100%. I felt like I understood that before, but seeing it in person really made me get it. It ranges from people who are reactionaries except for being pro-union, to people who constantly talk shit about the union even though they’re dues-paying members. I guess it’s all really just different levels of self-justification from people who are just in it for the better pay and benefits. I really need to go back and read Settlers all the way through lol
I’m an apprentice electrician, and I definitely feel you. Just yesterday I had to talk to my journeyman for something like an hour about DEI just because I slightly pushed back on what he was saying. Before I started, I expected that being in the union would at least weed out some of the worst reactionaries, but unfortunately it is not the case at all
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to people in general, but you may be surprised by how far left some people in DSA are. I’m in sort of a similar area where I’m too far from my nearest major city (Atlanta) to make it to events regularly, but still want to be involved. While I was in DSA, there were plenty of people active in the Slack server, ranging from socdems to incredibly well-read MLs. Even if you can’t make it to a protest or something, they usually still have social events too that come with more advance notice.
I also wouldn’t shy away from being friends with “normal” people. The whole project of the left requires getting those people on our side, and a lot of them are most likely not going to come to the correct conclusions on their own without someone to help them along
It’s honestly disappointing. I enjoy what I do, but I would never associate with the majority of the people I work with outside of work. I have met some good people though. I know at least two other communists, including one I met through organizing before I even started the job, as well as several other leftists of different kinds. but for every one of them there’s 100 chuds. I’ve been to meetings where I’m talking to a communist, and someone with a three percenter decal on their truck drives by to park in the same lot