The general strike in Oakland may be the most important event of the year.

[European Socialist]

The Ruling Class needs to fear the 99% to get meaningful change

[justiceischeap]

1. Yet, is it getting any M$M coverage? nt

[flamingdem]

2. EIther too threatening to publicize or too local to the Bay Area maybe nt

[StandingInLeftField]

3. Not on these websites I just surveyed

Didn't make the home page of:

BBC
CNN
Los Angeles Times
New York TImes
NPR
USA Today
Faux Newz

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Which tells you how afraid they are

Oh back in the 1880s only coverage strikes got was head bashing. None, means they were that successful.

[yodermon]

4. it is the top story on news.google.com as of 2pm EDT.

http://news.google.com/
Top link is a CBS news article, although that article isn't specifically about the strike itself.
3rd link is to a reuters article which is about the strike. ( http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/02/usa-protests-oakland-idUSN1E7A10WR20111102 )

[NightWatcher]

5. Phase 2: Shut it Down

[Abin Sur]

6. Not so much. As per Reuters:

"...But despite calls by Occupy Oakland protest organizers to "shut down" the northern California city, commerce appeared to largely carry on as usual at the start of the day, with most businesses remaining open and workers going to their jobs."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/02/usa-protests-oakland-idUSN1E7A10WR20111102

[sabrina 1]

7. It's a good start to demonstrate what power the people have

if they choose to use it. As the movement grows, and it is, not just here but globally, the power of the people to shut down whole countries, will be finally, a weapon in the hands of the people.

Already, in just weeks since this began, there have been several victories that we could not achieve in ten years of signing petitions and calling our (non) Representatives and the movement is only in its infancy.

Now that the major Unions, not just here but Globally, are joining in the battle for the Middle Class and the poor, this movement can return to the people some of, if not all of, the power they lost or gave up willingly.

It's amazing how many people know about it also, considering the Corporate Media's attempts to ignore it. Yesterday one of our neighbors, an Insurance guy who was in the area to visit a client, several family members, all of whom have different political views, all said they support this movement as something is very wrong with the way this country is going. And that included an 86 yr old WW11 veteran. Across party lines and generations.

It doesn't matter anymore that the MSM doesn't cover something, in fact considering they work for Corporate America, it's best they stay away with their biased coverage. Without them, 80% of Americans know about the movement and of that number 57% so far, agree with it. They are becoming, or have become, irrelevant. On Monday, eg, CNN spent ALL DAY on the sexual exploits of an unimportant candidate for the presidency, he was never going to win. Foreign news by contrast, barely mentioned it then went on to far more important issues. They are there to distract and distort, the next boycott when the movement grows, should be of the Corporate media.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Did the kids mentioned the port is shut down?

[Zorra]

12. Move along now. Nothing to see here.

Thanks for the GS thread!
:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. You welcome. Will update per twitter.

[Modern_Matthew]

11. Not a thread for negativity. nt

[Leopolds Ghost]

14. Your Concern has been Duly Noted... again. n/t

[Cal Carpenter]

8. The success they've had with such short notice

was a pleasant surprise to me.

It is a very important start.

I hope it is a sign that something larger, more widespread, and nationwide can happen within the next year or so.

The US needs to learn from Greece (and others, and our own history, for that matter) about how to pull this off. With the lack of organized labor in this country, it will be very difficult.