We need to shut it all down for weeks before they realize we’re serious. But to foster change we’d have to shut it down for months.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It’s cliché, but true and applies here.
“One day at a time” works for people who are recovering from addiction to substances. Why couldn’t it help people recover from addiction to capitalism? Consumption is consumption.
“Just for today, I won’t drink alcohol” can easily become “Just for today, I won’t consume corporate products”, “Just for today, I’ll hold the picket line”, “Just for today, I’ll tighten my belt and live off bare essentials.”
One day gives people a taste of what’s possible without being a major deterrent or barrier to folks who can’t afford to miss work for a week or a month. If it’s successful, it demonstrates proof of concept and makes similar future actions more likely. It also shows the structures of power what we’re capable of, puts them off balance a bit, and builds worker power.
People saying “what we really need is ______” are a bane to the movement that’s happening. I’m not saying you’re doing it on purpose, but don’t fall for that rhetoric. A lot of it is coming from plants attempting to discredit and derail the movement.
Actions being done now are always more effective than hypothetical actions that “should be done,” and they build towards greater action. Don’t expect immediate perfection, because you’ll always be disappointed. It’s necessary to start somewhere, and this is a great place to start. If you want to be part of it, grab ahold and run with it. Otherwise, stay out of the way, and above all don’t cross the picket line.
“Just for today, I won’t drink alcohol” can easily become “Just for today, I won’t consume corporate products”,
One-day boycotts don’t work. The corporate world knows it and completely ignores them.
You’re completely misunderstanding “just for today…”
It doesn’t mean “I’ll have a drink tomorrow.”
It’s about atomizing the process of sobriety. “Today, I won’t have a drink.” That’s all you need to focus on, because tomorrow is tomorrow.
Then tomorrow comes, and you tell yourself “Today, I won’t have a drink.” Repeat…
Eventually it becomes second nature. But when you’re first starting sobriety “Never drink again for the rest of my life” sounds like a huge hurdle. “Go a whole year without drinking” sounds like a huge hurdle. “Go a month without drinking” or even “Go a week without drinking” sound like huge hurdles.
Even “Go a day without drinking” is a huge hurdle for someone who’s been drinking every day for years. But it’s more manageable. And at the end of each day, you can say you accomplished your goal. Every day, it gets a little easier.
That’s what I meant when I said we can apply it to overcoming our addictions to capitalist consumption habits. And I stand by it.
You’re so useless. In every thread all you have to offer is “that won’t work”. Never giving anything constructive or helpful. Just whinging like a bairn.
Well, feel free to do useless things that you think will work. I’m not stopping you, just pointing out that you’ll waste your time.
I’m not stopping you, just
pointing out that you’ll waste your timewhinging like a mewling quim without contributing anything usefulWell you should stop doing that. It’s a waste of time.
That’s an opinion piece that literally says “does it work? Probably not” with nothing else to back the statement.
We have to start somewhere. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough. It starts with one day, then we try 2 or more. We can start with one day and the momentum can build and people can keep going.
Ok let’s try one day first. You know, get our legs under us.
Bullshit
COVID killed the economy in a couple days
The corpos are doing what we should be doing.
That’s why a Government Shutdown makes much more sense. Europeans are always pushing us for a General Strike, but that won’t work here. For one thing, many employers will just fire people for not showing up that day. The rest will just dock their pay. In Europe, workers have protections, unions, and worker friendly governments. We have none of that here.
Whatever economic impact will be minimal. Whatever people didn’t buy that day, they’ll buy the next.
A General Strike hurts us, and is intended to make the government feel empathy for us, and give us what we want. The MAGA government won’t budge after weeks of a government shutdown, you think they’ll budge after a General Strike of ONE DAY?
IN America, we have a mechanism that European nations don’t have - we can literally turn off the government a spigot, and EVERYTHING comes to a halt very quickly. We keep going to work, collecting our paychecks, stimulating the economy, but they stop their atrocities, for the most part.
We can do that, Europe can’t. General Strikes will work for them, they won’t work for us. Why hurt ourselves, when we can hurt those who are causing the problems?
MAGA isn’t going to act to alleviate our pain, exactly the opposite. They are sadistic, if they see someone in pain, their very first impulse is to increase that pain.
But inflict pain on them, and they scream like the cowardly little weenies they are. And nothing is more painful to these corrupt traitors that taking away their money. Let’s make them scream real loud.
As if a company will wire 100% of their staff when nobody is showing up.
That’s why nothing will change.
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Beautifully coincides with May Day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers'_Day
They are trying to co-opt May Day and neuter it
so at least 109 people can’t read between the lines
That’s what Labor Day was for. You seem very confused. Did you get hit in the head recently?
May Day is for recognizing labor. The US oligarchy is using that date to redefine what that day was designed for by using terms that are gaining reactions in the US, coopting them so they can neutralize the impact. They are doing to labor what MAGA communists are doing to neuter communism with disenfranchised conservatives.
