Professional Poison: New Book by Susan Rosenthal
Introduction
Have you lost your job or your home, or do you fear losing
them? Are you drowning in debt? Do you fear for your future and
your children’s future?
This deepening crisis is squeezing millions of people beyond
their ability to cope. Yet policy makers are more concerned with
“restoring profitability” than with helping human beings.
What we need is a groundswell of anger that rejects “business
first” policies. Yet what we have are thousands of organizations
that are too small to make a difference. Why aren’t they bigger?
Why aren’t they united? Where is the mighty roar of protest that
we need?
While the policy-makers and the professionals who created this
crisis have been discredited, most social change organizations are
also led by professionals who think they can manage the system
better. That’s no solution when the problem is the system itself –
a system that puts profits before people.
This pamphlet explains why professionals refuse to challenge
capitalism, how they promote pessimism and passivity, and why
we need workers to lead the fight for a better life and a better
world.
June 28, 2009 at 7:31 PM
Interesting. Have you read ‘Disciplined Minds’ by Jeff Schmidt? It is an analysis of the professionalization process by the former editor of Physics Today and a former activist with Science for the People. He was fired for writing the book.
June 29, 2009 at 12:36 AM
Dave,
Thanks for the heads up. I’ll pass it on to Susan.
RR
June 29, 2009 at 3:22 AM
Actually, I should note that Susan quotes him in her piece so she must be already familiar. Take it in terms of a general recommendation then…