The War On Labor And The Left

In many countries, labour has "war stories" to tell, but possibly none are so violent as those of American labour. Although much of the violence occurred decades ago, the author of this book argues that this rich history sheds light on questions that still plague observers of the American political system: why has the United States been more conservative in its domestic policies than other Western democracies?; why is it almost alone among these countries in lacking a mass labour or democratic socialist party - or the kind of social policies favoured by such parties?; and why has American labour unionism been in serious decline in recent decades? The book explores an explanation of American conservatism - that of a literal war on labour waged by unusually powerful economic entities using repressive strategies. Emphasizing the impact on workers, and the Left, of conflict sustained over many years, the author aims to show how the use of power and repression has played out as well in the institutions of law and government, in economic policies and in the media.