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I have low expectations-- planning and publicity seems inadequate. We have a number of avenues for protest and litigation that need to be pursued before we do a general strike and a tepid general strike is worse than none at all. Probably counterproductive at this stage.
Americans are clueless how to stage an all-encompassing strike or protest, and those in France, Greece, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, laugh at our attempts, and shake their heads in disbelief!
2-3 years back, they merely raised the bus fares in Brazil, and their protests/strikes all but brought the entire country down to its knees! Just over a small increase in bus fares!
During the Great Recession here in Las Vegas, a poor time to do it, they raised the bus fares substantially, and no strike, no protest, not a hint of protest!
So if they were faced with what we're facing today, an election hijacked by the Electoral College, imagine!!!
If I recall, can't remember the timing, didn't the police in Boston strike at one time?
Last edited by tijlover; 02-17-2017 at 03:02 AM..
Reason: Add sentence
Americans are clueless how to stage an all-encompassing strike or protest, and those in France, Greece, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, laugh at our attempts, and shake their heads in disbelief!
2-3 years back, they merely raised the bus fares in Brazil, and their protests/strikes all but brought the entire country down to its knees! Just over a small increase in bus fares!
During the Great Recession here in Las Vegas, a poor time to do it, they raised the bus fares substantially, and no strike, no protest, not a hint of protest!
So if they were faced with what we're facing today, an election hijacked by the Electoral College, imagine!!!
If I recall, can't remember the timing, didn't the police in Boston strike at one time?
There was no "election hijacked by the electoral college", stop that nonsense. Besides that it belongs to the P&C forum and it derails the thread.
But, to try to put this back into a historical context - why do nationwide strikes work in other countries? What's the general purpose of a strike? - to improve wages and working conditions...not to "save the whales", "pro-abortion", "protest a pipeline", etc. Let's be clear here - by definition strikes are about labor issues.
It works with any industry/sector employing mass labor. That works to a certain degree when labor unions can consolidate these industries. But what's the main difference between our country and other countries? Think about it....
The very component of US identity is private enterprise and decentralization. In Greece, in France, in Brazil, you have strong centralized governments - in Greece some 25% of the work force is employed by the government, France is not far behind. So you have the mass of labor, you have the one industry they can target (the government) that controls wages, pensions, vacations, everything. Yes indeed, every week Greece goes on strike for some reason or another. That's why you see large and effective strikes.
The US has a large public sector but they are decentralized into the state and local governments. No central focus. As mentioned, labor unions can consolidate and sometimes put on an effective strike.
As for this one mentioned by the OP? Well I think it was scheduled for today....once again - no substance, no organization...and thus no impact.
It is a function of the American Republic system of scheduled elections that a General strike can't cause a government to fall and call for elections . That meant there was little use of the political tactic in the US
Are they having it? I was just out and all the stores were open. Was it cancelled?
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