I had an aha moment today and not a good one either

[nadinbrzezinski]

Remember the millions who took to the streets before the war started? I do... many of you do...but I even had a discussion here YESTERDAY about those millions.

Of course if we did not take to the streets about that!!!!

This there were not people in the streets was a LATTER media meme, never mind CNN covered the whole thing... and later went out of it's way NOT to cover any of the demonstrations that happened after wards.

Well folks, it is now clear to me that change will only come not when we take to the streets for a day. Who the fuck cares about that? I mean, they will meet, scream, sing, and then go home...

It will come when we take to the streets in an organizing way for as long as it takes. Ok, this does not mean necessarily literally taking to the streets. But it means concerted, organized, constant, not counting on the media to cover it, work. It means gumming the gears.

So yes, we could do the usual boycotts, but companies are so damn large that good luck on that one.

So we need to get creative people... and find true ways to gum the works. Oh and taking to the streets might mean national strikes, but those take time to plan and right now we don't have that.

Oh and while I got that eureka moment... I am at a loss right now as to what exactly to do... I am creative, but am afraid not that creative or will have to really think about strategy here.

Oh and what happened the last 48 hours in DC... sent chills down my back, why? It reminded me of a President telling a legislature, you will do what I want you to do.... what's next? A dedazo? (Designating your actual successor and having them actually get elected)... yes folks the way this "compromise was done," is highly authoritarian. It should give you all chills.

[originalpckelly]

1. If you form a ring around CNN, MSNBC and FOX...

someone's going to say something about it, even in passing. :P

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. We did that with the UT... the fish wrap ignored the whole thing

[butterfly77]

10. I have suggested this .

many times to friends during the bush years. I have wondered why it hasn't happened yet. I did see a protest of Geraldo on youtube while he tried to do his show outside. I throughly enjoyed it.

I also enjoyed watching Insannity being chased through a parking lot of some type of event he was attending. He was hauling ass trying to get to the building and the protesters were very near to him I haven't seem it in a long time...

[Laelth]

3. That's called a general strike. And it can be very effective. n/t

-Laelth

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. That has to be part of the formula

but either people are not desperate enough....

Reality is that the last General Strike was in 1952, and the last general industry strike was the USPS strike of 1973...

There are good systemic reasons for that.

I am all for one by the way... but realistically we will have to start much smaller. We have tried the general strike three times during the bush years... and if you heard about them you were REALLY paying attention... most did not.

[Selatius]

4. Protesting works if the protesters own the press. They don't.

The news media is heavily consolidated. They won't report on things that threaten their base of power. If the politicians who let the news media become so consolidated are booted out, the corporations who run the news outlets have to ask whether the new batch of politicians who replace them will equally tolerate such consolidation over the news media. Typically speaking, reformers are against unfair competition and monopolies.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. THat is why WE NEED to figure out how to either

build our own press, or get around the mains stream press.

[dgibby]

24. Twitter? Facebook? Other social networks? n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. It goes beyond social networks

much beyond. The past is instructive, the press that labor built was a fully functional alternate press, including paper runs.

[dgibby]

26. It's a start. n/t

[readmoreoften]

37. A general strike works with or without media rep. If money doesn't get made

by the capitalists and we reorganize our society without them, like what happened in Seattle in 1919, then they lose regardless of their propaganda campaign.

[jtown1123]

39. There's always Olbermann and Maddow although they just preach to the choir

[Avalux]

5. I've had an aha moment too.

I don't think it matters much who we elect - bottom line - the rich side with the rich and the rest of us can die.

Grim.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Why we need to organize and act

there you go

[martymar64]

27. I'm thinking a general tax strike. Starve the war machine

Everybody that owes taxes should just say no, i won't pay to subsidize billionaires and endless war.
They can't put everybody in jail.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. Only way to succeed is if you manage to get at least 50%^ behind you

and willing to have leaders do LONG prison terms.

We all should realize the consequences of any action we take. This is not fear, but being realistic.

[martymar64]

29. My fear is that the only avenues left for recourse are going to be violent

I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see the resurgence of radical groups like the SLA.
The Right Wing is pushing us in that direction.
FDR saved capitalism from the mob with the New Deal.
Obama is no FDR and he won't be able to save it when things get ugly.

You posted before that it feels like 1860. You're right, and 1861 is coming up fast.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Yes, yes it does

and from some very recent Right Life encounters I know how real dangerous things are getting.

[Atticus]

6. Can't count how many times I've suggested that. I don't think they could ignore a few million

people gathered peacefully in one place to call for a list of positive changes.

SHUT IT DOWN! Could we manage the Capitol AND Wall Street at the same time?

It's never been done, which is a damn good reason to consider it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Those few millions have to stay in place

because quite frankly we have had a few million gather for a few hours... and they happily ignored them.

