By exposing the 24 Hour fitness gym is Andy Paine ‘throwing a wooden sabot into the machines to disrupt production‘?
Historians claim the poor workers of France in the 18th century used to throw their shoes (sabots) into the weaving machines to disrupt production. Workers hated the brutal conditions, low wages, the child labour, the loss of their manual weaving craft.
Feared by the capitalists these ‘saboteurs‘ were denounced as traitors to be dobbed in by lovers of freedom to exploit and democracy’s right to repress.
Sabot, now there is a word. It gave rise to the English word sabotage. Are you a saboteur? As depicted in this US poster from the World War II? During WW II US intelligence services utilised posters like these to attack the ‘saboteurs‘.
It was incorrectly claimed that French and English workers were acting in a clandestine manner when, in fact, they openly used their shoes to make a big noise of protest. It was later that Luddites in England actually destroyed the machines.
Anyway here is Andy’s take on the 24-hr Fitness Gym. – Ed.