,FROM ! RI<T-W+ TO ! REVOLUTION>Y LEFT 
,H[ ,I WAS RADICALIZ$ 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,TOM ,WETZEL 

,TEXT 3 

,= ,MAY ,DAY1 WE >E PRES5T+ ! />T ( A NEW MULTIP>T S]IES >\ND ! QUE/ION ',H[ W]E Y\ RADICALIZ$8' ,ON ! RADICAL LEFT1 MANY PEOPLE (T5 SPEAK ( !IR PROTE/ OR ORGANIZ+ EXP]I5CES1 ALMO/ LIKE OLD W> VET]ANS4 ,BUT ONE ( ! MORE 9T]E/+ /ORIES444PEOPLE'S P]SONAL PA? TO RADICAL POLITICS1 >5'T ALWAYS TOLD4 

,! FIR/ P>T 9 \R S]IES TAKES US BRIEFLY ?\< ! '#fS & '#gS & IS FROM ,TOM ,WETZEL4 ,TOM'S O!R WRIT+S CAN BE F\ND ON HIS P]SONAL WEBSITE1 AS WELL AS ON IDEAS @& ACTION1 A PUBLICATION BY ,WORK]S ,SOLID>ITY ,ALLIANCE 7,W,S,A74 

,I GREW UP 9 A BLUE COLL> FAMILY ( AUTO-DIDACTS4 ,I LIV$ ) MY GR&MO!R :O WAS A MILL9] :O WORK$ 9 HAT-MAK+ FACTORIES4 ,%E WAS /RONGLY 9FLU5C$ BY ,!ODORE ,P>K]1 A ,UNIT>IAN M9I/] :O WAS AN ORGANIZ] ) ! ,UND]GR\ND ,RAILROAD ( ! #a#h#eS4 ,P>K] HAD DEVELOP$ A CRITIQUE ( ,BIBLE-BAS$ RELIGION BECAUSE HE BELIEV$ IT C\LD NOT PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE BASIS = ATTACK+ :ITE SUPREMACY4 ,MY GR&MO!R TOLD ME ?AT ,I %\LD REG>D ALL HUMANS AS MY 0BRO!RS & SI/]S40 

,MY FAMILY 5C\RAG$ ME TO READ & ?9K = MYSELF4 ,A *ILDHOOD FRI5D REC5TLY TOLD ME ?AT 9 HI< S*OOL HE P]CEIV$ ME AS AN 09TELLECTUAL40 ,AS A TE5AG] MY 9ITIAL POLITICAL DIRECTION WAS TO ! RI<T4 ,:5 ,I WAS #ai ,I WAS A MEMB] ( ! ,Y\NG ,REPUBLICANS AT A LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE4 ,I HAD READ ,AYN ,R&'S V>I\S BOOKS1 BUT ALSO WAS 9FLU5C$ BY ! DI/RIBUTIVISM #a ( ,*E/]TON & ,BELLOC4 ,!Y WANT$ A RETURN TO ! PRE-CAPITALI/ ECONOMY ( SELF-EMPLOY$ F>M]S & >TISANS4 

,BETWE5 ! MID-'#fS & ! MID-'#gS ,I MOV$ FROM RI<T W+ POLITICS TO ! REVOLUTION>Y LEFT4 

,AFT] GRADUAT+ FROM HI< S*OOL ,I WORK$ = SIX YE>S 9 ! GAS /ATION *A9 OP]AT$ BY ,/&>D ,OIL ( ,CALI=NIA 7N[ CALL$ ,*EVRON74 ,I USUALLY WORK$ GRAVEY>D %IFT TO AVOID BOSSES4 ,I WORK$ (T5 ) OLD] BLACK M54 ,!Y TOLD ME /ORIES :I* HELP$ ME TO BETT] APPRECIATE ! CIRCUM/ANCES ( LIFE FAC$ BY BLACK PEOPLE 9 ,AM]ICA4 ,?IS WAS DUR+ ! P]IOD ( ! BLACK FRE$OM MOVEM5T1 & ,I GRADUALLY BECAME A SUPPORT] ( ?AT MOVEM5T4 ,?IS L$ TO SOME HEAT$ >GUM5TS ) C]TA9 MEMB]S ( MY FAMILY4 

