Nationwide General Strike Called for November, 28

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Nationwide-General-Strike-by-Dave-Lefcourt-111107-780.html



Ever since Occupy Oakland achieved the effective shutdown of the port of Oakland last Wednesday along with its call for a general strike of the city (that same day) which was partially successful i.e. 18% of the city's teachers didn't report to work that day, city workers (5%) took leave, while some businesses did close in solidarity with the call for a general strike, this writer wondered about the feasibility of calling for a nationwide general strike.

Well this morning I came across a group called, "Citizens for Legitimate Government" (www.legit.org) that is calling for just that type of action for Monday, November 28, immediately following the Thanksgiving weekend.

CLG's rationale in calling for the strike is the Congressional "super committee" is due to make its budget recommendations on Wednesday, November 23, the day prior to Thanksgiving. It is expected to offer deep cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as part of the austerity package which will undoubtedly be passed by Republicans in House and the Senate, as well as Democrats in both Houses and then sent to the president.

As the group states in its call for a general strike, "The austerity package will be forthcoming and that the vast majority will now pay an additional price for the criminality of the corporate, military and financial oligarchy" as well as "being attacked by the corporate, military and financial oligarchy and its representatives in the White House and both Houses of Congress. We are being forced to pay for the failures of the capitalist class and the precariousness of the profit system. We are no longer represented by the U.S. government. Instead the government is an instrument of the capitalist class and this class has nothing but its own interests at heart"the two political parties are simply two levers by which the capitalist class controls the political processes in the U.S.

More at the link --

[midnight]

1. The republican austerity movement under Reagan's trickle down ecomomics needs to end... No more...

[kctim]

2. Why not Nov. 25th?

[sinkingfeeling]

3. That would be so much better. What if nobody went shopping on Black Friday?

[valerief]

4. BINGO! nt

[Donnachaidh]

5. I totally agree with this!

We should throw buckets of white paint on Black Friday. THAT would scare the shit out of the right people!

[FirstLight]

6. As much as I love that idea, i think i get why the 28th

is so much better. it will be the first WORKDAY after the long weekend, that's when the stockbrokers and bankers actually go to work...wouldnt it be interesting if they were the only ones who showed up? lol
then, they could watch all the monitors as the numbers fell...and they would see the crumbling right in front of them, that the classes who power this ship are US, and we're pissed.

Doesn't bother me at all anyway ;) I don't usually put Cmas shopping high on my list, and my paycheck isn't fat enough to plan for a full shopping day like that...besides we like to make things too ;)

[Kaleko]

16. The link in your OP is broken.

Working link: http://www.legitgov.org/

Anyway, I favor a national "Occupy: Don't Buy" day on black Friday.
Occupy the malls and big box stores without spending a dime.

[socialist_n_TN]

7. Probably too early still for a national general strike

but I do agree with the sentiment. We've experienced the growth of the anti Wall Street movement even without the "austerity" being in effect. Imagine what it will be like when it actually DOES begin to affect people.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Too early.

[Donnachaidh]

9. any ideas on potential time frames?

Just curious as to your ideas.

[socialist_n_TN]

11. Not nadin, but I also think it's too early..........

And as to potential time frames that will have to depend on objective conditions on the ground. The United States is a sprawling country and the labor movement, although showing recent signs of a pulse, is pretty weak. Labor is what will have to shoulder the brunt of organization of a general strike. And since any militant actions by labor have to be driven by the membership and NOT the labor bureaucracy (the bureaucracy is ALWAYS on the side of capital until forced otherwise), the conditions aren't ripe. Yet. IMO, we've still got several months more of wildcat, local, and regional successful strikes before we get to the point where a national strike would be possible. These things grow and can't be rushed.

I would LIKE to see a nationwide general strike organized for May 1st. Mayday would be a traditional Red date for something like this. And it would give a good bit of organizing time.

[TBF]

13. Agree on Mayday - that would be a great day to do it.

Also people will really be thinking politics by then. They will be getting bombarded with campaign ads, etc...

[socialist_n_TN]

14. Upon further reflection, it would also be a good day

for an INTERNATIONAL day of strikes. Make it worldwide and REALLY scare the pants off them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Next year, when they talked about around May

that is about the right time frame. Also due to the nature of the US... regional strikes will have to go off first.

[TBF]

10. I'd love to see more regional strikes like Oakland.

Seems early for Nat'l Strike - but then again we can all probably use some practice.

[socialist_n_TN]

12. Yep, see my post #11..........

Great minds think alike and all :toast:. Local and regional strikes would be the way to go while organizing for a national action.

I'd also like to combine it with European actions to give it a real international flavor. REALLY scare the pants off the capitalists.