Picking 2-4 businesses to boycott at a time and saying we will continue to boycott your company until you do what we want could work quickly and not have millions of Americans who work pay check to pay check have to decide between a strike or feeding their kids or having a roof over their heads. Look how quick ABC and Disney backed down earlier this year. If boycotts like this happened and it was clear the boycotts continue until companies do what people boycotting them want and it was also clear that the boycotts would end once they it and then the boycotts move on to a new 2-4 companies. That would worry even companies not being boycotted because they wouldn't want to be in the next group of companies boycotted so it might change some of their behavior before they even get boycotted.
Also the most effective form of protesting would be thousands of protestors outside of wherever our members of Congress sleep at night. Congress can change anything going on in America right now if they just wanted to do it. Maybe it's time to make them want to do it?
Thy are counting on that being a non starter. Too many people that are upset live check to check and can’t afford to take the chance. That’s by design.
I think we should focus on key industries to minimize the effect on us while maximizing the effect on them. Waste management and the shipping industry should cripple things immediately and we can prepare for those ahead of time. Maybe all unions? If we’re organized with unions, the workers would be protected.
Also those of us in an at will state can be fired for no show. As much as I hate everything that's going on, my income and family/home/food must come first.
It's a good design. Without direct financial aid, there is no way for me to take time off work, and still have a place I call home in 30 days. Let alone food in 1 week. or gas in 4 days.
Not quite relevant to this sub, but I'm all for a strike. Businesses freaked the fuck out when the country sort of shut down for a little bit with COVID. Theyd be fucked if it was an actual coordinated effort.
A general strike would be effective, but I've not seen anybody actually setting up the logistics for it. That might be a curse of living in the deep south, but also I keep seeing "advocates" for it online putting 0 thought into it and just calling for a general strike "now" without understanding what that means.
You're basically declaring your intention to lay siege to the billionaires' bank accounts. They don't take that kind of thing lying down, especially since they criminalized the concept with Taft-Hartley. Any general strike effort must be undertaken with the full knowledge that there will definitely be cops attacking you and it's going to have to go on for potentially weeks...with participants who are stuck living paycheck to paycheck.
There's a lot of logistical legwork that needs to be built up for it, all of which is worth doing on its own, but it's probably going to be at bare minimum a year or two away. Still - full support for the concept from me.
Yes, picking 2-4 businesses to boycott at a time and saying we will continue to boycott your company until you do what we want could work quickly. Look how quick ABC and Disney backed down earlier this year. If boycotts like this happened and it was clear the boycotts continue until companies do what people boycotting them want and it was also clear that the boycotts would end once they it and then the boycotts move on to a new 2-4 companies. That would worry even companies not being boycotted because they wouldn't want to be in the next group of companies boycotted so it might change some of their behavior before they even get boycotted.
Also the most effective form of protesting would be thousands of protestors outside of wherever our members of Congress sleep at night. Congress can change anything going on in America right now if they just wanted to do it. Maybe it's time to make them want to do it?
It worked for ancient civilizations. I visited Monte Alban in Oaxaca and learned 35,000 people were responsible for corn, beans, limestone, and other resources for the 200-300 royals.
They stopped and it made quick work of the royals.
I think the bigger danger is the potential for backlash by the small number of people who are in the center. There's also a lot of people who absolutely can't afford to miss work for a few days, especially people with kids. So there's a high chance they won't join a strike.
So I would put the chances of success at under 50%. Maybe even less than 25%.
The cost is high so the benefit needs to be high too. Very few people want to take a financial hit because the whole thing fizzled and they were one of twelve people who actually did it.
General strikes also need a better end-game plan than just sending a message or whatnot. Taking a potentially big, tangible hit in order to "send a message" isn't super attractive as a concept. OK, message sent, now the world continues on as before except you're worse off. Until that problem is fixed, the chances of a real general strike is going to hover close to 0% with rounding.
There have been successful general strikes in history (and many more failed ones.) All the really successful ones had a clear follow-up beyond just bare PR.
