glad to know someone is organizing this. It seems like one of the few possible effective actions we can take, but of course, getting the word out is the main problem, and getting people interested in joining in. I'll try to make the meeting.

The anger we felt about being betrayed by congress after the Iraq vote was huge enough that even some workers at the Fed bldg were supportive of not going in to work. How can we tap in to that sort of commitment? And anger? Probably the most oppressed groups. For one thing, I've noticed that at almost all the actions I do in SF, the taxis are almost always wonderful supporters. I'm sure many many taxis could care less, but always there are a few honking and cheering, sometimes going around and around to continue to show support. They would be an excellent group to participate if they could become interested.

I was at a non acitivist party on Friday, and I had this great thing happen. This woman was talking about the idea of a general strike. Which was so great cause I had been having these general strike feelings last week, and I am just one person well maybe 3 or 4 on online, but I am not a labor union.
I think that people deciding to stop the machine, where it starts makes alot of sense. It is the root of direct action.
Maybe the General Strike could be called for May Day 2003.

I think that the idea of a general strike is good, but without a hook or a lot more infrastructure (that would take years to build), I don't see it happening and I would be hesitant to spend too much time on it. The key would be to get support from major labor unions, but so many of them are either corrupt or single-issue that it will be hard to give them an incentive to participate.

You've got a lot better chance of winning powerball than pulling off a may day strike in the US.

Excellent idea, and good luck.

Idea: many people who cannot or will not 'strike' and miss work or school might be persuaded to at least not shop that day (don't forget all of the unemployed people, growing in number every month thanks to the ineptitude of our Bushistas).

If enough people keep their wallets shut for 24 hours, the data will show up in Big Brother's computer (they care about money if not democracy and the Constitution.) If one day a month were chosen, every month, during the long dark decade ahead (make no mistake, it will take a decade to undo the Bush Regime's fascist power grab and police state), then eventually the movement will gain strength -- if every Nth day of the month, shopping grinds to a halt, that will be more credible than any Gallup Poll (in any case, another year or two of economic decline and the Democratic Big Brothers may be in power -- lesser of two evils? haha).

If all the anti-war activists in the country dedicated ourselves to a one-day general strike a few months from now, we might be able to get a couple of million people to stay away from work that day, and maybe a few million more to boycott shopping. The effect would be almost nil, and the troops occupying a destroyed Iraq would hardly take notice while getting ready to attack Iran or North Korea or whatever.

It might be possible to organize effective strikes among a few particularly conscious groups of workers, like Oakland teachers, but most unions would do less than nothing while their leaders continue supporting the government's warmaking. Even the ILWU would be unlikely to strike, since they're already intimidated by the government's threats against them if they strike to protect their own wages and working conditions.

There is at least a real possibility that an effective general strike could be organized in some countries whose governments are aiding and abetting the AmeriKKKan monster -- countries like Germany, Italy, Greece and Turkey, among others. But even in those countries, there is more possibility of organizing effective direct action, overt and covert, by groups of various sizes and levels of commitment, and the latter strategy is what we certainly need in the U.S., where the chances for a real general strike are not small, as in the above countries, but infinitesimal.

When I talk about direct action, I don't mean the mostly symbolic "non-violent direct action" that is so much in vogue here on the West Coast, and whose main function is to let the participants feel good about themselves. I'm thinking more of actions of the kind carried out by the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front, as well as some of the more intelligent actions carried out by the Irish Republican Army and the German Red Army Fraction. I'm also thinking of mass direct action in the tradition of the German Autonomen and the more militant participants in the demonstrations in Quebec, Genoa, etc.

I'm cetainly not advocating that anti-war activists should emulate the violence of the ruling class, but I wouldn't condemn anybody who gives the enemy that we and the people of the world are confronting a modest taste of its own medicine.

I wish you punk motherfuckers like Aaron would try some militant shit. Best case for you would be that you just get thrown in the joint for a couple of days and best case for the rest of us is that someone pulverizes your sorry ass. If you don't like America then get the fuck out you loser.

