Photo credit: Mickey Z.
Mickey Z. -- World News Trust
Feb. 22, 2014
“A strike is an incipient revolution. Many large revolutions have grown out of a small strike.”
- Big Bill Haywood
On my initial visit to the Occupy Wall Street encampment in September, 2011, the first thing I noticed upon exiting the subway was that Wall Street -- the actual street -- had been cordoned off by the NYPD. OWS had been announced for months in advance so the Blue Bloc was under strict orders to make certain that nothing was to hinder business-as-usual.
Much has happened in the realm of activism since that time but nothing that’s caused the earnings of the 1% to suffer. So, what might convert 1% arrogance to 1% anxiety?
Reality: They need us more than we need them.
There’s so, so much 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.
Perhaps it’s time to ramp things up a few notches?
The 1% can scoff at the activist crowd for how they look or how they dress or for playing bongos for (allegedly) not having an agenda, but they won’t be laughing if the subways and buses don’t run, food deliveries halt, airlines are grounded, garbage piles up on the streets -- and the nanny calls in sick… for the next month or two.
Imagine: 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 us all they want, but they won’t be laughing as they watch stock prices and corporate profits take an abrupt nose-dive.
How and why? Two words: General Strike.
A tactic with a long history dating back to Roman days, a general strike involves workers across multiple trades or industries causing anything from a serious economic disruption to a complete and total shutdown of the economy.
It worked in 1886 in the fight for an eight-hour day, it worked much more recently in Egypt (although that endgame has yet to play out), and the general strike concept remains as fluid as it needs to be while participants can be as involved as much as they want/choose to be.
It can start with personal/lifestyle changes pertaining to consumption, banking choices, transportation options, and the like. These are all good initial steps in the name of luring the masses into a build-up to something bigger.
Of course, moving from point of consumption to point of production (factories, offices, and other workplaces) through a full-fledged general strike will require major coordination and commitment. This is much more than most of us have been willing to do so far -- but that notion is shifting.
Reminder: Those who profit most from this corrupt and destructive system are standing on our shoulders. If we squirm and shrug and flail our arms, it will get mighty wobbly up there.
Whether a general strike lasts a month, a day, or just one hour, the 1% will hear our message -- louder and clearer than ever before -- and essential new alliances and coalitions will form.
As Arundhati Roy sez: “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.”
Class warfare is nothing new. It’s been waged -- top-down -- for centuries. Clearly, to turn the tide in this battle for global survival, we need bolder tactics and more allies.
In a nation of over 300 million people, it only took a couple of thousand dissidents -- from coast to coast -- to make Occupy front-page news and a household name. Imagine the impact when thousands grows into millions…
#shifthappens
Note: To continue conversations like this, come see Mickey Z. in person on March 4 at Bluestockings Bookstore in NYC.
Order Occupy this Book: Mickey Z. on Activism here.
***
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 a couple of obscure websites called Facebook and Twitter. Anyone wishing to support his activist efforts can do so by making a donation here
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