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General Strike - Critiques and Negativity (10 posts)

  1. truthmod
    Administrator

    I actually don't think I've seen any significant, reasoned critiques of the General Strike 9/11/07 idea. It all seems to be defensive, mainstream liberals who are scared of being called "disrespectful," cynical naysayers who say it won't work and nobody will notice, and various other apathetic and nihilistic losers. Negativity is self-fulfilling. To the people the say it can't or won't work so don't even try, YOU'RE THE REASON WE ARE IN THIS PREDICAMENT. You should be ashamed.

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/13/141748/568

    A few relevant comments from the Daily Kos post:

    "Are you fucking nuts? You would be play right into BushCult's hands and instantly be compared with bin Laden and al Qaeda as attacking America.

    Talk about repellant and totally destructive of any attempt to persuade non-attentive Americans about our case against BushCult.

    I cannot think of a worse idea. This is both Dumb....and Dumberer.

    ...

    national economic impact!!?? (1+ / 0-)

    Recommended by: Buffalo Girl

    stop! you're killing me :) -- in my years here, I've seen plenty of these "strike this, boycott that, no more Christmas shopping, don't buy gas on this day", etc., diaries, but what I've never seen is any follow-up reporting, you know, actual evidence of any bleeping 'national economic impact'; why? because it does not exist; because it does not happen.

    perspective, folks, perspective :)

    "If you want a winner, who can take them on, I'm your girl" ... Hillary Clinton

    by PhillyGal

    It is ineffective (0 / 0)

    it has no real accomplishable demand attached to it and no one will know it's even happening.

    Clearly most people in the country don't even know about it and those that do for the most part don't support it. It divides energy and pulls people in a lot of different directions rather that organizing around a goal that can be accomplished and that will be noticed. I could go on but having dealt with the answer folks long before they were answer, SWP back in the day. they have been "calling general strikes since I have been an activist "early 70's". How many have you heard about before this one? It's ultra leftist crap that does nothing to move the progressive agenda forward and a lot to hold it back.

    To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men~~ Abraham Lincoln

    One that doesn't setup a perfect Republican spin that the strikers are attacking the economy on the anniversary of terrorists attacking our economy, which not only kills any effectiveness of the protest, but also helps the noise machine equate striking and workers rights with terrorism in a perfect propaganda knot that wouldn't exist in Rove's wildest dreams. This is truly a disturbingly self-destructive and horrid idea; if there's one day NOT to do a general strike, 9/11 is it.

    Posted 16 years ago #
  2. Victronix
    Member

    Maybe there could be some sort of concrete action request that is paired with the strike that isn't as amorphous, something everyone could do. I understand the frustration with cynics, but we also have to be realistic about who Americans are and why they are that way. That said, if you're getting a lot of comments like the ones above, it's a good sign that you are stirring the pot.

    I saw a mention of the event on the google news email alert for "9/11" on scoop in Australia, btw.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0708/S00181.htm

    That's great that so many are signing on, Sheehan, etc., which will open the door for a lot more.

    Great work!

    Posted 16 years ago #
  3. truthmod
    Administrator

    Yes, I've been thinking about that, an action everyone could participate in. The simplest thing would be to call on everyone to wear and display the color orange in solidarity with the World Can't Wait Call:

    http://www.worldcantwait.org/

    This is the reason we chose orange for the website.

    Also, see this latest post concerning the "controversy" over protesting on 9/11:

    Why September 11th?

    Because it is a powerful and symbolic day to take a step back and look what has happened to our country in the last six years. Is it “inappropriate” or “disrespecful” to take the day off, reflect, and express your dissent (quietly and personally or loudly and publicly) or rather to go about your business as if this was just another a normal day?

    And will the Right nail us for protesting on this, their “sacred” day? Sure they will, with their corporate media and puppet politicians, just as they call for a new 9/11 to “save America.”

    http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/stu_byk...

    But it doesn’t matter anymore, because we are taking this country back and we are no longer playing by their rule book.

    No more defense, no more compromise with fascists. Stand up! The world is on our side.

    Posted 16 years ago #
  4. EcoDawah
    Member

    If this general strike goes FULL SCALE....just a possible forewarning, this might spin us into a depression!

    I would LOVE to see a day of doing NOTHING!! At least, this time, there is a forewarning to all people w/ investing. (I already invest in people, not shares of stocks...learned my lesson on 9/11/01) The market might start shaking, at just thought thought of a GENERAL STRIKE.

    I will be sending out all kind of Fwds. Let's shake this country to WAKE UP AMERICA!!

    Former Senators, etc, have stood up and told the world that both the gulf war and this war are over OIL. So why is America still buying new production AT ALL? (look around, everything we have right now, is because of oil...don't we have enough already?)

