HELLO! Britain is under a general strike. It's the top news story on Yahoo.

[readmoreoften]

But no comments on DU. Don't we have anything more important to talk about than personal feelings about Obama and picking "leaders" of a broken and dysfunctional state that only exists to facilitate the flow of capital to the financial sector?

Watch and learn folks. The movements in Europe, Greece, and the Middle East are getting bigger and they're not letting up. Nor are they being easily dissuaded by nonsense "legal" strategies anymore. Expect more fight backs abroad. Expect some segments of the working class in the USA to wake up too.

http://news.yahoo.com/mass-public-sector-walkout-begins-040031375.html

Sorry, but this is the real story to discuss: solidarity and workers' power.

[malaise]

1. I posted a thread early this morning

Sank like a stone

[readmoreoften]

6. There are some folks here who are interested. People in the US don't understand how protest works.

They think, you protest and then you win or lose. They don't understand the concept of how movements' build. I think part of this has to do with the ridiculous expectations of the Iraq War protests. Did people really think that imperialist states were going to just back off because of public opinion? Not likely. A strike movement, however is critical; and smaller protests are critical to building larger movements that can sustain a strike.

This is good news. This particular wave of protest has been growing since Greece in 2009/2010 and it's swelling. At a particular point, it becomes a tsunami. That's what we're looking for.

[malaise]

11. Excellent post

:fistbump:

[readmoreoften]

26. :)

:fistbump:

[Fire1]

22. If they didn't learn anything from the 60's there's really not

much you can do.

[gateley]

60. They obviously didn't, still lying us into wars. nt

[glinda]

73. Lots of liars. They all must go including many Judges on SC.

[socialist_n_TN]

36. Well I just got here read, but I appreciate the OP

And you're right. People in this country don't understand building a movement through protest and strikes. It's all part of the "I want it now" mindset. Even my best friend, a traditional liberal, said after the demonstrations back in Feb/Mar that, "It didn't work. They passed the laws, so we lost." I tried to convince him that this was only a temporary setback IF WE CONTINUED TO FIGHT.

"At a particular point, it becomes a tsunami." THAT is the key phrase. As more and more people become affected by "austerity" measures and their standard of living goes down, they become more and more radicalized. At that particular point, there's a quantum leap in class consciousness AND participation. When that happens, strikes are the next step, then those strikes build to limited duration general strikes, which eventually build to indefinite general strikes. When the point of an indefinite general strike, THAT'S when you're in a revolutionary situation.

[readmoreoften]

48. It's not just an "I want it now" attitude, it's reinforced through positivist academics.

Everything from US philosophy departments to poli sci to biology basically operates against systemic and dialectical approaches. Things "are what they are" and don't change dynamically within a system over time. So what you get is WE WON or WE LOST or IT WORKED or THAT DOESN'T WORK to THE POLLS WENT UP--GOOD to THE POLLS WENT DOWN--bad.

It also speaks to why people expect change to happen in an apocalyptic event rather than in a process. Also why people expect heroes. Also why people are desperate to understand "the true nature" of Obama's "inner self." Also why people proclaim political allegiances to what sounds good rather than what they experience or, god forbid, getting involved in a process.

Good comment though! And, yes, we are nowhere near a revolutionary situation. But we're way closer than in 2004.

[glinda]

75. Will be a bloodbath I predict. The reason is that they have put into place the

concept of "divide up part of the people against the other half of the people". This polarizes us and makes the stakes higher should we decide to revolt.

[socialist_n_TN]

82. I think that your last comment is something that we all

can all agree with. DEFINITELY closer now than it was in '04. That's mostly because the capitialistic power structure are now confident enough now to dispense with most of the pretense. And that dispensation of pretense is causing a reaction. Enough of a reaction? Not yet, but at least there IS a reaction.

A lot of what you talk about in your first paragraph is part and parcel of the propaganda aspect of the current systemic power stucture. Things "are what they are" because nobody will ALLOW anything other than "what they are" to even be discussed. Even on this left leaning bourgeoisie web site, you still see a majority of people who won't even CONSIDER alternatives. BUT that majority IS shrinking as other alternatives are discussed. So the propaganda aspect of the dictatorship of capital is breaking down as well.

Our job right now, in this place, at this time is education, organization, and agitation. Let people know that there IS that alternative and that there IS a plan, or at least an outline of a plan, for a better future. But it won't come without struggle and organization.

