There are a host of reasons for the decline of unionism. But more than anything else, we can blame forgetfulness. I’m coming back to Vonnegut here, whose socialism came from humanism, not from Marx. In America, whom Australia inevitably follows, Vonnegut thought that the majority of people were unaware of the great contributions of socialism “to elevate the self-respect, the dignity and political acumen…of our working class”.