The machine gun history
Everyone must have come across the famous image – whether it's a quote, a protest banner, a flag, or graffiti – of the worker who always assembles a machine gun from vacuum cleaner parts.
The phrase originates from the concept of alienation in factory workers. It symbolizes a factory worker who, detached from the final product, believes they are producing vacuum cleaners. However, as they start taking home pieces of the product, they realize it's a front for manufacturing machine guns. This metaphor reflects a laborer who invests their time working for an ideal they don't fully understand, thinking it's for the common good, when in reality, they're being used for harmful purposes by their employer or leader.
Additionally, it raises the question of how many of us can say we can afford the products we manufacture with the time we dedicate to making them. Workers often feel alienated from what they produce, lacking the rights to the products they create and receiving little in return. This highlights the truth of worker alienation.
One can draw parallels with the chaotic and blind situation of Manhattan Project workers, as seen in the recent film “Oppenheimer” by Christopher Nolan.
From an artistic perspective, it reminds me of the song about the man in black who assembles a Cadillac from stolen parts but ends up with a mishmash of various models, reflecting the concept of planned obsolescence and resulting in a “Homer's car.”
In this analysis of Harun Farocki's work “The Inextinguishable Fire,”, by Paulo Martins Filho, the author delves into the idea of responsibility in the face of violence and suffering, particularly regarding the use of napalm. The film confronts the viewer with a man who burns his own arm, highlighting the stark contrast between the concrete image of suffering and the indeterminate image conveyed through words. The essay also discusses how Farocki uses various sequences to engage the viewer in the ethical and moral implications of napalm production, including a satirical reenactment of a Dow Chemical factory meeting.
The final scene, with a man assuming different roles, emphasizes the role of workers, students, and engineers in the production process, showing that a factory can produce a wide range of items, from household appliances to weapons, depending on those involved. The text underlines the idea that responsibility cannot be dissociated from the products created, and the audience is called to confront the reality of their involvement in the processes that lead to suffering and violence.
This analysis provokes deep reflection on our role in the production and consequences of such products, ultimately emphasizing the responsibility that we all share in the face of violence and suffering.
The thing is: whatever your view and interpretation of the topic may be, the truth is that it's about the worker, the oppression of capital, and how the entire system is a “force” that destroys workers.