Call for a general national strike

[Matata]

I mentioned in today's Trumpet that it was time to revolt and was looking for ways to start the movement. Somebody beat me to it.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/30/travel-ban-airport-protests-disruption

 

[ruby59]

Yes, a national strike.

Cabs went on strike so Uber went into action.

Trump supporters boycotting Stabucks. So that is why Dunkin Donuts was mobbed today.

Yes, block the airports so everyone suffers. My son and his colleagues went out on a private flight.

Yes let us have some looting too, because you know the troublemakers and anarchists cannot wait to get in on this. And who cares if some little mom and pop store and all their workers - that this is their sole means of support. Let it go up in flames.


Can't you see that it is the poorer people in this country who are the ones being hurt the most by this.

 

[lovedogs]

Excellent. I particularly like this:

I believe that what we need is a nonviolent national general strike of the kind that has been more common in Europe than here. Let’s designate a day on which no one (that is, anyone who can do so without being fired) goes to work, a day when no one shops or spends money, a day on which we truly make our economic and political power felt, a day when we make it clear: how many of us there are, how strong and committed we are, how much we can accomplish.

Hope leaders of the already visible protests (as you said, Matata) can come together to organize this.

 

[AGBF]

I mentioned in today's Trumpet that it was time to revolt and was looking for ways to start the movement. Somebody beat me to it.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/30/travel-ban-airport-protests-disruption

I have copied your sig line, but the idea of a general strike is one I have been touting on Pricescope for a while now myself. I believe it is the way to go.

Deb

 

[Tekate]

Before we are under house arrest for not worshipping Cheeto and President Bannon, we should all strike.

 

[mary poppins]

Can you provide information where a national strike did anything to influence specific change?

Quite frankly, a national strike doesn't seem like a productive way to accomplish anything. Furthermore, stifling the economy even for a day can be harmful to ourselves and people in our communities. A national strike is also not sustainable action, or inaction as it were, or practical for many people for a variety of reasons.

The Women's March on Washington which encompassed a broad range of issues, and heavily pro-choice and pro-Planned Parenthood funding, didn't change laws or prevent Trump's actions. He issued an anti-abortion EO the very next day. The author of the article seems to attribute temporary resolution of travel ban to protests at airports. Even if true, the protest was about a narrow issue that had a means to be affected by court intervention. Economic boycotts against a particular company may be effective for something such as changing advertising ($$), but that's a narrow issue against a small target, even if the target is a large company. None of the examples the author gave are comparable to a national boycott.

This is the silliest line of all:

Let’s designate a day on which no one (that is, anyone who can do so without being fired) goes to work [there are other reasons why people need to go to work, namely to earn money), a day when no one shops or spends money, a day on which we truly make our economic and political power felt [economically - not really because the stuff will still be on the shelves or online and people will by at the next opportunity; politically - how so when sitting at home doesn't specify anything to anyone about views opposed or desired changes], a day when we make it clear: how many of us there are, how strong and committed we are [to staying home?}, how much we can accomplish [by doing nothing?].

This line is important, however, when associated with taking narrowly targetted action for the purpose of a specific goal: "when we make it clear: how many of us there are, how strong and committed we are, how much we can accomplish." Examples - make phone calls to politicians, write letters to politicians, make contributions or volunteer your services to organizations that support your cause, get into leadership positions (even things associated with your kids' schools) and work your way up to higher or more meaningful leadership positions thee or elsewhere, inquire about how you can help local or aspiring politicians.

Well, that's my initial reaction but I'm open to input about what I might be missing about a national strike.

 

[AGBF]

Yes, a national strike.

Cabs went on strike so Uber went into action.

Trump supporters boycotting Stabucks. So that is why Dunkin Donuts was mobbed today.

Yes, block the airports so everyone suffers. My son and his colleagues went out on a private flight.

Yes let us have some looting too, because you know the troublemakers and anarchists cannot wait to get in on this. And who cares if some little mom and pop store and all their workers - that this is their sole means of support. Let it go up in flames.


Can't you see that it is the poorer people in this country who are the ones being hurt the most by this.

ruby-

Europeans do this all the time and no one dies. In fact, no one even breaks a sweat.

Deb

 

[Tekate]

Yes, a national strike.

Cabs went on strike so Uber went into action.

Now people are using Lyft, boycotting Uber.

