I’m ready. There needs to be a way to centrally organize all this. It needs to happen in such high numbers that employers will be absolutely fucked if they attempt to fire workers who go on general strike. It needs to happen in such magnitude that it tanks the stock market and puts everyone at a disadvantage. I’m willing to temporarily damage my 401k (I hate our for-profit retirement system btw).
3% is all it would take, especially if it was healthcare and service workers. Imagine Trump or his supporters having a medical emergency and they can’t get care. 10% would be marvelous.
A good approach might be to target sectors. Easier to manage, being smaller, and it could still have a heavy impact if you’re strategic about it.
Also, needs to be decentralized in my opinion. Take a look at why the US is having such a hard time with Iran — their military leadership is decentralized. The pros are that you can’t decapitate the leadership, but the cons are that you can’t unilaterally make a decision to change course very fast.
We need that. Kick off a decentralized general strike, so that everyone and their moms feel vindicated and empowered in striking. No grand “start here” and “end there” dates. Maybe it’s just “see how much time you can take off in November,” followed by “try to take more off in December.” The government would be fighting a cultural battle here, not a legal one. It’s pretty good at legal battles, but not the other.
This obviously creates several issues. People need money for food, housing, medical, … as such, there should be solutions for these concerns readily available. Food banks, hospitals that won’t turn you down, … how are you going to make a society feel like risking their immediate home is something they can do? It took a pandemic to make people not work nor pay rent last time, but that was much less of a choice than this would be.
I was actually taking some personal notes earlier. But if you’re going to post this, I guess I’ll take the hit with you.
Only one state would need to pull this off to inspire everyone else to do it. Ideally it starts with a productive state the national economy relies on. Even better, a battleground state with a broad coalition. And it could be gradual. Present the list of demands to the state government, do it for one day. If they refuse to capitulate, then two and so forth.
A movement would also need to develop a massive
mutual aid support network. Things are going to get hard for everyone during the times of striking, so we’d need to ensure everyone at least has food and water.
Also, the person instigating this will probably end up in prison. But then once the ball is rolling, with everyone on board, they won’t be able to imprison millions at a time.
Nothing would satisfy me more to watch them cave to demands as they watch their wealth evaporate with each strike.
Well, I guess the way to start would be to secure those networks of mutual aid. We can develop those and it would be useful regardless of how things turn out, while also ensuring we’re more ready for real action when the time comes.
We shouldn’t be naming networks of mutual aid as an unsolved problem, next time this conversation comes up. It’s too big a blocker. Plan now.
Well, that’s the kicker. Community leaders need to be engaged from many disparate groups. That includes listening to the concerns of rural voters. One thing that people agree on is frustration regarding the economy. Cultural war issues need to be left aside for now.
Also, a message of power to the people. A lot of disaffection results from people not having a real say in the decisions that affect their lives.
But back to the topic of mutual aid… talking to people and figuring out how to utilize the networks we already have in place in a coordinated effort, and how we can build more. The organizing can take place somewhat online, but it also needs to be done face to face.
I’m ready. There needs to be a way to centrally organize all this. It needs to happen in such high numbers that employers will be absolutely fucked if they attempt to fire workers who go on general strike. It needs to happen in such magnitude that it tanks the stock market and puts everyone at a disadvantage. I’m willing to temporarily damage my 401k (I hate our for-profit retirement system btw).
3% is all it would take, especially if it was healthcare and service workers. Imagine Trump or his supporters having a medical emergency and they can’t get care. 10% would be marvelous.
A good approach might be to target sectors. Easier to manage, being smaller, and it could still have a heavy impact if you’re strategic about it.
Also, needs to be decentralized in my opinion. Take a look at why the US is having such a hard time with Iran — their military leadership is decentralized. The pros are that you can’t decapitate the leadership, but the cons are that you can’t unilaterally make a decision to change course very fast.
We need that. Kick off a decentralized general strike, so that everyone and their moms feel vindicated and empowered in striking. No grand “start here” and “end there” dates. Maybe it’s just “see how much time you can take off in November,” followed by “try to take more off in December.” The government would be fighting a cultural battle here, not a legal one. It’s pretty good at legal battles, but not the other.
This obviously creates several issues. People need money for food, housing, medical, … as such, there should be solutions for these concerns readily available. Food banks, hospitals that won’t turn you down, … how are you going to make a society feel like risking their immediate home is something they can do? It took a pandemic to make people not work nor pay rent last time, but that was much less of a choice than this would be.
I was actually taking some personal notes earlier. But if you’re going to post this, I guess I’ll take the hit with you.
It only takes one match to start a wildfire.
Well, I guess the way to start would be to secure those networks of mutual aid. We can develop those and it would be useful regardless of how things turn out, while also ensuring we’re more ready for real action when the time comes.
We shouldn’t be naming networks of mutual aid as an unsolved problem, next time this conversation comes up. It’s too big a blocker. Plan now.
So, how can that get started?
Well, that’s the kicker. Community leaders need to be engaged from many disparate groups. That includes listening to the concerns of rural voters. One thing that people agree on is frustration regarding the economy. Cultural war issues need to be left aside for now.
Also, a message of power to the people. A lot of disaffection results from people not having a real say in the decisions that affect their lives.
But back to the topic of mutual aid… talking to people and figuring out how to utilize the networks we already have in place in a coordinated effort, and how we can build more. The organizing can take place somewhat online, but it also needs to be done face to face.