[dixiegrrrrl]

22. You wanna shut it down?

4 cars side by side in each lane of a freeway/road driving 5 mph during rush hour in DC will shut it down.
Better yet, 20 semis in each lane.
Every day for a month.
Every day for a month in Wall street and DC and where ever else is a good location.

I am not the originator of such an idea.
Certainly was effective in Europe.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. And in... DC

?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF878921F7C3FC3F69D929FDA19735868E982FB7F03565D821DBECA18FDF06FBF4E9F728E30A760B0D811297

http://libcom.org/files/images/news/080609_p01_truckers<1>.jpg

We just don't remember our own history...

[myrna minx]

7. Five tea baggers on a street corner is a 'movement' that is breathlessly reported, but when

millions of us marched worldwide against the war, we were dismissed as a small bunch of radical leftist kooks. Now we're being called radical leftists on our own board because we want equal access to healthcare, marriage equality and progressive taxation. Strange days.

I'm with you though. :hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Hence the change in tactics that needs to happen

For the moment I am at a loss as to what will work but I am sure the more that I think about it, the better chance I will have of something.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. That is EXACTLY what Bernie Sanders said on Keith's show today.

The people must get out into the streets, demonstrate, call their Congress critters...make noise..Let DC know how truly pissed off they really are.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Trust me, I have been trying to get in contact with congress critters

and senators but I have not been able to get thorough... which is good actually.

I will try to get through tomorrow.

[butterfly77]

9. You and your friends..

and family members,know of young people who are your children,neices,nephews or others who have pages on facebook and twitter invite them to your page,or ask to be invited to theirs and drop little stories about what is going on in the world and over time they will inform their friends.


Leave out some type of literature with some famous people who are talking about politics in an article or some,leave these type of magazines around so if they are over to your house they can't miss them offer them something to read preferably magazines,because some have short attention span and won't sit down long enough to read an entire book.

Invite some young people to some event before or after you take them out to dinner or the movies or something but plan some type of political event in between.


Put,on left wing radio while they are in your car where you have a captive audience...Make sure it is a long ride.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Done, and that is good

but we need to do more.

Hell at one point went so far as to leave behind articles written by Plubius... nome de guerre, on coffee shops in Hawaii...

Plubius might just come back.

[butterfly77]

35. I used to ..

print out articles and write a big headline at the top relating to the issue. Then I would print out many and leave them on buses and other public places where people were sitting around.

[lonestarnot]

18. And roll down the windows and play mariachis loudly on the car stereo in richie riches neighborhood

when you are driving alone, as your passenger may jump out an sue for his/her injuries.

[Mira]

19. First reaction, maybe not too brilliant, but I'm excited:

The only way this will work is if we are completely organized in objective and how to go about it and have clear leadership so it does not go awry and become "dis"organized, and get out of hand. Knowing what we are after and how we are going after it and being united is critical.

Move-on.org comes to mind in how they have a grip on what they do.

We need to all know what we are willing to do to get it, our utter commitment to not giving up and to wearing them down, and to in a way we can achieve the most "valuable" disruption in the shortest time in order to get the attention we want to generate. We must do something they absolutely do not want for us to do, and we must do it consistently, in a united way, unwaveringly, so that we are heard.

I'm uneasy about sending these words, but they are my reaction, and I'm sticking to it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. But that is what needs to happen. I guess instead of working on the history

of labor...

I should give this some serious thought.

Actually it is in that history that some inspiration is to be present.

1.- Labor did NOT rely on the papers of record, they had their own press. We need our own press...

2.- Labor had money collections to pay for all legal costs of members, as well as the bills when things got rough.

3.- Chiefly, they were willing to get beaten up and even die.... that is the kind of commitment we need.

4.- Engaging in street theater, like billionaires foe Wealth Care is effective.

These are just some ideas...

[Whisp]

21. 'Oh and while I got that eureka moment... I am at a loss right now...'

Huh?

[TheMadMonk]

31. Seriously. I do not think this will end short of open conflict.

The haves have gotten too greedy and they are taking too much from too many people.

Boundaries begin to disappear when people have nothing to lose. Ask the Irish, the Tamil, Palestine, now the Iraqis, and always in any century the Afghani.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Been doing history of labor

and it will be that long... a good 100 years.

[TheKentuckian]

33. We have to give them no choice but pay attention, that means peaceful is overrated.

Just one tactic of several to be used not the central focus.

Start with a million armed in the streets and ratchet it up from there.

They must know fear. They must be made to feel endangered or at least threatened.

[DearAbby]

34. Only way to do it is a National strike....

Few days worth, a shot across the bow. If the slaves aren't willing to work for their bread crumbs, they may get the idea. Shutting it down would get their attention.

[Swamp Rat]

38. - with serious threats of complete anarchy, etc.

Only when the rich and powerful are directly affected in some material way, will they change their tune.

[Swamp Rat]

36. The People have to shut down everything until the wealthy and powerful are directly affected

in a bad way that REALLY hurts them.