It will never happen. The vast majority of people in this country live paycheck to paycheck and do not have union protections.
If you're asking someone who needs to consider a payday loan to make end's meet, to stop working and potentially get fired, you're asking them way too much.
Big corpo has us all by the balls. By design. If you strike, I hope you have enough savings to hold you over until you find another job, and I hope you do not need your insurance...
Every company will fire you for no call no show. Every 'strike' can be considered a no-call if you don't have union protection. And every big company has conditioned their little sheep that unions are evil and they're all a family so please work over the holiday while the big bosses relax on pleasure island.
It's a fantasy. I don't know if it's damaging or counterproductive, but it's definitely not reality. People have bills, and rent, and families.
Fewer than half of the eligible voting population voted in 2024. If you think you're gonna get people who didn't even bother to vote, to refuse to go to work and miss paychecks, then I've got some bad news for you.
The main thing you can do is vote. If you don't like your options on the ballot, then run for office.
Voting cannot be the only way we all participate in our society and government. That type of apathy is how we allowed things to get to hete.
A general strike is untenable... under current conditions. We have to work towards changing those conditions. We have to establish the mutual aid infrastructure that will actually meet people's basic needs for the duration of a strike - and act as a social safety net outside of the government before and after the strike, too. We have to actually have a society that is compatible with stripping away the ruling class. We don"t have that yet, by design, but we can build it. Building it is our only hope of breaking free. Voting for Democrats ain't gonna liberate us, not in 4 years or 4 decades. Get up off the couch and talk to your neighbors. Stop pretending like your responsibilities - and your possibilities - start and end at the ballot box.
We have to establish the mutual aid infrastructure that will actually meet people's basic needs for the duration of a strike - and act as a social safety net outside of the government before and after the strike, too.
Yeah, OK - how? This is just more pie-in-the-sky pablum with no plan or was to implement.
And if you suggest churches will do this..... please, just don't.
I don't. I suggest you network with the people who run your local soup kitchen, or your Food Not Bombs, or your People's Kitchen, or whatever leftist org for feeding homeless people exists in your area. Volunteer, contribute, and both use the service and recommend your friends use it for at least a meal a week. That not only keep their capacity and throughput up (helping them regularly clear ingredients before they go bad...) but it normalizes participation for people who might be genuinely struggling, but holding back from engaging with it - I knew so many people during the gov't shutdown who were at home without a paycheck and struggling, but who didn't go to a soup kitchen or food pantry because they felt like it wasn't for them, or that they weren't poor enough, or struggling enough... and those same folks maybe chuck a handful of canned goods into a donation bin every year. Up your contribution and your participation.
Also... do you have a skill or resource that would be relevant in a Strike? Do you have a large backyard that could act as a community garden? Do you have medical/nursing training and the ability to help treat people in an emergency, or even help staff a volunteer/no-pay community clinic? What are some ways you could apply those skills in your free time, right now, working with your neighbors and community, to help struggling people out, regardless of whether a strike is coming or not?
The best thing you can do is register and vote, and help others do the same.
Except you, yourself, said you're not just registering and voting. Honestly, you just revealed yourself to be dishonest and I don't know what purpose you, being dishonest and trying to discourage a general strike, is meant to accomplish other than disrupting our power as a class. Are you an imposter, a bot, or both?
The only fantasy here is the idea that we do what we've always done - simply vote - and expect any kind of different results. That fantasy is reaching its expiry. We need a society that works radically differently, and we will not reach such radical ends without radical means. Without using our collective power to force change.
A general strike done in the old way is likely not going to be effective today. Companies WANT to offshore jobs and automate work with AI. Yes, there are some industries that would be slowed down because they need boots on the ground, but the tech companies are the ones we need to focus on imo.
We need an online pause. Do you realize that even by VIEWING an ad, you’re making a corporation money? Even if you use ad blockers, just logging into an app gives these companies metrics that they use for their investment valuation. This is where the billionaires and monopolies make their money everyday.
