demonstrating that even on Labor Day, the class war is very much alive.