Go fuck a duck.

<Buy Nothing - No Work - No School>

Given the amount of time you spend on this site posting the same moronic comments over and over, it would appear it is actually you are "on strike" every day.

By the way, SuperPatriot, how come you're not in the Gulf ready to fight in the front lines on behalf of your country? Oh, you're another chickenhawk right winger who lets other people do your dirty work?......how disappointing.......

by the way, i went to your blogswamp, and it's filled with hate towards Arabs. Talk about missing a few neurons, you racist piece of trash.

<Buy Nothing - No Work - No School>

Checking my calendar I'm thinking Sunday, January 16th between the hours of 2:00am and 2:05am. Most of us will be asleep anyway which will be symbolic of how Americans in general are asleep while all of this is going on. What do you say? Feedback.

You naynay sayers are all talk, no turnout. Why piss on other people's ideas, maybe because they challenge you or are more creative than your little critical games.
But seriously, the idea of a General Strike, although it may not be across the board functioning, is incredibly right on. Direct action is inherently tied to our roles within this capitalist system, if we withhold our labor or sick out or not buy in or do things with other people in collective action then it does make a difference. Just the idea of a General Strike, getting out there into people's imaginations is so counter americorps control that maybe there is a revolution in that itself. Collective action is always attacked by individualists.
Cells or lone gunmen are heralded as the solution to our problems, like there isn't infinite jail space and like that wouldn't just feed the internal security state anyway.
Why the fuck not, dare to try something, even if it is unrealistic? These are insane times, how can any response be normal. Sometimes the process of doing things is the victory in itself.

Hi Krissy! Haven't seen you in so long. Oh, I love that new dress. How's Bill and the kids?

January 16th from 2:00am and 2:05am sounds good to me. I'll be there doing my part. Maybe later on we can meet and go shopping and have lunch. I'll get with you. Ta-Ta!

promising endorsements

some related links:

autonomous AIM

prisoners' rights union

freedom socialist party

HUFF santa cruz

The Coalition on Homelessness

San Jose Peace Center

SF Bay View

NION Bellingham

Ending Corporate Governance

Yellow Power (including Richard Aoki)

Yuri Kochiyama movie

Don Paul
------------------------------------------------------------------------
anticrisis

"As for my blog, it's not "HATE FILLED'"

"you were still a snot-nosed 12-year old"
"You sound like a supreme pussy "
"the bullshit that pussies like yourself"
"warmonger-asshole-racist-scumbag."
"what the fuck do I care"
"just some community college waste "
"you piece of shit.... "

what is up with calling someone a supreme pussy? That is the greatest compliment of all time, I want to be a supreme pussy and what my head would be the clit. God that would be soo great, think of all the wet and juicy fun to be had if you were a giant supreme pussy.
this guy then goes on about wanting to have someone lick his nut sack, wow, that is soo gay, why not rim him too, oh god yes, think of it him in some sort of sex sling, with a giant ball gag or giant missle cock confining his hateful mouth and a legion of giant supreme pussies envolping and straddling his tiny boy parts. Maybe that actually happened to him in the gulf, I have know many a semen who had that type of experience and it has clouded their desires. Tell us about the poop deck, g
happy new year

If you don't care what I think, why did you write back, hey, chum? I also note your rhetorical degeneration into profanity and incoherence when challenged, and I regret you cannot stand the pressure of debate. You must have been a mediocre soldier.

As for why I didn't serve: IF I was homophobic like you, I'd have to say it would be to AVOID gays, since nothing disinhibits latent same sexers like a macho, all male environ. A review of the Catholic Church, the elite British prep schools, and the careers of military men like Alexander the Great will quickly prove my point.

Regarding the monkey spanking, I would NEVER harm an animal. I always treat my pets, such as my chimpanzee Nim Chimsky, with the greatest respect and admiration. Shame, shame on you for even suggesting this. And don't spank your own monkey, especially with a Spiegel catalog, ok? Those suckers are heavy.