I’ve been saying for months we need the top 10-20 creators. We meet up or get on a call and organize this plus a project 20206 and action it like a beast. We’d be unstoppable
I don’t think it’s the only action. I think a bank run is a good idea. Also, if you haven’t changed your tax deductions, you can change it at any time to not withhold anything.
Also, if you haven’t changed your tax deductions, you can change it at any time to not withhold anything.
This won't be true for a lot of people. IRS Form W-4 allows you to claim an exemption from withholding if you paid no taxes last year and you don't expect to pay taxes this year. If you don't meet those criteria, you can't just exempt yourself from withholding.
If you do end up owing taxes even though you claimed you were exempt, you'll still have to pay it, and the IRS might assess underpayment penalties. Plus, if the IRS flags your claimed exemption as implausible, they could just issue a letter (called a "lock-in letter") to your employer that requires them to withhold anyway - regardless of what you put on the W-4.
If you don't actually meet the exemption criteria, this does nothing other than push your liability into the future plus potentially add more liability. And the IRS may be slow to actually go after you for it but they're never going to be off your ass once they do.
It’s essential at this stage in the game. and it needs to be momentous.
Picking 2-4 businesses to boycott at a time and saying we will continue to boycott your company until you do what we want could work quickly and not have millions of Americans who work pay check to pay check have to decide between a strike or feeding their kids or having a roof over their heads. Look how quick ABC and Disney backed down earlier this year. If boycotts like this happened and it was clear the boycotts continue until companies do what people boycotting them want and it was also clear that the boycotts would end once they it and then the boycotts move on to a new 2-4 companies. That would worry even companies not being boycotted because they wouldn't want to be in the next group of companies boycotted so it might change some of their behavior before they even get boycotted.
Also the most effective form of protesting would be thousands of protestors outside of wherever our members of Congress sleep at night. Congress can change anything going on in America right now if they just wanted to do it. Maybe it's time to make them want to do it?
https://youtu.be/i_SnR25Zoho?si=iuxQyB8VxpaMBXND
Roman J. Israel esq. Has some thought on this.
Really listen to what the man says.
0-1:40, his speech is something each and everyone of us need to hear and understand.
How would you possibly implement a general strike? We live in the day of micro transactions and 24 /7 shipping.
It is logistically not possible. We can talk about all we want, but it's useless unless we come up with legitimate solutions.
Thy are counting on that being a non starter. Too many people that are upset live check to check and can’t afford to take the chance. That’s by design.
Which is why we need to build mutual aid networks. Thankfully, a lot of progress has been made on that front.
EDIT: Why the downvote?
I think we should focus on key industries to minimize the effect on us while maximizing the effect on them. Waste management and the shipping industry should cripple things immediately and we can prepare for those ahead of time. Maybe all unions? If we’re organized with unions, the workers would be protected.
The Unions are coordinating a strike for Mayday 2028. It's going to take that long for their contracts to sync.
Damn
Also those of us in an at will state can be fired for no show. As much as I hate everything that's going on, my income and family/home/food must come first.
It's a good design. Without direct financial aid, there is no way for me to take time off work, and still have a place I call home in 30 days. Let alone food in 1 week. or gas in 4 days.
Not quite relevant to this sub, but I'm all for a strike. Businesses freaked the fuck out when the country sort of shut down for a little bit with COVID. Theyd be fucked if it was an actual coordinated effort.
A general strike would be effective, but I've not seen anybody actually setting up the logistics for it. That might be a curse of living in the deep south, but also I keep seeing "advocates" for it online putting 0 thought into it and just calling for a general strike "now" without understanding what that means.
You're basically declaring your intention to lay siege to the billionaires' bank accounts. They don't take that kind of thing lying down, especially since they criminalized the concept with Taft-Hartley. Any general strike effort must be undertaken with the full knowledge that there will definitely be cops attacking you and it's going to have to go on for potentially weeks...with participants who are stuck living paycheck to paycheck.
There's a lot of logistical legwork that needs to be built up for it, all of which is worth doing on its own, but it's probably going to be at bare minimum a year or two away. Still - full support for the concept from me.