So what do you propose people do then?
You will notice that the people like that will never have an answer for this question.
says the fed or useful idiot… lemmy is for news and bitching and memes and learning… not to leak opsec… They also told you… you need to clean your eye ears… it need to be longer (thats what your mom said) and organized via militant labor unions in which we don’t have. We are in uncharted waters or modern day feudalism. Really what is disheartening is denile delusion and hope.
FYI to others: I have this tankie from Lemmy.ml tagged as believing China doesn’t ban images of Xi as Winnie the Pooh, lol.
All I ever see them be is antagonistic, sowing apathy, defeatism, or trying to egg people with stochastic rhetoric (but never themselves, of course).
There’s more than a few of these around. They start shit on otherwise seemingly normal posts for no reason, and often have a couple (friends? Alts?) to give them a couple upvotes to keep them afloat. IDK why they seem more prevalent lately and they’re only there to be dicks and not actually engage.
you people are doing nothing… yet you feel other people are doing nothing. What comes after trump is even more dangerous. Hope is a noose… action leads to satifaction.
Because foreign adversarial governments who want to see the demise of the west have access to the internet too.
Seriously, to think the FSB and the CCP’s CPD aren’t on lemmy is to delude oneself…
It gives me hope others recognize this. All we can do is call attention to it.
Some people still tell me to take my tinfoil hat off. Like, how ignorant can one be at this point?
Unless those people are state actors, of course…
Maybe your time would be better spent worrying about your own country?
Traveler threatened with jail or fine had phone forcefully searched and was denied entry after bald photo of JD Vance found.
Only state approved journalists allowed in White House press pool.
Pentagon removes internal press media offices.
Protestors charged with terrorism for wearing black clothing and handing out pamphlets.
US builds concentration camps for those disappeared by masked secret police, after killing citizens in street.
Masked secret police collecting DNA, face scans, license plates from peaceful protestors, for use in creating a database of “domestic terrorists”.
Trump wishes to imprison additional US citizens in El Salvadoran gulag after sending 280 immigrants.
Police arrest and attack citizens with chemical weapons, batons, and projectiles, injuring over 300,000 people per year.
US bankrolls, supplies, and provides troops to apartheid state conducting genocide.
But China (7000km away) is big meanie and if I can’t have pooh photo (if I ever travel 7000km to China (which I hate because pooh photo)), I will literally die.
Omgawd you are so smart but these downvote turds don’t think so.
Are you assuming that commenter is american?
Also, nobody here is claiming that america is good. We’re literally here to discuss how drastically things in the US need to change.
The comment you’re replying to was calling out the hypocrisy of someone trying to detract from the protests going on. Denying the authoritarianism of one country doesn’t help oppose authoritarianism in another. Two mutually antagonistic governments can be authoritarians at the same time, and it’s perfectly valid to criticize both.
So your long list of facts, while they would be relevant as a top-level comment had you framed them as “reasons why we’re protesting,” are really just a thinly-veiled red herring that you’re attempting to use to defend someone who’s attempting to derail conversation about the protest movement.
Are you in, or in the way?
I focus on the devil I know… I mean the left is still on its knees and is yet to learn how to walk. Shorthand: Get your house in order. … israel is commiting a genocide but chynah so mean. 🙁💧 I am so ready to go to CHINA
Necroposting to resurrect a dead argument that was bad-faith derailing from the start?
You’re on a post that’s literally about people protesting the US government, so I don’t see why you feel the need to rush in and defend China.
Multiple state actors can be repressive, by the way. Go ask anyone in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Tibet, Xinjiang, or hell even Vietnam what they think of the PRC.
Its the fragile little bird again. Hows that boot taste?
Damn dude, you ever reconsider a position after being ratio-ed that hard?
As if I care what BlueMAGA thinks
yes yes bluemagga sucks… 4 decades on this planet on the left or whatever and they will let you down every time as we creep further and further to the right. These people are fart sniffing ladder pullers. Future boomers
Explain why you think a general strike is neutering workers?
A 1 day event is not a general strike, it’s a performance
Once agin the perfect response. So fucking true
100%
While you are correct, we cannot skip steps in developing class consciousness. A 1 day general strike is better than a 0 day general strike. A 2 day strike is better than a 1 day.
You leftist ultras was to forsake progress in the name of idealism.
You really will do ANYTHING but throw a punch, eh?
It will do absolutely nothing. it doesnt inconvenience anything. It doesn’t stop consumption. A meaningless one day event does not develop class consciousness.
A sustained general strike requires widespread strong unions with the ability to keep workers paid and fed for the whole duration of the strike. It’s not something you can just decide to do on a whim, it requires years of preparation by a disciplined labor movement that has already trained those muscles. This 1 day strike isn’t ground-shattering, but it’s a start.
half steppin gets you k!lled… meaning it diffuses the idea of fighting back. We tried that already… actually no you didn’t but you put on a good show
I have them tagged as a Troll
They have only ever commented in Politics, World News, and occasionally Late Stage Capitalism
Since their account was created and over 1000 comments, they only talk in a derivative tone about political shit, in only 3 communities. That’s a bullshit account if I’ve ever seen one, or they just have a shitty personality… either way, their opinion is moot to me
Nationwide protests
Tankies on lemmy: “That’s performative! They need to do a general strike!”
