kentuck and other posters have been discussing what we could do

[EFerrari]

with respect to mass action to be more active on our own behalf.

A lot of us can't make it to DC and may have to be more local in our efforts. I was wondering if demonstrating at Federal Buildings was an option for most DUers.

[sabrina 1]

1. Good idea, probably even better to have demonstrations all over

the country than in just one place. I would love to go to DC, but it would be much more possible to do something like this.

[Aerows]

2. Personally, I think we need a general strike

Of all Americans buying anything, and being productive. They can shoot you when you demonstrate, but they can't shoot you for not buying anything or calling in sick.

[LooseWilly]

3. General strike is definitely something to consider...

[EFerrari]

4. In Egypt, it was students and trade unionists that did the heavy lifting.

We can organize students but since Labor has been decimated in this country, we'd have to figure a way to fill that deficit.

[NOLALady]

10. Yep.

The students were also the backbone of the sixties movements.

[EFerrari]

13. Students, church groups, unions and veterans, right?

[sabrina 1]

5. I agree with that. But it would take a lot of organizing

and people are not yet angry enough to make it effective, mainly thanks to US Media, sadly.

[EFerrari]

12. If we could use Federal buildings as our local hubs

we could go, community by community, and figure out how to organize big local groups. They'd be different in each area. Might be a union with big presence, or a university or a different social group based on ethnicity or gender or whoever is big in our area. Here in San Jose, I'd work on SJ State, on the Dream Act kids and Chicano groups, on the SEIU, on local progressive groups I think. :shrug:

[sabrina 1]

14. Yes, probably some areas would be more easily organized than

others. We just moved here (Ventura Co, Ojai) a year ago so I'm not that familiar with any of the groups here that might be interested. Our Congressman is a Repub and it does seem to be a fairly conservative area.

Movements have to start somewhere though, and they don't start overnight. Even the Egyptians had been planning for quite a while, before we finally saw them in Tahrir Square.

[EFerrari]

16. The Egyptians have been at it for generations.

:)

[EFerrari]

42. Today I learned that only 3 trade unions supported the protesters

in the beginning and now they are up to 90!

[sabrina 1]

44. That's very good news! n/t

[JI7]

19. There is no way many people are going to do that

[MADem]

21. A general strike gives employers an opportunity to FIRE people.

You don't show up for work? You're fired. Calling in sick, with a well-publicized "strike" out in the news? You'd better bring a doctor's note, and odds are most employers will tell their workers that if they happen to get sick on "that day," they'd better come in to work with one. You'd also better not be photographed at any rallies.

Try getting unemployment when your firing is caused by your own negligent behavior. They can, and do, turn people down in that case.

Then, the employer will hire someone to replace you at a lower cost to the company.

It's an interesting concept, but you're not going to get sufficient critical mass to make it work. About half this politically divided nation--at a minimum--wouldn't think it was a good idea to start with, so you'd be hoping to convince probably a small segment of the other half--not enough to make an impact.

As for a 'purchasing holiday,' the minute you put that out, the Tea Partiers will make it a "shopping festival" to counteract the effects of any boycott.

[Aerows]

24. I'm from the South

I know how hard it would be, especially down here. It also doesn't mean that enough of us aren't pissed off enough to do it anyway.

You have no idea how hard many of our communities have been hit, and we've taken it on the chin before.

[MADem]

27. If you are from a "right to work" (AKA "Your boss can fire you on a whim") state,

it can't be easy. But even in states such as those in the northeast with way more employee protections, if you screw up (like lying about a sick day or just not showing up) and they fire you, you're gone without unemployment insurance. You can try appealing the decision, but it is a crap shoot. Usually, when people get fired because of their own negligence, and they end up getting UI, it's because the employer didn't put the brakes on the process. But big corporations, with their own lawyers? They'll show up at every hearing and make sure you don't get a dime.