,WORK+ AS A GAS JOCKEY HELP$ TO DEVELOP MY CLASS CONSCI\SNESS4 ,AT ! TIME ( ! NATIONAL /UD5T /RIKE AGA9/ ! ,VIETNAM ,W> 9 ,MAY-,JUNE #a#i#g1 A NETWORK ( ! Y\NG] WORK]S 9 ?AT *A9 BEGAN A RULE DISOB$I5CE4 ,! COMPANY HAD A V]Y /RICT HAIR & DRESS POLICY ?AT SEEM$ TO BE MODEL$ ON ! ,M>9ES4 ,AS A PROTE/ WE BEGAN TO IGNORE IT444GR[ BE>DS ETC4 ,?IS WAS 9ITIAT$ BY ONE ( MY HI< S*OOL BUDDIES4 ,*EVRON S5T A ,V,P FROM ,SAN ,FRANCISCO TO ,L4,A4 & WE W]E ALL FIR$4 ,! COMPANY LIB]ALIZ$ ! DRESS CODE AFT] \R FIR+4 

,! LESSON ,I LE>N$ FROM ?IS WAS ! WEAKNESS ( PURELY SPONTANE\S =MS ( WORKPLACE PROTE/4 ,AT ! /ATION :]E ,I WORK$ !RE WAS A DIV]SE GR\P444SOME BLACKS1 TWO GAY M51 IMMIGRANTS1 Y\NG] & OLD]4 ,I REALIZ$ ?AT AN EFFECTIVE MOVEM5T AMONG ?AT WORK=CE W\LD NE$ TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ) ! DIFF]5T PEOPLE1 LI/5 TO !IR GRIEVANCES1 & GET !M 9VOLV$4 

,!RE WAS ACTUALLY A LOT ( WORK] REBELLION GO+ ON 9 ! E>LY '#gS SU* AS ! ILLEGAL NATIONAL PO/AL /RIKE & ! NATIONAL WILDCAT /RIKE ( OV]-!-ROAD TRUCK DRIV]S4 ,TO FI<T A C\RT 9JUNCTION 9 ,L4,A41 /UD5TS FROM ,U,C,L,A REPLAC$ ,TEAM/]S 9 PICKET+ ! TRUCK+ COMPANIES444) ! DRIV]S *E]+ FROM ACROSS ! /REET4 

,BY ! E>LY '#gS ,I WAS DO+ A LOT ( SOCIALI/ READ+4 ,FROM ,M>X'S PHILOSOPHICAL MANUSCRIPTS TO ! LEFT-W+ ( ! OLD ,AM]ICAN ,SOCIALI/ ,P>TY4 ,I APPRECIAT$ WRIT]S :O C\LD EXPLA9 ! IDEAS TO ORD9>Y PEOPLE 9 CLE> LANGUAGE4 

,9 #a#i#g1 AFT] />T+ WORK AS A TEA*+ ASSI/ANT 7,T,A7 AT ,U,C,L,A1 ,I ATT5D$ A UNION ORGANIZ+ MEET+ ALONG ) #d O!R PEOPLE4 ,! ,T,AS UNION AT ,U,C,L,A WAS A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION ) NO PAID (FIC]S OR PAID /AFF4 ,IT WAS RUN BASICALLY ?R\< A %OP /EW>DS C\NCIL & ASSEMBLIES 9 ! DEP>TM5TS4 ,= ME1 ?IS WAS CONCRETE PRO( ( ! POSSIBILITY ( GRASSROOTS UNIONISM4 

,BY ! E>LY '#gS ,I HAD BECOME AN ADVOCATE ( BO? DEMOCRATIC1 MILITANT UNIONISM & A LABOR POLITICAL P>TY4 ,I WAS SYMPA!TIC TO ! ,9T]NATIONAL ,SOCIALI/S AT ?AT TIME4 ,L59ISM WAS REALLY QUITE DOM9ANT 9 RADICAL POLITICS 9 ?AT ]A4 ,! ,L59I/S :O W]E P>TICUL>LY DOGMATIC LIK$ TO CALL !MSELVES 0REVOLUTION>Y COMMUNI/S04 ,I EV5TUALLY REALIZ$ ,I C\LDN'T /OMA* ,L59ISM EV5 9 ITS MILD] ,I4,S4 =M4 