Protest organizers organize a general strike on international labour day
Tankies on lemmy: “they’re co-opting and neutering international labour day!!1!”
What the fuck do you think they should do on may day, twiddle their dicks and doompost about capitalism?
It’s a fucking general strike, organized by a decentralized movement of civil sector and labour organizations! How in that twisted and dissonant mind of yours do you justify calling that “co-opting” and “neutering” the labour movement?!?
go watch netflix and get some fast food
Huh? Dude, you’re pathetic. Are you seriously going through an entire month-old post just to respond to every comment trying to stir shit up?
The bullshit you’re spewing doesn’t even make any sense.
Then maybe you can enlighten us how that 2 hour general strike earlier this month had made any impact
It is not a general strike, it’s another meaningless, no demands, liberal circle jerk. BlueMAGA is as worthless as MAGA and both defend their own oppression
You have the online voice of a angel.
I hope this is the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come.
Seize your country back!!
The first step is always the hardest after decades of oppression and misinformation!
They made mention of how the next protest would require action at No Kings this weekend. I was sincerely hoping this might be the case. It felt like enough people are showing up for these that action just might be possible.
I don’t know, but it was inspiring to see so many people, and the conversations going on are much more targeted and direct. I don’t have much faith left, but here’s hoping; I’ll do my part…
I’m glad that after Minnesota general strikes are on the table again. Especially now that we’re bringing May Day back.
Now you’re talking
The general strike will be May 1 between the hours of 12-230pm. Be sure to bring signs and do not inconvenience anyone/anything. This will show them who’s in charge.
“No, not like that!”
Tankies will always oppose any movement that takes away their ability to talk shit about it.
They don’t care about progress or tangible action. They only talk about those things to take steam out of any momentum that’s building, but when tangible action comes they talk shit about that too because now they can’t talk shit about it, and that’s unacceptable to them!
Talk about people who will complain about anything. My aunt was sending me a bunch of unhinged messages criticizing me for not solving every problem in the world. She asked me when I’m going to get an electric car. I replied that I don’t drive. She said I should be able to drive. She’s in her sixties and has never had a driver’s license. I asked her why I should drive and she didn’t answer. It sounds like she wants me to drive so she can criticize me for polluting the environment.
Sounds toxic, you would think someone would grow out of that by the time they’re that old, but unfortunately age doesn’t always correlate with wisdom. And liberals and leftists aren’t immune from having shitty personalities, either…
You are not doing anything, you can’t even get something simple like a protest right
Isn’t a general strike literally to be an inconvenience? Mostly for the capitalists, but still.
They’re being a sarcastic asshole
Ahh, thanks, missed that. I’ve seen a bit too many people insisting that a good protest doesn’t inconvenience anyone.
I wonder how many of those people are actually just tankies masquerading in order to manufacture reasons to complain about people actually doing the work…
You’re not doing work. You are not a threat to the system that created this mess, just useful tools to them to stay in power
Wow, you’re sure trying really hard to derail the movement that’s actually happening.
Take it easy, sweaty. The people are laying the groundwork to reclaim their power. Whoever you’re serving by posing as a leftist to try to derail any momentum is going to be very displeased with your failure, so you’d better wipe that worried look off your face before they see you and smell your weakness.
It’s not even an event, much less a movement. It has more of a backyard party feel to it without the backyard.
Except it won’t.
Stay safe out there folks!
It doesn’t say which unions have signed onto this “General Strike.” Do they even plan on involving the unions in this? -is it like last time when they said they were having a “General Strike” but it wasn’t a real General Strike?
It’s illegal for unions to coordinate a general strike. If they were signed on they would be pretty careful about it. That’s why the UAW president was making waves by suggesting that everyone set their contracts to end on the same date.
Much as I like this idea, it’s not going to catch on. You think the average non-union retail or office worker will risk being fired? We are locked into the system we have, and sadly, that’s that. Unless and until a plurality of workers lose the entire life they have.
Without existing strong organization you’re probably right, but it’s more likely that the wheels will come off and a general strike would happen naturally with rising inflation and unemployment.
The shitter things get, the less tight your social ties need to be for collective action. Everyone’s implicitly on the same page when you start missing meals.
I’m average. I will.
Quit thinking like everything has to be 100% successful the first time or it’s a failure. We have been propagandized and beaten down over the course of years to get where we are now, of course it’s going to take more than one try to get this thing together.
Hahahaha I’ll believe it when it happens. Americas response has been very lackluster. We well have to start calling the the land of the meek I hope this shatters their cowboy image they have of themselves. And they definitely have to stop calling the French cowards and should be looking at to them for how to protest.