There's plenty we can do in the meantime. One example would be to exert targeted economic pressure.
Yes, picking 2-4 businesses to boycott at a time and saying we will continue to boycott your company until you do what we want could work quickly. Look how quick ABC and Disney backed down earlier this year. If boycotts like this happened and it was clear the boycotts continue until companies do what people boycotting them want and it was also clear that the boycotts would end once they it and then the boycotts move on to a new 2-4 companies. That would worry even companies not being boycotted because they wouldn't want to be in the next group of companies boycotted so it might change some of their behavior before they even get boycotted.
Also the most effective form of protesting would be thousands of protestors outside of wherever our members of Congress sleep at night. Congress can change anything going on in America right now if they just wanted to do it. Maybe it's time to make them want to do it?
If it doesn’t happen now, it’ll be pointless in the near future with robotic scabs at the ready.
It worked for ancient civilizations. I visited Monte Alban in Oaxaca and learned 35,000 people were responsible for corn, beans, limestone, and other resources for the 200-300 royals.
They stopped and it made quick work of the royals.
It also worked for Icelandic women to gain their rights.
I’m all for it but it needs to be definitively organized.
The next democratic administration needs to repeal the Taft-Hartley Act.
The problem is getting buy-in. There's been like, at least a dozen general strikes planned this year and none of them ever amounted to anything.
I think the bigger danger is the potential for backlash by the small number of people who are in the center. There's also a lot of people who absolutely can't afford to miss work for a few days, especially people with kids. So there's a high chance they won't join a strike.
So I would put the chances of success at under 50%. Maybe even less than 25%.
The cost is high so the benefit needs to be high too. Very few people want to take a financial hit because the whole thing fizzled and they were one of twelve people who actually did it.
General strikes also need a better end-game plan than just sending a message or whatnot. Taking a potentially big, tangible hit in order to "send a message" isn't super attractive as a concept. OK, message sent, now the world continues on as before except you're worse off. Until that problem is fixed, the chances of a real general strike is going to hover close to 0% with rounding.
There have been successful general strikes in history (and many more failed ones.) All the really successful ones had a clear follow-up beyond just bare PR.
It will never happen. The vast majority of people in this country live paycheck to paycheck and do not have union protections.
If you're asking someone who needs to consider a payday loan to make end's meet, to stop working and potentially get fired, you're asking them way too much.
Big corpo has us all by the balls. By design. If you strike, I hope you have enough savings to hold you over until you find another job, and I hope you do not need your insurance...
Every company will fire you for no call no show. Every 'strike' can be considered a no-call if you don't have union protection. And every big company has conditioned their little sheep that unions are evil and they're all a family so please work over the holiday while the big bosses relax on pleasure island.
Oh this is ALL SO TRUE!! And infuriating!!
Join the discord server!!! Edit:
https://discord.gg/xhsq3WKfA
Link the discord server!!!
Smash the Like & Subscribe buttons!!!
It's a fantasy. I don't know if it's damaging or counterproductive, but it's definitely not reality. People have bills, and rent, and families.
Fewer than half of the eligible voting population voted in 2024. If you think you're gonna get people who didn't even bother to vote, to refuse to go to work and miss paychecks, then I've got some bad news for you.
The main thing you can do is vote. If you don't like your options on the ballot, then run for office.
Voting cannot be the only way we all participate in our society and government. That type of apathy is how we allowed things to get to hete.
A general strike is untenable... under current conditions. We have to work towards changing those conditions. We have to establish the mutual aid infrastructure that will actually meet people's basic needs for the duration of a strike - and act as a social safety net outside of the government before and after the strike, too. We have to actually have a society that is compatible with stripping away the ruling class. We don"t have that yet, by design, but we can build it. Building it is our only hope of breaking free. Voting for Democrats ain't gonna liberate us, not in 4 years or 4 decades. Get up off the couch and talk to your neighbors. Stop pretending like your responsibilities - and your possibilities - start and end at the ballot box.
