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Eric Dirnbach

@ericdirnbach.bsky.social

2.7K followers 1.5K following 930 posts

Labor Movement Researcher, Activist, Campaigner, Organizer, Educator, Writer & Socialist, Philly born, NYC now. https://ericdirnbach.medium.com ✊ operarios omnia vincent ✊

ericdirnbach.medium.com

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · Feb 20

This is my annual roundup of labor data on union membership, elections and strikes. How is the U.S. labor movement doing? What should it do in this new political era? #UnionYes #UnionStrong
ericdirnbach.medium.com/state-of-the...

State of the U.S. Unions 2025

This is my annual roundup of labor data on union membership, elections and strikes. How is the U.S. labor movement doing? What should it do…

ericdirnbach.medium.com

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 3h

"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty."
- Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism

Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 1d

This is good.

Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 1d

Ok good, but then their political judgment was terrible, and it was obvious to most of us.

Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · 1d

“I voted for none of this."

Prominent influencers, including Theo Von, Joe Rogan, and Andrew Schulz, are starting to distance themselves from the president they helped propel to the White House.

Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 1d

When Stephen Miller hijacks the Major League Baseball social media account

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 2d

MAHA remains a cruel joke that will only do harm. But there's a lesson here. Dems allowed MAGA to outflank them with a few good sound bites about unhealthy food. As usual MAGA takes advantage of Dem risk aversion.
theintercept.com/2025/10/02/r...

MAHA Slams “Corporate Capture” by Food and Pharma Giants — While Trump Strips Regulations

RFK Jr.’s rhetoric can appeal to desperate parents in a broken health system. But experts say his policies only hurt children.

theintercept.com

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 2d

Ok I'm glad his "debate" style is being analyzed, and it appears to consist of deploying lies and dishonest rhetorical tricks against inexperienced students, packaged into deceptive, gotcha videos. What a warrior for free speech!
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

The Debate Style That Propelled Charlie Kirk’s Movement

A close read of some of Mr. Kirk’s most viral exchanges shows an approach that was polished and skillful — if not always fair.

www.nytimes.com

Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 3d

Love overhearing folks learn obviously wrong lessons. A bro was saying it was great back in the day when fewer teams made the playoffs, and now with wildcard, "everyone gets a trophy." Bro, this is not wokeness, it's capitalism, more playoff games means more money, how is that not obvious?

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 3d

Once again, MAGA is ruling as if they will never have to face a genuine election again.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 3d

Exclusive: The Trump administration is preparing a plan that will make it harder for older Americans to qualify for Social Security disability payments, part of an overhaul that could result in hundreds of thousands of people losing benefits.

Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans

Trump administration officials are considering eliminating age as a factor in deciding whether someone is capable of working.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 4d

Over 2 million people across Italy have rallied in more than 100 cities for a one-day general strike.

2 million rally in Italy for Gaza as general strike halts key services

Over 2 million people across Italy have rallied in more than 100 cities for a one-day general strike.

bit.ly

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 4d

"This is a manifestation of what I call effigy politics. It eschews the work of democracy in favor of highly visible moments of symbolic dominance. It builds nothing. It only burns down. Mr. Kirk was an expert practitioner."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/o...

Opinion | Why Are My Fellow Baristas Being Used as Props in a Dangerous Culture War Stunt?

www.nytimes.com

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 4d

"...we have reached the Orwellian stage in which stating the truth is now considered partisan, ideological — and therefore suspect."
www.levernews.com/reporting-re...

Reporting Reality? That’s Partisan Now

For reporting on Trump’s authoritarian tendencies and the master plan to sell our democracy, NewsGuard’s media rating system has deemed us misleadingly liberal.

www.levernews.com

Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 6d

"The plain intent of the memo is to make Americans afraid to call fascism what it is — or worse, to say fascism is bad."
www.theverge.com/policy/79051...

Everything is terrorism in Trump’s America

But don’t call that fascism. That would be bad.

www.theverge.com

Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 7d

Definitely do many more of these dumb meetings, looks like it was great for morale!
"Defense officials were shocked at the cost and danger of assembling the military’s top officers to listen to meandering tirades."
theintercept.com/2025/09/30/t...

Trump and Hegseth Gathered U.S. Military Leaders for an “Embarrassing” Rant

Defense officials were shocked at the cost and danger of assembling the military’s top officers to listen to meandering tirades.

theintercept.com

Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

Michael Paarlberg @mpaarlberg.bsky.social · 9d

I think the Trump admin assumed no one would try to find out who the people on the boats they blew up really were

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Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

Veena Dubal @veenadubal.bsky.social · 9d

Part of what this reveals is what US labor has been arguing since the late 19th C. At will employment impedes political democracy. If u can lose ur livelihood for ur (non violent & non harassing) beliefs, then being an engaged citizen is all but impossible.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...

She Was Fired for a Comment on Her Private Facebook Account

www.nytimes.com

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 12d

One argument sometimes made in support of having very wealthy people is that they have the resources to resist state tyranny, and we can see how that's going. Wealth can also make you risk averse and compliant.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Lower Than Cowards

The surrender of America’s elites

www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

Anna Resists @annaresists.bsky.social · 12d

A cartoon of an ICE agent yelling “STOP CALLING US FASCISTS” as he is about to beat a woman on the ground with a club

16 370 1.4K

Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

Hamilton Nolan @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social · 12d

The imperial boomerang goes "thwack."
www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/we-are-all...

We Are All Domestic Terrorists Now

Here comes the iron fist.

www.hamiltonnolan.com

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Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

David Sirota @davidsirota.com · 13d

Imagine how hard Democratic leaders have had to work to now be perceived as less trustworthy than Donald Trump on the issue of fighting corruption.

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Eric Dirnbach @ericdirnbach.bsky.social · 13d

MAHA folks fighting over different ways to be stupid.

Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 13d

Some MAHA activists are extremely frustrated that Trump has blamed the existence of autism on Tylenol, and not vaccines.

Anti-vax groups struggle to explain how Tylenol fits in with their whole thing

The White House's very weird autism announcement triggers a moment of opportunity and crisis.

www.motherjones.com

Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

realKyleKeegan @realkylekeegan.bsky.social · 13d

If only we’d known in 2015 that we could just turn off the escalator.

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Reposted by Eric Dirnbach

Dave Kamper @dskamper.bsky.social · 14d

All right, let's do this.

I have no inside info on @karenattiah.bsky.social's case. But I know Post employees are part of @postguild.bsky.social, and their contract allows the union to challenge "disciplinary action on the basis that is was taken without just cause."

So what's just cause?

1/

Dave Kamper @dskamper.bsky.social · 14d

Any interest in an educational thread on "just cause" protections in union contracts?