[MedicalAdmin]

132. The same kind of thinking infests USA medicine and research.

It's a byproduct of reductionist thinking, which, while helpful in research and some treatments, also has limitations that are all too often ignored. In medicine this use of reductionist thought is enforced and reinforced by both insurance and pharma corporations. It provides them with plausible deniability.

[socialist_n_TN]

158. Another thing that people don't understand about

the dictatorship of capital is that EVERY ONE OF THE LEVERS OF POWER ARE SET UP TO BENEFIT THE OWNERS. Laws, legislatures and legislators, locally, regionally, and nationally, judges, even the vaunted electoral system, ALL of them are set up to benefit the few over the many. The absolute BEST you can do in system, is to ameloriate some of the more gross exploitations by electing or appointing "kinder, gentler" capitalists. But they're STILL capitalists.

The SYSTEM is set up to resist change and to benefit the wealthy few. That's why we need a new SYSTEM, not just tinkering around the edges.

[jwirr]

80. "It didn't work - they passed the laws" I agree with you on this. They

used every trick in the book to win and all it is doing is waking more and more people up. We are in a very revealing time - they are revealing themselves for what they really are - corporatists who want to turn this country into a slave market for the rich.

But we are waking up. Egypt reminded us how it is done. England students and the Greeks have stood up for their rights. And then came Wisconsin. Those teachers taught us another expressly American lesson. We are not be winning in the beginning but we are growing. Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. And Minnesota is rising (got an invitation from the AFL to join them at the capital to protest the shutting down of the government.)

In each incident we grow stronger, we may lose some but in losing they expose themselves to more and more people. And we grow.

We have many weapons we can use including the vote, demonstrations,the internet, our news media - the ones who are on our side and are showing what the rest of the world is doing. All of this is heading toward that day when either the corporatists relent or we make them relent.

[socialist_n_TN]

85. Can't disagree with anything you said here............

But I would go further. Yes we are growing and yes the capitalists are exposing their agenda more and more which is causing the growth of the resistance and reaction. And yes we need to use all of our weapons as you said.

At some point though, we're going to have to use the ultimate weapon that the working class has. They can control the vote, they can ignore demonstrations, they can ignore the internet and our media (such as it is). What they CAN'T ignore is when we withhold our labor indefinitely and start costing them serious money.

There's one other thing that we have in this modern day that the working class hasn't had so much of in the past. A LOT of our consumer oriented economy is based on credit, INCLUDING credit extended to the working class. If it gets to the point of a general strike, we might as well withhold our repayment of debt too.

Between withholding labor and withholding repayment of debt, they WILL be forced to pay attention.

It's not to that point yet, of course. But who knows what tomorrow will bring? I believe that they won't back off UNTIL we get to this point. They'll continue to push until we have no other choice.

[jwirr]

88. Agreed. We just need to keep the movement going.

[Odin2005]

140. I think a negative effect of the 60s has been that...

...it has caused protests to become events where you scream to the government to do something for you rather than threatening to overthrow it.

[leftstreet]

43. +1

Excellent description

[Brigid]

57. We need to start our own here.

But it won't happen until enough working people finally get disabused of the notion that, in Steinbeck's words, they are just "temporarily embarrassed millionaires."

[joshcryer]

61. Dear readmoreoften, Greece has been in constant turmoil for almost five years.

Strikes are http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_strikes">not the solution. We've been doing them for a really really long time and they've had very little effect.

[readmoreoften]

70. Dear Josh, I know, I know. Military intervention is the solution.

Obviously strikes have not overthrown capitalism because we still have capitalism. Obviously they are not "the" solution. They are a step.

Really? Strikes have had very little effect? Well the lack of strikes have more of an effect.

Strikes are not a revolution. Workers learn their potential and they learn how to self-organize through strikes. Strikes are good practice.

[socialist_n_TN]

87. Well in addition, the Greeks (nor anybody else)

have gone all in with strikes either. What the Greeks have done is used srikes as another means of demonstration. They haven't planned and used the strikes as a tool to actually HURT the capitalist economic structure. The strikes used, so far, have merely been a means to express displeasure. When people get to the point that they want to HURT the power structure, THEN we'll see more prolonged and effective strikes.

[joshcryer]

111. Yeah, but then you have the problem of an authoritarian structure being in place of the corporate...

...hegemony. (That's why I'm an anarchist and not a filthy Trot. ;) )

What I'm saying is that you're being overly optimistic here and that ultimately it's not going to achieve much. I've seen thread after thread telling me that it's all coming to a head, but I've been hearing that for a long time now, and it's not happening.