Your site is not racist? I challenge anyone to the left of the Nazi General Staff to check out your blog and decide for themselves.

If you send me a bag of your favorite nuts, I will be happy to suck on them, although I prefer to swallow.

Cheers! Move along now!

also, i regret calling you a mere chickenhawk. if i'd known you'd served in the military, I'd have accused you of being a lackey of U.S. imperialist aggression and bloodletting. It's too bad I wasn't able to provide you with one of my more substantive insults. So sorry.

Everybody else: Thanks for sticking up for me! We'll stop this war yet!

Guys, Mikey sounds big and bad and rude and yes, most likely a closet gay, but really he just needs something to feel good about in his life. Most likely he's taking out his anger here so he doesn't destroy his own family. At least we're probably saving someone else a lot of pain by responding to him at all. Someone probably close to him.

Mikey, really, talk to someone, a friend. It isn't right, to post stuff like this. Get some good advice. It won't be cheap, but it'll be worth it. Possbily your health insurance will cover it. Look into it and get back to us when things are looking up for you.

Israelis abduct and kill Palestinians on Palestinian territory with weapons we gave to them freely and an Israeli fascist lauds them.

Now imagine armed Palestinians "arresting" Israelis on Israeli territory and killing others. And imagine the world reaction to it, escpecially the reaction of our pro-Israeli media.

31 December 2002

Israeli occupation soldiers last night beat to death a Palestinian teenager and dumped his body at a gas station in downtown Hebron.

Eyewitnesses said five Israeli soldiers, three Jews and two Druze, ganged up on 17-year-old Imran Abu Hamdiyya, beating him savagely on the head, using the butts of their guns.

Abu Hamdiyyeh collapsed and died while inside the Israeli border police jeep.

Half an hour later, the soldiers, all members of the notorious Border Police Unit, dumped the body of the Palestinian boy at another gas station, not far from the Ibrahimi Mosque, named after the Prophet Ibrahim, who is believed to be buried in its vaults.

A Palestinian ambulance was then allowed to take the body to the Princess Alya hospital in downtown Hebron where he was declared dead.

The Israeli army evaded quesions on the subject.

Palestinians and human rights groups revealed earlier this month the criminal practice known as "toss game" whereby Israeli soldiers force Palestinians through lottery to choose the form of torture they must undergo. The torture methods include a gunshot in the leg, a severe beating on the head using rifle butts, or a broken arm.

The Israeli army has tacitly recognized the existence of the "toss game" but has done nothing to stop it or prosecute soldiers involved in the criminal act.

Hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians have been beaten to death or summarily executed by Israeli soldiers since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.

30 December 2002

An unidentified man was killed today in Gaza Valley, Gaza City, by Israeli army tank fire. A Mirkava tank then drove over the man near the dividing line between the Gaza Strip and the 'green line', east Gaza City, according to eye witnesses.

Two hours after the murder, the occupation army invaded the area with tanks and bulldozers under intense heavy fire directed at homes and raided and searched several homes.

Military roadblocks at Abu Holi and al-Matahin were closed this morning, while occupation soldiers carried out searches and oppressive measures against those attempting to reach their work in Gaza City. Long queues of cars were held for several hours.

Western Khan Younis refugee camp was attacked with heavy fire and one missile this morning. No casualties were reported.

Al-Tuffah military roadblock at the entrance of al-Mawasi area continues to be closed for delegations and residents attempting to bring medical and food aid to residents besieged for the third day running.

Israeli occupation soldiers based on the border strip between Gaza Strip and Egyptian territories shelled Rafah refugee Camp this morning causing severe material damage.

The Israeli army has escalated attacks in Rafah lately, in what seems as an implementation of the plan to expand the border strip to 150 meters into the refugee camp, which means the demolition of hundreds of the refugees' homes. The occupation army has already started the implementation of the plan in al-Barahima area on the borders.

Sine the beginning of the Intifada the occupation army since the has over 255 homes.

