Mickey Z. -- World News Trust
"Colorful demonstrations and weekend marches are vital but alone are not powerful enough to stop wars. Wars will be stopped only when soldiers refuse to fight, when workers refuse to load weapons onto ships and aircraft, when people boycott the economic outposts of Empire that are strung across the globe." --Arundhati Roy
Mar. 29, 2012 -- May Day 2012 is coming. Are you ready to strike?
One reason why Occupy Wall Street (OWS) has caught on while so many other protests and nascent movements did not, is this fundamental concept: 99%. A steadfast commitment to recognizing classism is a large part of what's helping OWS endure and grow after six months of police brutality and media misinformation.
Class warfare is nothing new. It’s a real war and it's been waged -- top-down -- for centuries. However, here in the United States -- thanks to corporate propaganda -- the "top" has more often than not managed to convince the "down" that talking/thinking about class is, well... un-American (or just plain delusional).
Therefore, the distinct lack of discomfort with which OWS participants discuss and encourage class warfare is downright revolutionary, and -- best of all -- we will see this attitude taken to the streets on May 1.
Why May 1? Across the globe, this date is widely celebrated as a genuine "Labor Day" of sorts, while here in the United States, its roots lie in the late 19th century struggle for a shorter workday. Also known as International Workers' Day, OWS explains that May 1 is the "annual commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, when Chicago police fired on workers during a General Strike for the eight-hour workday."
Seems like the ideal time for a global Occupy breakthrough, now don't it?
Mic Check: The 1% need us. We don't need them.
Why a General Strike? There's plenty that needs to be addressed. We've tried letters to the editor, petitions to Congress, candlelight vigils, clever signs, weekend marches, puppet shows, voting for the lesser (sic) evil, and even holding hands across the world -- but things keep getting worse.
Now, we've finally got their attention -- and the attention of the corporate media -- with the OWS movement. Is it time to ramp things up a few notches?
The 1% can mock the OWS crowd for playing "bongos," but they won't be laughing if more and more people pull their money from big banks.
The 1% can mock the OWS crowd for (allegedly) not having an agenda, but they won't be laughing if the subways and buses don't run, bank tellers stay home, food deliveries halt, airlines are grounded, garbage piles up on the streets -- and the nanny calls in sick... for the next month.
Imagine that: The 1% with no one to drive their limos, tutor their kids, do their laundry, landscape their property, walk their dogs, open doors for them, reboot their damn laptops when they crash, and best of all: no one to fight their wars.
Ultimately, the 1% can mock the OWS crowd all they want, but they won't be laughing as they watch stock prices and corporate profits take an abrupt nose-dive.
Bruce Lee sez: "Like the cobra, your strike must be felt before it is seen."
May Day 2012 is coming. Are you ready to strike?
If you're not ready to answer that query, try these questions first:
Simply put: Are you ready to say no to global policies that subsidize the 1% while promoting war, poverty, oppression, and ecocide?
If you answered yes to any of these queries, congratulations: you're part of the "99%" and we need you to get involved in this fight, a fight for nothing less than our future and the future of all life.
How to start? Here are six suggestions from OWS on how to support the May Day protest:
- Work With Your Local Occupy
- Spread the Word On Social Media
- Start an Affinity Group
- Join the General Strike Conference Calls
- Talk to Labor
- Organize Your Workplace, Campus, or Community
In a nation of over 300 million people, it's only taken perhaps a few thousand dedicated occupiers -- from coast to coast -- to make OWS front-page news on a daily basis.
Mic Check: Imagine the impact when thousands grows into millions.
All we are saying is give class war a chance...
We are the 99%. Expect us. Join us...
#OccupyClassWar. #Occupy4MayDay.
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Mickey Z. is the author of 11 books, most recently the novel Darker Shade of Green. Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, he can be found on an obscure website called Facebook.
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