Trump supporters boycotting Stabucks. So that is why Dunkin Donuts was mobbed today.

Where?

Yes, block the airports so everyone suffers. My son and his colleagues went out on a private flight.

Lucky for them, either they have money or pull.

Yes let us have some looting too, because you know the troublemakers and anarchists cannot wait to get in on this. And who cares if some little mom and pop store and all their workers - that this is their sole means of support. Let it go up in flames.

Until it happens you cannot say this will.

Can't you see that it is the poorer people in this country who are the ones being hurt the most by this.

You should say: In my opinion it is the poorer people in this country who are the ones being hurt the most by this.

 

[ruby59]

Yes, a national strike.

Cabs went on strike so Uber went into action.

Trump supporters boycotting Stabucks. So that is why Dunkin Donuts was mobbed today.

Yes, block the airports so everyone suffers. My son and his colleagues went out on a private flight.

Yes let us have some looting too, because you know the troublemakers and anarchists cannot wait to get in on this. And who cares if some little mom and pop store and all their workers - that this is their sole means of support. Let it go up in flames.


Can't you see that it is the poorer people in this country who are the ones being hurt the most by this.

ruby-

Europeans do this all the time and no one dies. In fact, no one even breaks a sweat.


Last time I checked, this is not Europe.

Can you imagine the consequences of a national strike would have on mom and pop stores and salaried workers who need every cent of that paycheck.

Deb

 

[mary poppins]

Well, here you go. Looks like February 17 (Friday before President's Day) is the day scheduled for a national strike.

https://mic.com/articles/167192/general-strike-feb-17-what-will-happen-if-activists-stage-a-nationwide-strike-against-trump#.Nd0Ie7Rhy

 

[telephone89]

Yes Ruby, let's continue equating someone being late for work/missing a flight/not being able to get their coffee as someone being held/refused entry/etc when they are LEGALLY allowed, or when they are literally fleeing a war.

No coffee = stuck in an airport jail cell

 

[ruby59]

Yes Ruby, let's continue equating someone being late for work/missing a flight/not being able to get their coffee as someone being held/refused entry/etc when they are LEGALLY allowed, or when they are literally fleeing a war.

No coffee = stuck in an airport jail cell

I am not talking about the customer. He will be just fine.

I am talking about the person behind the counter who cannot afford to lose one cent of that paycheck.


Missing a flight - like I said those who can will find alternatives like private flights.
But those that cannot afford to do that will pay the price.

 

[lovedogs]

Yes Ruby, let's continue equating someone being late for work/missing a flight/not being able to get their coffee as someone being held/refused entry/etc when they are LEGALLY allowed, or when they are literally fleeing a war.

No coffee = stuck in an airport jail cell

IDENTICAL! How did we not see this before??? Silly liberals and our worrying about human rights.

 

[ruby59]

Yes Ruby, let's continue equating someone being late for work/missing a flight/not being able to get their coffee as someone being held/refused entry/etc when they are LEGALLY allowed, or when they are literally fleeing a war.

No coffee = stuck in an airport jail cell

IDENTICAL! How did we not see this before??? Silly liberals and our worrying about human rights.

I

I will assume you and I were posting at the same time so you did not see my response to telephone,


I am not talking about the customer. He will be just fine.

I am talking about the person behind the counter who cannot afford to lose one cent of that paycheck.

Missing a flight - like I said those who can will find alternatives like private flights.
But those that cannot afford to do that will pay the price.

 

[PintoBean]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

 

[ruby59]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And I would still come to the same conclusion.

Striking is not practical for poorer people or those who live in volatile neighborhoods.

Your one day strike may make you feel good and you can probably afford it too.

But the person working in that coffee shop -can he afford to give up one day of tips.

And look at the aftermath of many of these strikes. Small stores are put out of business, either temporarily or permanently. Many have no insurance and cannot afford to rebuild.

Not emotional - realistic. Because I know what it was like to grow up in a family where we barely made ends meet.

 

[ruby59]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And your replies are bigoted judging by your comment about Trump's son in law.

Maybe you are the one who needs to think before saying something stupid.

 

[PintoBean]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And your replies are bigoted judging by your comment about Trump's son in law.

Maybe you are the one who needs to think before saying something stupid.