In the West Bank, medical sources reported that a teacher who works in one of the schools in Jenin City was killed while in his car returning to his home after school. Witnesses reported that the teacher Isam Masad (37 years old) from Faqou'a Village, Jenin, was killed when occupation soldiers opened fire at him without warning.

The witnesses reported that when Masad approached al-Jalma military roadblock, an armoured vehicles suddenly appeared resulting in a small accident. When soldiers ordered him to get out of the car, they opened fire at him and killed him for no apparent reason.

Medical sources reported that Masad was shot from a short distance with two live bullets in the head and chest.

Occupation soldiers held on to the car for a period of time, while the Red Crescent said that more than one person may have been injured in the attack and that ambulances were prevented from reaching the location.

Israeli army sources said that they suspected that the person was armed person, but then admitted that he was not and that the killing was a "mistake".

In Nablus 20 year-old Jamal Zabara was killed when he was shot in the head in the al-Qasaba area of the city today.

Another youth, Adham al-Sha'lan (18 years old) was wounded with live ammunition in the leg. Two others were wounded with metal bullets.

The Israeli army invaded the city and opened fire intensively at the residents in a number of residential quarters in the city.

Dozens of people were reportedly beaten up by occupation soldiers. At least five civilians were admitted into hospital as a result.

A tight military closure continues to be imposed on the city and surrounding villages.

Israeli military forces brutally raided several homes in Zawata Village, north Nablus City, today. Police dogs were used during home raids. The residents' furniture and belongings were severely destroyed for no apparent reason. Several children in the village suffered from serious cases of fear and shock. The village was invaded by several tanks and armoured vehicles.

Over 30 youths in the village were lined up under humiliating conditions. Two were arrested and released at a later stage.

Madama Village, south Nablus, was raided today and many of its residents held under extremely oppressive conditions, under the same pretext.

Azmout and Deir Hatab villages were raided last night, and homes raided under claims of searching for "wanted militants".

This thread is NOT about Israel and Palestine! Well, not directly. Can't we get away from it for a second on here??? People were talking about general strike issues and suggestions . . . and problems with mikey . . . but taking the Is/Pal debate here is really annoying. Go over to Aparthied Israel or the Justin Raimondo thread or something. GO AWAY!

i think the mayday idea is a good one. i kno the first gen strike date is set for either the day after the ground troops invade iraq or the day after the official bombing campaign starts. of course this is very soon, prolly late jan/early feb, and i see it as being able to attract attention while the anti-war action peaks so that later on (perhaps mayday?) there will be enuf networks and publicity so that it is very very noticeable. yea, since we dont have any labor unions actively jumping on for the strike, if we get enuf high school walkouts, boycotts, demonstrations, etc., it has the potential to eventually become something more than just symbolic where we can talk about say.. shutting down corporate businesses and schools down for the day whether it be thru boycotts, walkouts, or more aggressive direct action. i think the answer rallies are good, but we are tryin ta find new ways that will effect the power structure more, in this case, in their pocketbooks. i think a lot of people want to do more than just go to answer rallies, and that is wat we are counting on. yea it is gonna take a lot of work and a lot of ppl will say it is impossible, but we dont really have a choice. This HAS to work, there really HAS to be something like this cuz shit in this world is fucked up bigtime and shit is comin down harder and harder right now. i dont see organizing around anything worthwhile right now other than shit that some ppl will claim is impossible. isnt that che quote somthin like "we must be realists and demand the impossible"

I'm glad to hear it was a late lunch and a bad day - I was begining to worry. So it's good to have a civil conversation. Most likely, now that the idiot holidays are almost over, everyone will become less foaming and more . . . busy, no doubt. Nothing to instill insanity in everyone like the most capitalist holiday of the year mixed with obligatory explosive family gatherings and either lack-of-presents guilt or new-debt-from-presents guilt.

I didn't buy a single thing this year or send a single card because I didn't have the time or the money - but I'm planning on ordering some cards in the next paycheck, from the Syr Workers Collective online, which look really good. There's one that's a quote from Barbara Lee which looks pretty good.