I just don't think there'd be enough critical mass to make it a worthwhile exercise. For every person saying 'Stay home and buy nothing' there'd be at least as many saying 'Go to work and spend, spend, spend.' All you'd be doing is risking your job for no real effect.

[Aerows]

28. I'm an EMPLOYER

I don't think people realize how many people are fed up, including employers, not just employees.

Small Business owners pay taxes out of the ass, while Exxon and GE pay nothing. That pisses me off to no end.

I WELCOME anything you have to say about that.

[MADem]

31. Well, you can take your entire shop with you to the pickets, then!

Make sure you pay 'em for the day if you want them to show up.

I absolutely agree that small business owners get fucked royally. You want to know what I have to say? Really? Here goes:

I think that small business taxes should be lowered and there should be important (as in long-term) tax incentives for start-ups of small and medium sized businesses, particularly in blighted communities, and I also think that the major corporations should pay more taxes as a rule, and be penalized additionally for every single job they ship overseas.

While we're at it, I think GE and Exxon and the like should not be subsidized to explore for energy assets. That shit needs to stop yesterday.

So, are my comments "WELCOME?"

Sheesh--why are you looking for a fight, and making false assumptions about my POV on the big issues, when all I did was give an honest and unvarnished view as to how "effective" I think scattered, poorly attended protests at FEDERAL buildings will be?

You think you'll see those scattered protests on the nightly news, even if there are dozens, even hundreds, of them? That worked real well for the antiwar protests on streetcorners by the Quakers and other peace groups (not). Ask yourself this question: Who owns the networks? You have a better chance of seeing three minutes of a cute bear raiding a bird feeder than you would thirty seconds of those kinds of protests.

I used to work in some of those federal buildings--they're often smack dab in the middle of "nowhere important," even if they're in the downtown of a city. No one will see, and the media won't cover it.

It's the ballot box that makes the difference. Look at those tea party assholes--they are a minority in the legislature, but they roar like a lion. That's where the energy needs to be focused, and if you don't like the candidates, run yourself or find someone with your same POV who is camera-ready and has a decent resume.

[Aerows]

34. Thanks for your comments

Don't take my "welcoming" them personally, I really did, to tell you the truth. And I will be, if we all can.

Perhaps they might be poorly attended, but I am starting to think that our own pessimism in our public power is one of the greatest problems we have in this country. Hey, I'm one of the "stakeholders" and I think corporatism has gone too far.

I'm not the first to say it. The ballot box, imho, has been tainted badly, and it is up to the people to energize themselves and not let the ballot box be the final say. Our Constitution guarantees that right, and it is time to exercise it.

If that makes whoever stands up "tea party assholes" because they are standing up on the opposite side, then they should accept the name with pride. *Anyone* standing up to the desolation of our Republic by hostage taking and economic threats should gladly and rightfully called out for their patriotism.

True fascism - as defined by Moussulini, and oligarchy is the station we are arriving at. I don't like that station. I want to arrive at the station of "For the people, by the people and of the people."

Authoritarians and plutarchs aren't going to win the day.

[MADem]

36. Well, maybe the way to go is "counter-protests."

The Tea Party knows how to draw a crowd and get a little media attention for their shenanigans, perhaps the way to play it is use their drawing power for a counter-demonstration. Then you might get noticed.

I'm a pragmatist. I think protest is a fine thing, but it's a total waste of time if it's not noticed and effective. And unfortunately, a lot of sincere protest from the left goes unnoticed. Part of the reason is "bad staging" (an excess of ideology and not enough show-biz, like those ANSWER smorgasbord nightmares in DC) and poor organization/communication (and as a consequence, poor attendance). No one hears about these efforts, too because corporate news outlets harbor a decided unwillingness to carry that stuff on their news reports. However, if the protests involved a little show biz, a bit of passionate debate? A showdown? A little verbal shouting match? That they can get behind, even if they're covering "the enemy."

[Aerows]

38. You could be right

But I am at the point that any attempt to diminish my irritation is adding to the energy of my justifiable anger.