Besides saying stupid things, I am stupid, generally, so I am struggling to follow you between two threads and joining your replies together because of the cross-thread posting. Can you please just start a thread by itself where you address me, face to face in ONE thread?

 

[ruby59]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And your replies are bigoted judging by your comment about Trump's son in law.

Maybe you are the one who needs to think before saying something stupid.

Besides saying stupid things, I am stupid, generally, so I am struggling to follow you between two threads and joining your replies together because of the cross-thread posting. Can you please just start a thread by itself where you address me, face to face in ONE thread?

Very simple.

You said I should think before posting because I am being emotional.

I am telling you to think before posting because you are being a stereotypical bigot.

 

[PintoBean]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And your replies are bigoted judging by your comment about Trump's son in law.

Maybe you are the one who needs to think before saying something stupid.

Besides saying stupid things, I am stupid, generally, so I am struggling to follow you between two threads and joining your replies together because of the cross-thread posting. Can you please just start a thread by itself where you address me, face to face in ONE thread?

Very simple.

You said I should think before posting because I am being emotional.

I am telling you to think before posting because you are being a stereotypical bigot.

Ruby59, may I use the italicized portion of your quote in my PS signature?

 

[lovedogs]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And your replies are bigoted judging by your comment about Trump's son in law.

Maybe you are the one who needs to think before saying something stupid.

Besides saying stupid things, I am stupid, generally, so I am struggling to follow you between two threads and joining your replies together because of the cross-thread posting. Can you please just start a thread by itself where you address me, face to face in ONE thread?

Very simple.

You said I should think before posting because I am being emotional.

I am telling you to think before posting because you are being a stereotypical bigot.

Ruby59, may I use the italicized portion of your quote in my PS signature?

PB I freaking love you. I'M NOT IRRATIONAL! YOU'RE IRRATIONAL!

 

[PintoBean]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And your replies are bigoted judging by your comment about Trump's son in law.

Maybe you are the one who needs to think before saying something stupid.

Besides saying stupid things, I am stupid, generally, so I am struggling to follow you between two threads and joining your replies together because of the cross-thread posting. Can you please just start a thread by itself where you address me, face to face in ONE thread?

Very simple.

You said I should think before posting because I am being emotional.

I am telling you to think before posting because you are being a stereotypical bigot.

Ruby59, may I use the italicized portion of your quote in my PS signature?

PB I freaking love you. I'M NOT IRRATIONAL! YOU'RE IRRATIONAL!

Lovedogs- "I know you are but what am I?"

 

[mary poppins]

Can you provide information where a national strike did anything to influence specific change?

Quite frankly, a national strike doesn't seem like a productive way to accomplish anything. Furthermore, stifling the economy even for a day can be harmful to ourselves and people in our communities. A national strike is also not sustainable action, or inaction as it were, or practical for many people for a variety of reasons.

---

This is the silliest line of all:

Let’s designate a day on which no one (that is, anyone who can do so without being fired) goes to work [there are other reasons why people need to go to work, namely to earn money), a day when no one shops or spends money, a day on which we truly make our economic and political power felt [economically - not really because the stuff will still be on the shelves or online and people will by at the next opportunity; politically - how so when sitting at home doesn't specify anything to anyone about views opposed or desired changes], a day when we make it clear: how many of us there are, how strong and committed we are [to staying home?}, how much we can accomplish [by doing nothing?].

---

Well, that's my initial reaction but I'm open to input about what I might be missing about a national strike.

Ruby's position, which seems to have been misunderstood, is also part of mine (see bolded portions of excerpt).

Many members of the community, be they small business owners or employees who earn tips, rely on others to go to work. Servers, for example, generally are not high wage earners and often live in precarious financial circumstances. If they work at places that serve breakfast, lunch and/or dinner to predominantly business people, the loss of a day's earnings can be significant especially in an already short month. The strike is currently scheduled for a Friday. That is a significant loss to bartenders who generate a lot of income from post-work happy hours in a business district, especially on a Friday. Drivers, be they for taxi companies, Uber or Lyft, also earn a lot from local business travel throughout the day.

I have yet to receive additional information I solicited in the first and last lines of my initial post in this thread.

 

[mary poppins]

Ruby,

To me, your replies read more emotional than rational, which is counter productive when you are trying to argue a point in writing. Perhaps draft, sit back, then edit.

