On today’s episode of Auto Asphyxiation, we discuss Hayley Stevens, Abdul El-Sayed, the League of American Bicyclists, and other turncoat organizations and people through the framework of The Iron Law of Institutions, a political theory developed by Robert Michels and first explored in his 1911 book, Political Parties. What happens when institutions care more about their survival than their mission? The point of elections is not to have more little blue men in Congress; the point of elections is to have representatives that will honor the social contract and support building institutions that support prosocial communities. And what do bikes have to do with this? Lark’s bike is foldable and fits anywhere. The League of American Bicyclists' existence is NOT about bicycles; it is about who controls the streets, public space. The working class or the wealthy. The wealthy very much understood that and this is why they got right into all of our bike organizations and captured them. Now the National Summit is sponsored by Uber, WAYMO, tech oligarchs of all stripes, microbility devices, etc. Hegemony knows very well that LAB is not about riding bicycles; it is about controlling the city.
The working class in LAB needs to get out of its cult-like trance when it comes to that organization, because it’s taking longer to wake up than the Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party actually seems to be at a real crossroads that is HOPEFUL. While nightmares of the Weimar Republic were having a mosh pit in our heads, we’re actually very hopeful for the outcome of today’s major midterm election. The Democratic Party is about to be reborn, so disaster patriarchy, stand down; we don’t need you to save us, go back to figuring out how Zoom works.
When we sweep the fascists out of office, we need to think long and hard about our leaders. These organizations were so quick to acquiesce to fascists for a seat at the table; they definitely shouldn’t be in leadership positions anymore, and that’s including you, LAB.
There is no such thing as nonpartisan in advocacy; you’re either for the working class or not. Those are the two parties, and that’s how the wealthy sees it.
