the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Oct 14, 2024
This French film (with subtitles) shows the lives of workers who eke out a poverty existence cleaning businesses, including a large ferry. The pace of the work is excruciating and back-breaking: they must clean 200 rooms in two hours.
The story of these workers is told by an undercover writer who conceals her identity and works side by side with them. The film at its best shows the humanity and spirit of the women: their friendships, their support for each other, the love for their children. But the film also spends too much time on the guilt of the lying journalist, when instead it should be posing and questioning what kind of society is based on this cruel exploitation. Still, it’s worth a look.
Through fiction, this book tells the story of actual historic events in Egypt through the eyes of different people, giving us multiple perspectives of the 2011 uprising against the repressive Hosni Mubarak regime.
We see the brutality of the military and the corruption and hypocrisy of the ruling elite. We get glimpses of workers organizing and taking control of their factories, and even considering taking power.
We see the takeover and sit-ins in Tahrir Square and across Egypt by workers and students, people of all walks of life. And finally, when workers do not take control, we see the repressive regime reassert itself and violently destroy the gains that were made.