I'm not the only person that has reached that point, so carry on, whichever way you wish to play it.

[readmoreoften]

22. That is something you have to build towards.

You can onlyget there through a series if large, regular protests.

[Aerows]

25. Standing up together as a community

is just that. Standing together. It doesn't take miracles, it just takes the masses. I'm probably not a community like yours, but mine in every walk of life, has just about had it.

[snappyturtle]

6. Grass roots is the best way to go! Let's remember what WI did!!!! nt

[shanti]

7. it's only about 15 miles away from me

in sacramento, so i'm game.

[NOLALady]

8. It's about an hours drive.

I can do it.

I agree with others that a general strike may also get their attention.

[judgegblue]

9. We need to do something

Many will sat that marches and demonstrations did nothing to stop the war in Iraq. Perhaps, but we need to do something to show those who are not paying close attention that there are many who feel strongly that the right wingers and teabaggers are on the verge of destroying our country. For ourselves, we need to see that we are not a small minority- like the teabaggers.

[Fire1]

11. I'm going to write my congressmen. n/t

[lonestarlib]

15. It has to be big, really big.

[EFerrari]

18. It needs to be smart, really smart.

:)

[JI7]

17. Demonstrate for what ? wouldn't that be like we are protesting the Feds ?

[formercia]

20. The local protesters demonstrate on a Bridge in Town

It's a bottleneck, and a lot of traffic passes over it. I would assume that it's the Public you want to expose the Protest to, since the Bureaucrats in the Federal Building either don't, won't or can't make any changes due to regulations.

The more eyeballs the better. Work from that concept. Don't inconvenience people, it will just piss them off.

Let the local TV stations know that there will be a protest. More eyeballs.

[starroute]

23. There's a federal courthouse in Allentown, but protesting there makes no sense to me

I mean, walking up and down outside a courthouse with a sign saying, "Hands off my Medicare" would be about #5 on my list of "100 most useless ways to protest."

It's also a good recipe for invisibility.

Marching on Washington is one thing -- though I have my doubts even about that -- but marching on some random government office building seems almost perversely ineffective.

[EFerrari]

37. That's how it's done in Los Angeles and in San Francisco.

It's not random, it's the seat of Federal government in the community and sometimes where House members, others have their offices.

[pitohui]

26. might you mention what it is that you intend to protest?

right now all i'm hearing is what are you rebelling against? and marlon brando saying what have you got?

i'm not gonna show up to protest when i don't know what the hell you're protesting ABOUT, would you?

what in hell does "mass action on our own behalf" mean when it's at home?????

[pipi_k]

30. Saw this earlier and wondered

myself what exactly people are protesting.

I guess nobody knows.

Maybe we get to choose our own issues...


I'll probably protest spicy food.

[JI7]

33. i will counter protest your protest on spicy food

[pipi_k]

35. Well I will counter-counter your protest and raise you

a turkey sandwich on white bread with unflavored mayonnaise and a glass of milk.

[EFerrari]

39. We were talking about an alternative

for people who can't afford to go to DC. And no one has asked you to do anything, but thanks anyway.

[Vanje]

40. PFFFFFFFFFT

[hfojvt]

29. isn't the nearest Federal building gonna be a Post Office?

But protesting at a Federal Building sounds like you are anti-government rather than anti-corporate. Presumably we want to hold Republicans accountable, more than the Government itself.

[MADem]

32. Or maybe a recruiting station or MEPS!

You'd be perceived as protesting stamp hikes or the military...neither of those would work out too well.

Protest at the local offices of the GOP legislators. That might be halfway effective, especially if clever signage (not profane, of course) is involved.

[EFerrari]

41. People protest bad policy at Federal sites all the time

and that doesn't make them anti-government. I don't know about you, but I expect my government to be accountable.

[cottonseed]

43. More pissed off old white folks protesting something they don't like.

Unless backed by corporate money I don't see this one gaining steam.