But anyway, it's good to keep up the ideas for the strike. I just can't think of any right now.

Yea, jer, i agree that answer rallies will not push the anti-war movement wen it comes Down to being able to seriosly push this movement far enough. also, it doesnt address really any issues that effect people of color in the u.s. such as the prison sytem and political prisoners.

hopefully this gen strike group can both up the anti-war movement to a more radical step and also linking imperialism overseas with colonialism/racism right here on turtle island.

and wat is so fuckin hard about not going to work or not going to school for ONE DAY?!! I mean, most people workin can call in sick for a day and all high-schoolers are just lookin for an excuse to ditch. we should really be able to get a huge number of high schools to walkout if we really organized around that. lets do this.

"Why the fuck not, dare to try something, even if it is unrealistic? These are insane times, how can any response be normal. Sometimes the process of doing things is the victory in itself."

Come on, Tomcat. This is your response to legitimate concerns about the feasibility of a general strike in the United States?

Everyone agrees that a general strike is an effective form of dissent -- but obviously we disagree on whether it is remotely possible or not. We just don't have the communications infrastructure or networking to pull it off. Sure, maybe some COH people wont go work at COH that day, or something like that. To me, this is a lot of investment for very little return.

If you want people to take the organizing seriously, stamping your feet and declaring that your plan is "more creative" than anything else isn't going to get anywhere. Is it?

And I disagree that the process is a victory in itself. A victory is a victory.

I am glad that some level of strategic discussion is taking place on sf-imc (if nowhere else besides in social groupings). But organizers will have to accept and integrate criticism better. -gek

Just FYI - Sunday the 5th will be Adam Shapiro at the BFUU, so some people might not be able to make the meeting on that afternoon.

http://www.bapd.org/n2453.html

Here is a promising indicator of a general social trend, I hope. This area is really middle-middle class suburban like Concord, and pretty boring. There was an antiwar rally at a lower-middle class strip mall in a boring suburban area nearby too. One didn't see preemptive stuff like this 12 years ago before the official war broke out. Also, last time the recession fully hit after Bush I started bombing, but this time people are already really depressed about the economy and Davis' hacking of the budget this week:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134607029_anarchysnap02e.html

this is forwarded from the dan list:
"This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our
nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of
hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from
dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically
deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation
that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense
than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

- Martin Luther King Jr.


Direct Action Against the War Machine

Dear Folks,

Street demonstrations and rallies against war are all fine and good but
it is going to take much stronger tactics to have a direct impact on the
war machine. A large number of weapons systems are manufactured in the
United States, the largest weapons merchant in the world. Direct action
against the manufacturers of these weapons systems would take us to a
new level of resistance. In the San Francisco Bay area we have what the
military refers to as a "target rich environment". Many other
communities across the country have major weapons plants in their midst
as well. Blockade and community campaigns directed against the war
machine would create an outlet for everyone who wants to go beyond the
usual anti-war pep rally kind of response.

For those of us in the Bay Area I would suggest that the first target
should be the United Defense plant in San Jose. This is where the
Bradley Fighting vehicles are manufactured. United Defense is owned by
the Carlyle Group, in which the Bush family has direct interest. Other
Bradley plants are located in: Aiken, South Carolina Fayette County,
Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; York, Pennsylvania.

Info on the Bradley - http://www.army-technology.com/projects/bradley/

From the United Defense website:

United Defense


History

The first order for amphibious landing craft came in 1941 with a form
from the military that simply said "Buy 1,000 LVTs - Food Machinery
Corporation." During World War II, FMC produced more than 10,000 armored
vehicles. Similarly, Bowen McLaughlin York (later BMY, a division of
Harsco) also began building tanks.

For the next 50 years, both companies achieved recognition for producing
quality combat vehicles and Navy guns. Of particular note was the
development and production of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, a combat
vehicle hailed as "the most magnificent fighting machine ever" after its
success during Desert Storm. FMC established a preeminent industry
position in the production and upgrade of Navy guns and launchers,
including the Mk45 Gun System, a fully automated five-inch naval gun
which is in service on all destroyers and cruisers in the U.S. Navy and
on the ships of seven allied navies.

