General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsShut the country down for one hour
Designated date and time, everyone stops there autos and block traffic on every road in the country. A shot over the bow if you will. A protest that the next time will be 2 hours. What would zero fuel sales for one hour do. How do you let the true enemies of America know we have had all we are going to take. Could the whole country stay home and not spend a dime for even one day?? At least it's an idea.
Flashmann
(2,140 posts)Think of the logistics.The coordination and synchronization that would require.How many people would need to be on the same page.
Now think of WHO it is that would be relied on to pull it off.
Not a snowballs chance.
avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)Time enough to show people we are committed, but not so long that you don't piss off your allies.
I don't necessarily agree with blocking the roads. Open roads are needed for emergencies.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)at least it's an idea, everyone bitches and whines but no ideas or solidarity. Wait 2 years and vote, that's bullshit. WHERE IS OUR THINK TANK. These fuckers spend billions of our tax dollars trying to figure out how to fuck us out of our future.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)MDarleneI
(3 posts)I think we could get the same effect by obeying the speed limit, esp. on the freeways.
R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)If my blocking the road kept an emergency vehicle from getting help to somebody that needed it and they were to die I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
aristocles
(594 posts)Zorra
(27,670 posts)of an operational blueprint in place for dealing with various situations. We understand the importance of communication, teamwork and groupthink, and it is our goal that no one is harmed by what we do.
Many cities had almost daily Occupy activist training seminars so folks would know how to respond to different circumstances.
Occupy is still here, all of us, and we are waiting for enough people to wake up in order for us to reach critical mass.
We weren't just drumming and smoking dope in GA's, like the MSM tried to get everyone to believe.
This is my main local Occupy group:
http://occupyphx.org/
As you can see, we are still active. It is simply not the right time to take to the streets, we need you and others like you to decide to become active before we can engage in the types of non-violent direct actions that are necessary and effective to force change.
It takes courage and commitment, make no mistake, the cops are brutal.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,129 posts)occupy...
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)come on people lets just keep being scared of trying anything. Emergency would have a coordinated priority but not Joe Blow.
pipi_k
(21,020 posts)a massive traffic jam on busy city streets.
All of them.
How do you get hundreds...thousands...of vehicles to allow an emergency vehicle through if nobody can go anywhere?
What, do they all just levitate themselves up about ten feet so the ambulance or fire trucks can drive under them?
sigh...
Ilsa
(61,675 posts)Loses sympathy for a protest, IMO.
pipi_k
(21,020 posts)the fact that the only ones likely to be impacted are the "little people" themselves.
People who can't afford to take time off from their jobs, never mind be late because a bunch of shitheads decided it would be cool to block traffic for an hour or however long...
Some clues for them:
Don't hurt the people you're trying to "help". Don't piss off the people you're trying to "help".
If people are really serious, let them march on D.C. and storm the Capitol building or something.
Or maybe they can occupy a bunch of large cities around the country and...oh, wait...
They've tried that.
I wonder how Occupy Wall Street is doing these days, and how many wonderful changes they've managed to bring about.
Almost two years into it, and it looks like nothing has changed much.
Yet we have some here who think a one hour protest (unlikely to attract more than a few hundred thousands) is going to have an effect.
oy....
aristocles
(594 posts)sorefeet
(1,241 posts)maybe SS or insider trading or citizens united or the state of the lying congress. Their are only about a million things that are destroying the country. Private prisons bank reform take your pick.
you come up with a [not too brilliant] strategy to protest against something you haven't decided on yet...I don't really think you understand the whole protest thing.
Flashmann
(2,140 posts)Not to mention that the populace that couldn't pull off "Hands Across America" for 60 seconds,4 decades ago,can seriously be asked to do this for 60 MINUTES?
Hilarious!!!
Flashmann
(2,140 posts)To bolster and further your point.
Never mind.
thanks for letting me know, a slow-caffeine day.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)ideas. Frog in the frying pan??? That is what we are already doing.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,154 posts)Your 'block the streets' protest stops people and goods moving. OK, so are you pissed at the whole populace, since they're the target? The effect is to stop certain things happening for an hour. So many people will be inconvenienced, and have to plan around it, or catch up after. What do you expect them to do afterwards, to avoid your threat of 2 hours? If you haven't told them, it's no use expecting them to guess.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)to participate and be noticed will be just about impossible. The problem is that those who participate won't even be seen, because they're not doing anything. Think of Superbowl Sunday. If you're out on the road during the game, there's plenty of traffic, and that's a very popular event.
