Oct 31, 2026 · 3h 41m
Labor democracy meets election fraud and political myth
It Could Happen Here Weekly 256
This compilation connects workplace power, electoral manipulation, cultural folklore, and protest movements across the United States and beyond.
- 1IWW candidates argue that member-led workplace organizing should guide the union’s administration and spending.
- 2The roundup examines voter suppression claims, staged fraud operations, and AI-generated political advertising as tools of electoral distortion.
- 3The Chupacabra and Albania’s protests become lenses for understanding political neglect, economic crisis, and popular resistance.
Don't miss
The IWW candidates frame their election as a choice between officials executing members’ decisions and officials making decisions for them.
The brief
The compilation opens with Israeli elections and their consequences for Palestinians, then turns to IWW candidates debating whether elected officials should serve members or govern them.
Pam Sweetland-Hallus, Andrew D. Ferguson, and Elizabeth Koppes-Duklo describe the IWW’s volunteer structure, low-turnout elections, administrative weaknesses, and push to return authority to branches.
A Chupacabra segment treats folklore as political evidence, linking reported sightings to drought, economic crisis, government neglect, and the narratives communities build around uncertainty.
The labor-history segment on coffin makers shows how demands for fair pay expose the essential work hidden inside an old newspaper account.
The weekly roundup moves from Lula’s victory and US voter suppression claims to staged fraud, AI-generated ads, and Albania’s escalating protests against corruption and austerity.
Books & mentions
Some links are affiliate links — PodLume may earn a commission if you buy.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.