Last Thursday (March 30, 2023), Fortune published a long-form academic article that argued Stakhanovism (an ideology connected to the mass cultural movement surrounding Alexei Stakhanov, a long-forgotten Soviet coal miner once featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1935) continues to thrive today through essentially the same jargon originally used by the Stalinists. Three days later (Sunday April 2, 2023), HBO aired a new episode of Succession, its provocative and award-winning dramedy about the media, money, power, and politics. The show’s iron-fisted patriarch of a highly dysfunctional dynasty (and fictional global media conglomerate) made an impromptu visit to one of his television news networks and, as the aging founder wandered through the bustling news writers’ bullpen, he observed aloud that there are ‘f—ing Stakhanovites in here‘ before he delivered a impassioned speech letting his workers know that their hard work would pay off because they would soon rule the news world. In reality, Stalin transformed Alexei Stakhanov into the leading symbol for his socialist economic plan to create an elite working class that represented the human qualities of a superhero worker. His Soviet Communist Party adopted seemingly harmless refrains like ‘commitment‘, ‘continuous learning‘, ‘creativity‘, ‘innovation‘, ‘passion‘, ‘personal growth‘, ‘potential‘ and ‘talent‘ to inspire ‘true believers‘ to work as hard as they could to contribute to the collective good of the grand socialist experiment. Those elite Soviet workers received special privileges for their efforts to try and propel Soviet Russia ahead of its capitalist rivals. The Soviet Union, however, collapsed in the 1990’s while the blistering pace of technological advancements in the U.S. gave rise to a new breed of robber barons ruling over global media and communication platforms that offered lavish perks to their elite high-tech workers and outside influencers. Importantly, these new captains of global industry charted the reemergence of doublethink through newspeak that constantly urges the masses (both workers and wannabes) to discover who they truly are, and to express their limitless personal potential without humility because only the most talented people are endlessly resourceful. It is interesting to note that the unique political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) has been cited by capitalists and communists alike. Indeed, Hobbesian thought heavily influenced not only our Founding Fathers (particularly Hobbes’ pre-political idea of unalienable rights, i.e., universal and non-transferable rights derived from God and the Laws of Nature, as well as his social compact theory, i.e., that government should be an agreement between those who govern and those who consent to be governed by them), but also Joseph Stalin (especially Hobbes’ conviction that socio-economic competition is a ‘war of all against all‘). Are today’s unlimited horizons for new types of self-expression and self-actualization serious propositions, or just ironic tropes? Can otherwise ordinary individuals actually become extraordinary enough to attain and sustain limitless potentialities? Are PF Independent DSD Partners truly valued by CPB as worthy members of its new corporate culture, or are we expendable Stakhanovites? Are we now ALL AGAINST ALL?

The 2023 POAA Annual Convention and Leadership Conference begins in two weeks, and TeamPOAA is pleased to announce that our itinerary will include presentations designed to spark discussions on a wide variety of topics important to PF DSD owners. This year’s legal update will not only share POAA’s perspective on the major repercussions from the consolidated settlement of the CA, IL and MA employment misclassification class actions against PF (as well as the other employment misclassification actions pending against PF in other states), but also the implications of a preliminary federal court ruling against PF in an important breach of contract action brought by a courageous IDP in Northern California. Also, Data Capture Solutions (DCS), Advantix Solutions and Custom America will each present information and answer questions about affordable BYOD/DIY options that comply with the hardware specifications mandated by the latest iteration of the CPB Snacks mMTI. Representatives from Legal Shield will explain and answer questions about how PF IDPs (who want or need a trusted legal professional) can hire their own affordable attorney through a national network of lawyers. A highly respected and experienced POAA Board Member will share his first-hand experiences with CPB shareholder meetings, as well as lead discussions about the benefits of becoming an active CPB shareholder and participating in the POAA Proxy Vote Initiative. Other presentations will explore POAA’s Culture and Mindset, as well as some ideas to continue building our not-for-profit association for the betterment of every owner of PF’s DSD sales and distribution network. The convention will close with the election of volunteers willing to serve in open leadership positions. Of course, there will also be ample opportunities over the weekend for participants to network and compare notes with DSD owners from different parts of the country, and to participate actively or even lead discussions on topics important to a small consignment sales business. Are you planning to go all in for the fine food, delicious drinks and great games that make Las Vegas such a desirable vacation destination? Will you be ready to meet and greet your fellow POAA members in Las Vegas? Do you think that free market competition breeds excellence, or that the collective is always stronger? Are these mutually exclusive ideas? Which idea do you prefer: ‘All for one and one for all’, or ALL AGAINST ALL?