,A ,NEW ,LEFT WRIT] :O ,I APPRECIAT$ WAS ,/AU<TON ,LYND4 ,HE WAS ONE ( ! PEOPLE :O HELP$ TO CREATE ! ,NEW ,AM]ICAN ,MOVEM5T4 ,N,A,M CALL$ ITSELF A NON-,L59I/ REVOLUTION>Y SOCIALI/ ORGANIZATION4 ,SO ,I JO9$4 ,I ?9K = ME ! MO/ IMPORTANT ASPECT ( ,N,A,M WAS ITS EMPHASIS ON SOCIALI/-FEM9ISM1 :I* WAS 9 PRACTICE ! S\RCE ( :AT IS N[ CALL$ ! 09T]SECTIONAL0 APPROA*4 

,AN E>LY ,N,A,M PROJECT WAS ,J]EMY ,RIFK9'S ,PEOPLE'S ,BIC5T5NIAL ,COMMISSION4 ,I HELP$ TO ORGANIZE ! ,L4,A4 *APT]4 ,?IS WAS BASICALLY A PROPAG&A EF=T TO PROMOTE WORK] SELF-MANAGEM5T UND] ! SLOGAN 0ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY40 

,MY CONCEPTION ( SOCIALISM HAD BE5 9FLU5C$ BY GUILD SOCIALISM4 ,I HAD COME ACROSS ?IS VIA MY READ+ ( ,B]TR& ,RUSSELL'S ,ROADS TO ,FRE$OM4 ,?IS L$ ME TO READ ,G4,D4,H4 ,COLE1 :OSE ,! ,MEAN+ ( ,M>XISM IS AN EXCELL5T 9TRODUCTION TO ,M>XISM4 

,9 ORGANIZ+ MY DEP>TM5T 9TO ! ,T,AS UNION1 ,I WORK$ ) A Y\NG] FRI5D :O WAS AN AN>*O-SYNDICALI/4 ,RALPH HAD BE5 A MEMB] ( 0,! ,RESI/ANCE0 9 ! LATE '#fS4 ,HE WAS ALSO P>T ( AN AN>*I/ FACTION EXPELL$ FROM ! LOCAL ,/UD5TS = A ,DEMOCRATIC ,SOCIETY *APT] BY ! ,M>XI/-,L59I/S4 ,AL?\< %ORT-LIV$1 ! ,RESI/ANCE WAS ! FIR/ GR\P 9 ?AT P]IOD 9 ,L4,A4 TO DEVELOP AN AN>*O-SYNDICALI/ POLITICAL POSITION4 ,FROM ,RALPH1 ,I FIR/ LE>N$ AB\T ! ,SPANI% REVOLUTION4 ,READ+ AB\T ?AT MOVEM5T HELP$ ME TO SEE ! CONCRETE VIABILITY ( A SYNDICALI/ /RATEGY & ,I WAS 9SPIR$ BY ! MASS COLLECTIVIZATIONS ( 9DU/RY4 

,I ?9K ! KEY *ANGE 9 MY ?9K+ DUR+ ! C\RSE ( ! '#gS WAS ?AT ,I GRADUALLY BEGAN TO DEVELOP MORE ( A CRITIQUE ( ! /ATE & ELECTORAL POLITICS4 ,I ?9K MY %IFT FROM RI<T TO LEFT 9 ! '#fS HAPP5$ MA9LY BECAUSE ,I BEGAN TO GET A MORE REALI/IC GRASP ON CAPITALISM1 ITS BRUTALITY 7AS MANIFE/$ 9 IMP]IALI/ W>S = EXAMPLE7 & OPPRESSIVE CLASS /RUCTURE4 ,BUT ,I ALSO ?9K ! G5]AL EM]G5CE ( RADICAL SOCIAL MOVEM5TS 9 ?AT P]IOD WAS AN 9FLU5CE BECAUSE IT 5C\RAGES Y\ TO BELIEVE ?AT SOCIAL *ANGE IS POSSIBLE4 

,FROM 3 ,!,AN>*I/,LIBR>Y4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,JANU>Y #b#c1 #bba 3 ,FROM ! RI<T-W+ TO ! REVOLUTION>Y LEFT -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #f1 #bbb 3 ,FROM ! RI<T-W+ TO ! REVOLUTION>Y LEFT -- ,UPDAT$4 

 FILE G5]AT$ FROM 3  
HTTP3_/_/REVOLTLIB4COM_/