In response to the downsizing of the military, the shrinking industrial
base and improvements in technology in a declining market, FMC and
Harsco merged their defense units into United Defense Limited
Partnership in 1994.

The Carlyle Group bought United Defense in October 1997. With their
support, United Defense was able to reinvest in defense opportunities.
The company charted a path of raising the value of the company by
reducing debt and developing new business. In the late '90s the company
focused on repaying debt and seeing ways to invest for growth. The
strategy was highly successful as the company was able to reduce debt
and pursue acquisitions. The company expanded its capabilities in gun
systems and intelligent munitions and acquired a more global business
reach with its purchase of Bofors Weapon Systems AB of Sweden in
September 2000, renamed Bofors Defence.

In late 2001, United Defense took the necessary steps to become a public
company and on December 14 of that year began public trading on the New
York Stock Exchange under the symbol UDI.

In July 2002, United Defense acquired United Sates Marine Repair,
America's largest non-nuclear ship repair, modernization, conversion and
overhaul company. The acquisition balanced and diversified United
Defense's portfolio, providing a strategic growth platform and expanding
its mission to support the U.S. Navy with superior technology and services.


United Defense has other divisions such as the Armament Systems Division
located in the communities of: Aberdeen, South Dakota; Louisville,
Kentucky; Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The point is that these plants and facilities are located everywhere.
Tanks and the new Stryker vehicle, part of a whole new light armor
program, are made by the General Dynamics Land Systems Division (
http://www.gdls.com/ ) headquartered in Michigan. They have plants in:
Scranton, Pennsylvania; Imperial, California; Lima, Ohio; Muskegon,
Michigan; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Tallahassee, Florida;
Westminister, Maryland; Woodbridge, Virginia. To begin researching what
facility may be in your community, go to the Army web site -
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/ This site lists all the major
weapons programs and the contractors for each one.

A nation wide direct action campaign against weapons manufacturers would
send a much stronger message of resistance that yet another march or
rally. We could make the connection between an obscenely bloated war
budget and the total shredding of the social fabric in a very direct
way. How many communities with a war plant are facing funding cuts in
education, health care, social services, deteriorating infrastructure, etc.?

I hope you will give serious consideration to this proposal. Please
forward this to other lists and contacts you have. For those of us in
the Bay Area, I would suggest an action following on the heels of the
mass rally scheduled for later in January.

In solidarity,

Stephen
Free Radio Berkeley (http://www.freeradio.org)

DJIA 8,607.52 +265.89 3.19 8,608.27 8,342.38 243,906,000 4:30 PM

NASDAQ 1,384.85 +49.34 3.69 1,384.91 1,336.98 n/a 5:16 PM

SP500 909.03 +29.21 3.32 909.03 882.40 n/a 5:18 PM

---------------------

This is all the news you need to know today. The rest of it is moot.

When tresspassing on federal property watch out for the signs that say "Use of deadly force authorized". Depending on what "direct action" means you may have the opportunity to be maced and arrested by nice men with machine guns. Cut their fences and carry a weapon they will shoot you or let a german shepard chew your ass. Just FYI, since most millitary bases and DOD contractors are operating as if we were at war, I would be careful.

i'd love to participate, but i have to work that day.

Billions in earnings don't exist
Pension-fund 'time bomb' is detonating on companies' profits

By DAVID EVANS
BLOOMBERG NEWS

NEW YORK -- According to its annual report released in March 2002, Verizon Communications Inc., the nation's largest local phone company, had a strong year in 2001. In the opening pages of the report, the company announced an annual profit of $389 million.

Only those investors who dug into the small print at the back of the document learned that Verizon's reported earnings included $2.7 billion in gains from its pension fund investments -- profit that didn't really exist.