Yeah, OK - how? This is just more pie-in-the-sky pablum with no plan or was to implement.
And if you suggest churches will do this..... please, just don't.
I don't. I suggest you network with the people who run your local soup kitchen, or your Food Not Bombs, or your People's Kitchen, or whatever leftist org for feeding homeless people exists in your area. Volunteer, contribute, and both use the service and recommend your friends use it for at least a meal a week. That not only keep their capacity and throughput up (helping them regularly clear ingredients before they go bad...) but it normalizes participation for people who might be genuinely struggling, but holding back from engaging with it - I knew so many people during the gov't shutdown who were at home without a paycheck and struggling, but who didn't go to a soup kitchen or food pantry because they felt like it wasn't for them, or that they weren't poor enough, or struggling enough... and those same folks maybe chuck a handful of canned goods into a donation bin every year. Up your contribution and your participation.
Also... do you have a skill or resource that would be relevant in a Strike? Do you have a large backyard that could act as a community garden? Do you have medical/nursing training and the ability to help treat people in an emergency, or even help staff a volunteer/no-pay community clinic? What are some ways you could apply those skills in your free time, right now, working with your neighbors and community, to help struggling people out, regardless of whether a strike is coming or not?
Yeah, no. I'm not participating in your fantasy. You admit you have no plans or methods to implement.
We donate, and we volunteer. And we vote.
Advocating for a general strike is functionally the same as wishing real hard for things to improve.
The best thing you can do is register and vote, and help others do the same.
Except you, yourself, said you're not just registering and voting. Honestly, you just revealed yourself to be dishonest and I don't know what purpose you, being dishonest and trying to discourage a general strike, is meant to accomplish other than disrupting our power as a class. Are you an imposter, a bot, or both?
The only fantasy here is the idea that we do what we've always done - simply vote - and expect any kind of different results. That fantasy is reaching its expiry. We need a society that works radically differently, and we will not reach such radical ends without radical means. Without using our collective power to force change.
Considering this subreddit is dedicated to skepticism of those results, how do you know that?
Because it didn't just happen that year. It's a trend that's been happening for decades.
G
most people can/wont do a General Strike as they have families and payments to make. A general work slow down will have better buy in.
A general strike done in the old way is likely not going to be effective today. Companies WANT to offshore jobs and automate work with AI. Yes, there are some industries that would be slowed down because they need boots on the ground, but the tech companies are the ones we need to focus on imo.
We need an online pause. Do you realize that even by VIEWING an ad, you’re making a corporation money? Even if you use ad blockers, just logging into an app gives these companies metrics that they use for their investment valuation. This is where the billionaires and monopolies make their money everyday.
I'm already striking. You should too. Spread the word ✌️
People dont need protection from the government for a general strike to work. They need protection from the banks.
There needs to be more momentum
I’ve been saying for months we need the top 10-20 creators. We meet up or get on a call and organize this plus a project 20206 and action it like a beast. We’d be unstoppable
It’s be great if we did it. We won’t.
Necessary
It would be effective but will never happen in America
[removed]
you need to find a way to make it work its your only plan that will work with out mass violence
I don’t think it’s the only action. I think a bank run is a good idea. Also, if you haven’t changed your tax deductions, you can change it at any time to not withhold anything.
This won't be true for a lot of people. IRS Form W-4 allows you to claim an exemption from withholding if you paid no taxes last year and you don't expect to pay taxes this year. If you don't meet those criteria, you can't just exempt yourself from withholding.
If you do end up owing taxes even though you claimed you were exempt, you'll still have to pay it, and the IRS might assess underpayment penalties. Plus, if the IRS flags your claimed exemption as implausible, they could just issue a letter (called a "lock-in letter") to your employer that requires them to withhold anyway - regardless of what you put on the W-4.
If you don't actually meet the exemption criteria, this does nothing other than push your liability into the future plus potentially add more liability. And the IRS may be slow to actually go after you for it but they're never going to be off your ass once they do.
I wouldn't say the only one, but it's one of the most obvious ones.