Aside from that insurmountable problem, it's a great idea.
aristocles
(594 posts)It's called the BALLOT...local, state, and federal.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)it isn't working. The minute they are elected they forget all about you. It works for them they make the rules, why would they change a thing without being threatened.
aristocles
(594 posts)99Forever
(14,524 posts)Really.
Enjoy being on your knees, do you?
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Once the election is over they don't have to pay any attention to us.
I think the idea of NASCAR-style patches showing who our congresscritters really represent is a good first step. Just so everyone knows where he stands.
pipi_k
(21,020 posts)likely to be hurt by this are regular people.
Not the ones it's intended to hurt.
It's about as effective as trying to hurt someone else by going on a hunger strike.
"Yeah, bigod!!! I'll show you guys! I'll keep banging myself in the head with this hammer until you feel it!!!"
And even if nothing bad happened, once it's over, things go right back to the way they were before.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Someone or their child needs to get to a hospital for emergency surgery.
So the more successful this blocking of traffic was, the more likely some innocent person will die as they cannot get through to the ER.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)But as reality, it's not possible.
There are a surprising number of people who for various reasons cannot stay home for a day. Police officers, fire fighters, and hospital employees are the first who come to mind. Then there are those who will be fired if they take the day off. Oh, yeah, teachers are another group who can't really take a day off.
And as others have already pointed out, getting any noticeable percentage of the population to even be aware of this possible protest is iffy at best. And if you could get one percent to participate, you'd be amazing. But one percent won't shut down anything.
A serious march on DC is a much better idea. Maybe a bunch of marches in a bunch of cities, rather like the anti-war protests a decade ago, or something that takes a page from the Occupy movement.
But thinking you can shut the country down for an hour?
And zero fuel sales for an hour will make no difference to anything. Every so often someone posts some silliness about boycotting some one of the gasoline brands for a day, but (go visit snopes.com for the details here) even if it could be organized, it would make absolutely no differenct to big oil's bottom line.
The best thing is to call and write elected officials. Vote. Run for office yourself.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)A one-hour general strike could make a huge point and help build the wave that Wisconsin, Occupy and others have started.
Screw the nay-sayers.
aristocles
(594 posts)I was a Vietnam-era protester when I was an undergraduate. What we didn't appreciate then, and today's protesters don't, is that most Americans don't care about the issues.
The population of the US is over 300,000,000. My guess is that fewer than 5% care at all about the issues.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)On their knees felating their corporate masters.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/15/pf/occupy-wall-street-debt/index.html
http://www.alternet.org/occupys-rolling-jubilee-has-raised-enough-forgive-almost-7-million-debt
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/195780/occupys-operation-rolling-jubilee-just-freed-people-from-1-million-in-debt/
99Forever
(14,524 posts)... civil disobedience. Sure, not all can or will participate. That doesn't actually matter, if enough of us do.
aristocles
(594 posts)"if enough..."
Imprecise generalization. Hope is not a strategy.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)Have a nice day.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Response to sorefeet (Original post)
limpyhobbler This message was self-deleted by its author.
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)itsrobert
(14,157 posts)Nt
Cleita
(75,480 posts)It's only an hour. I have seen ambulances stuck for more than an hour in rush hour traffic even with all sirens blastings. People do what they can to clear a path through the traffic, but it still takes time to move it all along. I think most of us would make exceptions for emergency vehicles and get out of the way.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)but it never really happens. Who is going to step up to the plate to organize something meaningful?
octothorpe
(962 posts). Then try a city. Then move from there... Kinda figure out what works and what doesn't. See if it's feasible. See if it has the desired effects. If it shows results on a small scale, then people would be more willing to go along with it on a larger scale.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)main airports in Washington, D. C. about at the times that our elected representatives and senators were leaving town for holidays. Then surround their cars that are waiting with masked silent protesters with signs. This time it should be senior citizens with signs about the cuts to SS and Medicare. Then they should disappear just as fast once they made their point getting out before the police arrive. Point made and no one hopefully hurt by the authorities.
octothorpe
(962 posts)also negatively affecting those who are not the intended recipients. If I miss my flight because a protest like that blocked my path as a byproduct, even if I agree with the cause, I'm probably going to be upset with the organizers. Not saying it couldn't be done, but it's something that would have to be taken into account and the risks of alienating some be taken into account.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)annoy people who are ordinarily not engaged. It points them in the direction of a problem. They will of course complain about the protesters to the authorities which will annoy them. Then people will start inquiring as to what those hippies are pissed off about. It usually works out to shinning a bright light on injustices and other problems and sometimes there is a fix offered. We did it with civil rights and war protests. They were messy, obstructionist and annoying, but in the end produced results.