And your replies are bigoted judging by your comment about Trump's son in law.

Maybe you are the one who needs to think before saying something stupid.

Besides saying stupid things, I am stupid, generally, so I am struggling to follow you between two threads and joining your replies together because of the cross-thread posting. Can you please just start a thread by itself where you address me, face to face in ONE thread?

Very simple.

You said I should think before posting because I am being emotional.

I am telling you to think before posting because you are being a stereotypical bigot.

Ruby59, may I use the italicized portion of your quote in my PS signature?

PB I freaking love you. I'M NOT IRRATIONAL! YOU'RE IRRATIONAL!

Lovedogs- "I know you are but what am I?"

Yes, you have both proven yourselves to be irrational in this thread. How do your comments invite civilized conversation, discussion or debate?

 

[Matata]

A national strike where everyone stays home or protests in their city isn't what I want to see. I'd love to see all those people make their way to Washington, surround the WH and Capitol and demand Trump's resignation. A wall of humanity, maybe even with pitchforks and flaming torches for special effect

 

[ruby59]

A national strike where everyone stays home or protests in their city isn't what I want to see. I'd love to see all those people make their way to Washington, surround the WH and Capitol and demand Trump's resignation. A wall of humanity, maybe even with pitchforks and flaming torches for special effect

If you could make me look as good in that T shirt as Monarch does, I may even put one on and join you.

 

[AGBF]

mary poppins and ruby-

I take your point about small businesses and people who need wages seriously. Whether the General Strike is people staying home and shutting down the government or marching on Washington.

However, I do not think that the loss of business for one day would bankrupt a small business or an individual. There are other days on which businesses close and on which people do not go to work. It would be one day out of a year.
On the other hand, refugees from Syria are dying by the thousands.

There is also the point that Trump cannot be allowed to trample the Constitution, choosing one religious group against which to institute a ban.

These are very, very serious issues, worth one day of profits/pay.

Deb

 

[telephone89]

1 days wages, or a business' property (broken windows, stolen tvs etc) are very terrible things to lose yes.

But these DO NOTE EQUATE TO PEOPLES LIVES. This was something that came up during BLM. I 100% don’t agree with rioting or stealing. However in the grand scheme of things, someone getting shot by police (BLM) or someone dying in a war are much MUCH more important. This is the same argument used towards rape victims “Well do you not lock your car at night?!” Its very offensive to start equating objects or overall trivial things with actual human suffering.

 

[lovedogs]

1 days wages, or a business' property (broken windows, stolen tvs etc) are very terrible things to lose yes.

But these DO NOTE EQUATE TO PEOPLES LIVES. This was something that came up during BLM. I 100% don’t agree with rioting or stealing. However in the grand scheme of things, someone getting shot by police (BLM) or someone dying in a war are much MUCH more important. This is the same argument used towards rape victims “Well do you not lock your car at night?!” Its very offensive to start equating objects or overall trivial things with actual human suffering.

Thank you, telephone. I wanted to try and explain, because my sass got in the way of my reasoning due to some of the truly ridiculous posts.

 

[ruby59]

1 days wages, or a business' property (broken windows, stolen tvs etc) are very terrible things to lose yes.

But these DO NOTE EQUATE TO PEOPLES LIVES. This was something that came up during BLM. I 100% don’t agree with rioting or stealing. However in the grand scheme of things, someone getting shot by police (BLM) or someone dying in a war are much MUCH more important. This is the same argument used towards rape victims “Well do you not lock your car at night?!” Its very offensive to start equating objects or overall trivial things with actual human suffering.

You cannot pay your rent or your mortgage, you are out on the street.

You cannot feed your family, they go hungry.

I would call that human suffering as well.

You do not lock your car at night, you could be killed. Hardly a trivial matter.

All I can add is:

After my father died, my mom had a very difficult time. We danced around it, but basically she had a nervous breakdown. She stopped working until she could pull herself together and that took quite a while.

We children had to get jobs fast to hold everything together. The older ones got full time jobs. My sister and I worked after school and on Saturdays.

We hoped and prayed there were no added expenses or illness that would derail even one $ of that amount as it was all needed to carry us through. Bills do not care other then you pay them in full.

So, for some of us that one day does make a big difference.

Do not downgrade those of us who worked hard to keep our families together, as that is just as important.