The company pension fund actually lost $3.1 billion in 2001, a footnote on page 58 of the 68-page report revealed.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/102447_timebomb02.shtml

"Come on, Tomcat. This is your response to legitimate concerns about the feasibility of a general strike in the United States?"
I know I know, why bother to get out of bed in the morning, how can movements make connections if the "majority" of people just don't give a fuck. FTW.
The feasibiility of a general strike is so un attainable, but it is still a great idea. One of the best in history, I don't realistically see us stopping the war, or overturning the state-us quo, but like the deeply flawed humanity that we represent, we got to keep trying things, as off the charts as they may be.

"Everyone agrees that a general strike is an effective form of dissent -- but obviously we disagree on whether it is remotely possible or not. We just don't have the communications infrastructure or networking to pull it off. Sure, maybe some COH people wont go work at COH that day, or something like that. To me, this is a lot of investment for very little return."

What is a COH? I am the master of doing things with grand hopes and know all about what kind of return to expect from our actions. You are lucky if 100 people come out for anything with a more radical perspective than say, Peace Now. The neat thing with the GS03 idea is that it already has some diverse backers and I think most people hate work, work extra sucks when our democracy is fighting insane wars for vague reasons. "It for oil, stupid"

?If you want people to take the organizing seriously, stamping your feet and declaring that your plan is "more creative" than anything else isn't going to get anywhere. Is it??

If we never make the links with people between all this shit that is modern life in the modern world, shit is way beyond marx, and previous analysis. We are going to hell, no wait we are already there. I don't know if this is more creative, it does challenge and make some links and that is the shit that I have always been into. It is all very clear to me, how war both internal and external are tied to the exploitation of corporations and the tyranny of the state over poor people and the planet

"And I disagree that the process is a victory in itself. A victory is a victory."

I think that if you build bridges by working with people, then that is a victory. I don't see there being alot of straight forward victories in our immediate future as "radicals" or worse yet "anarchists". So you gotta do your best to represent somehow.

"I am glad that some level of strategic discussion is taking place on sf-imc (if nowhere else besides in social groupings). But organizers will have to accept and integrate criticism better. -gek ?

How do you mean, just admitting that this cannot happen, or that who is anyone to call for a general strike. I am not even an organizer on this project yet, I am definately into it.. I see organizing as a series of challenges, considering that I believe that the government doesn't really care what most people think. The best coalitions that I ever worked with were during the Gulf War 1, I still see people from those days, even if some of them have embraced wacko sub sects, but others are out there for all the right reasons.
Ah the Back in the Day, blahblah, everything was so much better then, no it wasn't but the demos did have more of an edge and people weren't so affraid of keeping up the good image with the "what?" media coverage. but I digress

I've always loved the idea of a General Strike in the US on May Day. But you know what? few people in the US have a clue about May Day. Me and lots of other anarchists (ok, and socialists/communists too) are romantic about it, but it doesn't mean much to your average shmoe.

On the other hand, more and more average shmoes are opposed to this pending war. Also, lots of progressive folks who wouldn't do a general strike "just 'cause", might well be willing to skip work to register their upset about the war. particularly if they think lots of others are doing it. Will it stop the war? Oh, Hell, will anything??? At least it's not just another fucking march with the same damn speakers.

And it's also a tactic that can grow...so maybe 10,000 people skp work the first time; others would be inspired for the next time.

Oh, and even better, general strike and marches can happen simultaneously! and if there are big "day of" marches, maybe having people with signs or speakers about the general strike would be a good way to get the word about it out.

In any case, I ain't going to work when the bombing starts.

Hi-- A general srike is not going to happen. Organizing large number of students to walk out of class of various high schools and colleges around the country on a particular date could be a positive action that is within the realm of near-term possibility.

The above groups initiatiating this call have very very minimal leverage within American unions. This isn't a put down-- this is simply a fact. Unrealistic proposals are a waste of our time and they tend to strenghten the conservative leadership within in the unions (because its easy to marginalize people who have ideas that aren't even in the ballpark of what action rank and file workers might take).
There are lots of vietnam vets and others in the unions who are anti-war. There is a lot of potential to do organizing within unions. The teamsters largest trucking union in the country in Chicago passed a resolution against the war (nearly unaminously). The anti-war sentiment is there-- lets help organize it.