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)It's SUPPOSED to impact people's lives. Even if it's a negative impact, at least that negative impact points out the problem. What if it makes me late to a meeting/appointment/date/night out???? So fucking what? That's about as much of a "me, me, me" attitude as you can get. It ain't about you and your petty bullshit. It's about ALL of us.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)very much.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,154 posts)"block traffic on every road in the country". The OP is clear. The idea is to affect everyone who wants to move. Of course, you have to tell everyone about it first, to make it happen, so everyone will try to plan so that it doesn't affect them. But presumably that's the idea - cause enough hassle and jams before and after as well, to make the inconvenience bigger.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)They need a non-violent wakeup call that would scare the shit out of them.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)very much octothorp. Like I said I'm 60 and I been waiting for a long time, I don't have another 60 to play these games, when we the people of America know the truth and how to fix it but nothing is being done. All of Americas woes could be solved tomorrow, but not without hurting the feelings of the rich, elite and corporates. And that is all it would hurt is their feelings.
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)Instead of blocking traffic what if we all just skip work and hang out down town.
Then ambulances can still get through.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)to let emergency vehicles pass.
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)Actually I guess the emergency vehicles will be the one's coming to arrest us when we do this.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)octothorpe
(962 posts)brooklynite
(93,873 posts)sorefeet
(1,241 posts)Wouldn't you like to be part of a historical movement that dismantled the corruption in America.
It won't happen if no one tries SOMETHING.
brooklynite
(93,873 posts)...and since I've met the President, most of the Democratic Senators and fair number of House Members, I don't subscribe to the "they're all in on the conspiracy" theory.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)and ethics issues and you blatantly ignore it, then yes you are a part of the conspiracy.
brooklynite
(93,873 posts)If you believe that they're all corrupt and "part of the conspiracy", then you presumably don't want to get them re-elected, right?
on point
(2,506 posts)elleng
(130,156 posts)And do we really expect they'll change their behavior?
How about removing them from public positions, like voting them out of office in 2014???!!!!
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)We will shame them and tell them we are doing it because too many people die and live in poverty because of their greed. Fine if you can vote out all of them AND their aides, right down to the last bad apple. They can't have the best healthcare that we subsidize and then blame us for wanting the same thing. They have to quit playing us for stupid and getting away with it.
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)to affect "the true enemies of America". The TRUE enemies will just buy the NEW politicians. You act like the politicians are the actual bosses in this country.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)Leslie Valley
(310 posts)KLAATU BARADA NIKTO
Brigid
(17,621 posts)On August 22, as tensions were rising in the prison, the inmates staged a "breakfast strike," in which they all participated. Its purpose was to prove that they could organize. Less than two weeks later, the infamous riot broke out.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)they are outnumbered an we are organized. A bunch of us took an oath to protect America from foreign AND DOMESTIC enemies. And right now our enemies are right here we elected them based on their lies. They have pulled the wool over our eyes long enough and it's time to fix it.
SmileyRose
(4,854 posts)won't happen .... too many wedges.
Throd
(7,208 posts)your idea will just piss people off.
Pointy_n_sharp
(29 posts)Great plan..
rrneck
(17,671 posts)if we could organize that we could just vote in politicians that would make it unnecessary.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)sorefeet
(1,241 posts)I 25 corridor Denver to Cheyenne.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)How many people you got lined up so far?
wundermaus
(1,673 posts)Tried it for a half an hour (starting at 12 Noon) back in 1951 and they shot the messenger. - Gort
Why not try shutting down the planet for the whole day starting at June 21 2013 05:04 GMT (Summer Solstice for 2013)?
I recommend everyone stay home to reduce the chances of being shot by the authorities.
Because people who don't know what's going on will be running around like ants. - Wundermaus
NoPasaran
(17,291 posts)Not sure what we're protesting but solidarity forever, brother!