    The UN stated MONTHS AGO, that Global warming is caused by production...& asked the world to slow production. Did America slow down, yet?

    I so much want for this GENERAL STRIKE to occur.

    PS. BRIGHT ORANGE "PEACE" T-shirts are available at rosie's shop at www.rosie.com. (non-profit helping America's children @ rosie's shop)

    Posted 16 years ago #
  5. truthmover
    Administrator

    Oh, it happening all right, but how big it will be we can only guess.

    I doubt that we will cause the market to crash, but there are daily numbers on consumer spending we can look to after the action to see what impact we had if any. And even if we don't have a big financial impact, support and participation in the action will certain serve to increase awareness of the concerns we are addressing.

    Just keep spreading the word.

    Posted 16 years ago #
  6. truthmover
    Administrator

    John Gibson FOXNews radio show.

    Before its gone, I figured I'd post the promo copy of the Monday night, 8/14/07 radio broadcast.

    Bush Rage! First the Democrat pols began to flip, then the MSM began reporting that the surge “may” be working, now the European Press is doing the same thing. That won’t stop the Patriots from the group “STRIKE 9/11” who want Americans to Skip Work, School and Shopping on 9/11/07 to protest the Bush Junta and their “fascist regime.” Gibson speaks with one of the organizers of this “event” Michael Rectenwald.

    This starts by arguing that the war in Iraq is showing signs of success, and that therefore anyone protesting the war is misguided. It then mis-states the name of the site, emphasizing "9/11", and suggests that it is a group with members. "Patriots?" What is that meant to imply? Skip work? Sound irresponsible. I don't recall anyone promoting this action using the term "Bush Junta." Not an organizer, but one of "the" organizers of the event? CLG has endorsed the project, but are they organizing the event? News to me, but we certainly encourage everyone to take this action as their own. "Event?" Again, what is that meant to imply. Its not an event, its an action.

    I would have expected no worse from John Gibson. The reason that Fox wanted to do this story was very simply to offer the conservative talking points on this issue, just in case it gets any bigger. I didn't get to hear the show, but I'm sure that the person that Fox had on arguing against the strike presented at least three reasons not to support the effort. And now people who listen to John Gibson know how to dismiss the action, regardless of what the other side has to say.

    I can only hope the guy from CLG got in a couple good points of his own. But I doubt that this radio broadcast will matter beyond possibly drawing further attention from other mainstream media outlets.

    Posted 16 years ago #
  7. Victronix
    Member

    I can pretty much guess how it went. So that's another citation to add to the list of exactly what you describe -

    "The reason that Fox wanted to do this story was very simply to offer the conservative talking points on this issue, just in case it gets any bigger."

    Someone needs to write a page up to make a call for activists to never participate when FOX News calls, and they can reference the many examples now. But I notice it's the same people over and over who are willing to do the dirty deed, yet describe it as worthwhile. We've never noticed any increase in traffic when someone gets into the mud with the O'Reillys, so I'm not sure what possible evidence there is for the idea that anyone benefits from these. Has there ever been anyone who said, "I realized 9/11 was a lie when I was watching FOX news one day and . . ."?

    Posted 16 years ago #
  8. Victronix
    Member

    I also wanted to request that the strike site link to wtc7.net in it's 9/11 links.

    I make this request primarily because the way it is now, the links you have send a message that "peace groups reject all physical evidence and so we don't dare include any", since that is conspicuously missing.

    B7 is different. It is the one item that all sides agree on. WTC7.net is a single issue site but basically functions in that one of the questions many of us have is something you can look at with your own eyes. There isn't a lot of detail necessary or even much of a case that needs to be made.

    It was also included in the Family Steering Committee questions, so the credibility of the issue isn't really a question.

    Posted 16 years ago #
  9. giveback

    By default this strike becomes an attempt at a national holiday. And one hopes on a national holiday there is some semblance of remembrance. A day where we are not overwhelmed by work, school, shopping.

    We can encourage a space for people to, one way or another, gain perspective about an era shaping day. We can point out that this day is not going away in its effects, and the suffering central to this day has not even begun to be addressed. So far the only thing remotely sacred about this day, in all practicality, has been how much people have avoided 9/11 in all its detail and complexity. It has to stop being the calling card of the Neocons, and the strike is one step toward that.

    Posted 16 years ago #
  10. Victronix
    Member

    Actually one idea I had is that if the organizers post a suggested design for a banner so that people could do similar banner drops all over the country, say orange ones, or orange lettering, or whatever. I love the home made ones, but it would be great to have a concrete image to get media attention that was replicated around, and people will be bannering on the day.

    Posted 16 years ago #

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