﻿Coue-Operation A Hunch 
 
The one big union, oh well, that is another thing to discuss. That is the “emancipation” of the working class —the Industrial Workers of the World. 
The one main reason why the capitalist system should be “scrapped” is this: It has lost all sense of proportion. Its press says, between 3,000 and 4,000 men are on strike, when there are 120,000; its judges cannot guess the “proper” degree of punishment, any nearer than one to fourteen years; its employers of labor cannot find work for 2,000,000 unemployed. Two million undiscovered jobs, in this small country, indicated the system is blind—only less than justice herself. 

The co-operative movement of today is not a “change” in the system of wage slavery. It does not desire the total elimination of “exploitation of labor” at the point of production. It merely aims to eliminate private profiteering (at the point of consumption) in favor of co-operative profiteering. It squeezes the social boil (on the nose) by beginning at the ankle. What the real co-operative movement of tomorrow will be, we can only speculate. 

Many vast and fanciful schemes and theories have been proposed as a remedy for our economic evils. Formidable programs have been presented to the workers by profound gentlemen in tatters; by oily promoters in top hats and broadcloth; by acrobatic mental gymnasts with a theoretical training in the science which determines the probable volume of sweat that will flow past the thirteenth knuckle of a slave’s backbone in a given period of time while said slave is producing—a railroad, for instance; hence, why should I not advance a remedy and maintain for it all the qualities incorporated in other programs. Why not, indeed! 
The Industrial Workers of the World are organizing themselves into a one big union of all the world’s workers. The world’s workers are organizing themselves into the feet Industrial Workers of the World, at the places where they work— at the point of production. (Only the workers are doing this— and, under our program there will be no unemployed.) 
Heretofore, we, the workers, have been organized in geographical societies, spiritual congregations, craft unions, commercial tern, groups, political parties and—in industrial unions, in a mild way. And, in the late have sorrowful years, the co-operative movement has caught the fancy of those who believe their they are especially gifted, by their long disassociation with work, to enter the competitive field as a disturbing factor, at points other than productive. 
This being disposed of, let us advance again. In the one big union program the Agricultural Workers, I. U. No. 110, co-operate (with the whole) to produce the grains vegetables, fruits, etc., and they will guarantee a sufficient supply for all concerned; the Foodstuff Workers I. U. 460 will guarantee the pork chops with all necessary trimmings and cooking that will be scientific, not to mention service that money can’t buy; the Textile Workers I. U. No. 410, will accommodate us with all the cloth and clothes (including be[unclear] pants for bald-headed sheiks). 
Now that we are clothed and fe[unclear] the Lumber Workers I. U. 120, will go out and capture enough logs and lumber for our shelter, our homes, our windbreaks, the places, oh you know, where we spend our nights; the Building Construction Workers I. U. 330. will erect enough dwellings to guarantee every human being with a home and so on. There will be an industrial union to look after every need of the human family. Industrial Union No. 520 will take care of railway transportation, delivering the goods where they will do the most good. So, too, will the Marine Transport Workers I. U. 510 comport themselves creditably for the welfare of all. Not forgetting my own General Construction Workers Industrial Union No. 310 which smoothes the way of progress and makes this world generally a fit place to live in ; it will guarantee good roads, tunnels, dams, bridges, canals and new railroads, in abundance. I will further content myself with mentioning the Miners Industrial Unions 210 and 220, the men who dig our coal and ore, etc.; the Metal and Machinery Workers I. U. No. 410; and so on. But why continue! The picture is there. Co-operation! 
Many industrial unions I have not mentioned will co-operate to make our life more bearable in this sloppy old “veil of tears”. They will guarantee whatever we need to maintain life, harmony and beauty. 
That is real co-operation, the one big union. It is so simple that great scientists may have overlooked it in their tremendous anxiety about our dialectics. As simple as rolling out of bed.— (T-Bone Slim).