I think we have to be careful about trashing ideas as - 'That isn't going to happen.' None of us are omnipotent. No one knows the outcome of these events, even the smallest ones.

People work best on the things that move them, just like children learn best from the things that they like.

And the thing is, we all know that huge change starts with small groups. Huge change doesn't just appear magically. Someone has to start doing the homework on it or it doesn't have any chance at all, much less the tiny chance it appears to have. Appearances can be deceptive.

The number of people involved in this most likely won't detract in a substantial way from other movements.

I was talking to one of the people on Telegraph who used to sell bumperstickers - is gone now - about the organizing for when bombs fall or troops go in. He started talking about the excellent street response during gulf war (with a police car getting turned over, store fronts trashed, things burned, etc.) and said 'That sort of thing just happens, you can't plan for it.'

Maybe he was right. But I don't want to wait around to find out and have it be too late when I do.

I think a Nationwide and if possible Worldwide Strike to oppose war and to oppose the Bush administration is a great idea. Perhaps student groups, unions (labor against the war), religious organizations that are already against the war and organized peace and justice groups could start talking it up all over the country via their email lists and vigils and websites and plan it way in advance like the marches on washington? Nothing seems to get the media or the Democrats attention. This would.

from the meeting?

the group decided to set the strike date for may 1rst which is a wednesday. initially, we planned for a strike in febuary not because we think it will shut down the nation initially, but to build support and get our word out that some people are actually doing this shit right now. so that is still being worked out. plz feel free to email me for future updates and for suggestions/hook-ups/comments.we've since gotten more endorsements and are networking with people across the nation. we are lookin for artists, writers, media, newspapers, high school students, college students, teachers, unions to hook up with us.anyone kno some conscious graff writers?

I think this Bush tax thing is a good tool - I was looking at an article on dc imc that lays out the numbers, and when you do something like a bullet list of what the reality of this thing is, it's shocking enough to make anyone consider *doing* something, be it not paying taxes, strike, whatever.

For example, as one democrat noted (jellyfish that they are), this has nothing to do with 'stimulating' the economy - as an example, assume you were to be given an injection to awaken you from a coma, but instead of getting it just once, you get it every day . . . . it has nothing to do with the coma anymore, or stimulating the economy, because it's permanent.

I've had a lot of people be really supportive of a one-day strike? And why not? Sure, losing a day's pay sucks, but one 1/10th of your paycheck (if you get paid once every two weeks) is really nothing when your democracy's at stake.

Getting fired? Doubtful. Maybe if you run up and say "Hey, Mr. Boss, I'm stayin' at work from your capitalist exploitation 'cause you're The MAN and I don't support Herr Bush's policies!" you just might. If you take a vacation day or call in, who's to say you didn't really get sick? Shit, man, you were in bed 'til Sunday night barfing your guts out; it sucked. But, boy, are you happy to be back ready to work again after resting up Monday.

So far, several people (including Granny D and others) have suggested the 14th. From what I gather, it's pretty much "the" day in England. The problem with the March/day-after strikes is you're right: After the bombs start falling, it won't do shit (although if they start falling before the 14th, I wouldn't go to work either).

>we are tryin ta find new ways that will effect the power
>structure more, in this case, in their pocketbooks. i
>think a lot of people want to do more than just go to
>answer rallies, and that is wat we are counting on.
>yea it is gonna take a lot of work and a lot of ppl will
>say it is impossible, but we dont really have a choice.


YES... Yes, yes, yes.

Is anybody out there? we need a strike, Now! i am new at this, and certainly new at organizing, but if you and I agree on a date (before the bombs drop - SOON!), I will strike.

Join us?

http://women4peace.org/link.htm points here. It says: Nationwide General Strike Planning Meetings, Ben Wang. His "Mission Statement" makes a good statement of values.