Just some advice since you appear to be new to this.

[inna]

97. LOL! Very anarchist of you! How'bout some "humanitarian intervention", perhaps!!!11111

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[joshcryer]

110. That would be ideal. If there existed such a force it would be nice to intervene.

Particularly as it relates to capturing, charging, and jailing the bankers and rich in Greece. Would you not agree that the street protesters lack such capacity and therefore are unable to help themselves? Yet the anarchist greeks would call on their brethren to help, I am sure of it. Just as they did in Spain where the Cuban anarchists went to help.

[inna]

114. .

:spray:

Pure comic genius, Josh (on the dry/darkish, side, too, just the way "we" like it!! :rofl: )


:thumbsup:

[joshcryer]

116. I assume you're ignorant of the history of the Spanish Civil War and Catalonia.

Orwell did a nice peace called "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homage_to_Catalonia">Homage to Catalonia" which you may be interested in.

Otherwise your mockery makes little sense and is only an embarrassment.

Anarchists did at one point, when they were a significant force and not killed by fascists and authoritarian leftists, help other anarchists fight against fascists and other authoritarians.

"Just imagine how odious it must be to see a young 15-year old Spaniard brought back from the front lines on a stretcher, to see, poking out from under the blanket an anemic, bewildered face and to think that in London and Paris there are gentlemen dressed to the nines, blithely engaged in writing pamphlets to show this little lad is a covert fascist."

Reminds me of another conflict.

[inna]

119. make assumptions regarding your own ignorance. the fucking nerve.

[joshcryer]

120. It's the kind position.

The unkind position would be to assume otherwise.

[inna]

122. oh, please assume "the unkind position", just to show us peons, for a change.

:crazy:


Things you spout sometimes, Josh, are fucking insulting to intelligence - and I am being kind.

[joshcryer]

124. Nah, would do a disservice to myself.

I know a lot of people are new to the tactics that are employed by propagandists and are easily swayed, so I give them the benefit of the doubt.

As is said, "never attribute to malice that which can most easily be explained by stupidity."

[inna]

123. unbelievably creepy fucking comment.

:nuke:

[defendandprotect]

99. What then will work -- ? And "Hi" --

Is anyone covering this -- didn't see it on BBC -- but was distracted --

Tuned into Olbermann tonight and wasn't too thrilled with that --

why do liberals keep covering the right wing?


And, certainly, I'm very poorly informed on Greece and maybe someone could

try to get up something with info to give us more background? NOT a lot ...

just something? I've been going to try to do a bit of a search on it but never

got to it.

Meanwhile, didn't this also happen to Greece with an attack on their democracy

way back in 60's or 70's?

Embarrassing, but honestly it's where I am on this -- !!


PS: Also please see this post lower down by me --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1393010&mesg_id=1395705

[joshcryer]

112. I am completely behind any sort of direct action. I was merely trying to insert some cynicism.

Revolution comes at a heavy price, I've spent 10 years being both a part of and at the sidelines of these actions, and I've come to the conclusion for myself that when they're working a forum thread is the last place it's going to be shown. It'll be all over the news, the MSM will be shitting itself.

Greece passed the austerity measures.

[defendandprotect]

164. Think I understand you ....

and elites seem to be making clear that they are willing to be as violent as they

can be -- everywhere!

Our founders had it easy, one could say ... !!

No nukes, none of the stuff Gaddafi has -- no planes/no drones -- no agent orange.

Violence wins as far as I can see --

Thank for the reply -- sad though it all is -- :(

[Ken Burch]

118. No, they're not the solution, but they do play a major role in building resistance

What we need to be building that culture of resistance, followed by a culture of defiance, followed by a culture of victory.

[chervilant]

91. Indeed!

And, we can achieve the same level of dissent here, in Freedom Plaza this October. Please pledge to be there, and to stay until we wrest our country away from the Corporate Megalomaniacs who've usurped our media, our politics, and our global economy.

[tavalon]

134. This is excellent!

Our labor movement is neutered. I'm in a union but it's not a strong union.

[spooked911]

136. I agree

I just wonder what it will take for mass protests to start here

[mistertrickster]

144. Great post. Street protest is just the start . . . nt

[BobbyBoring]

157. That's what we're looking for

But I doubt we'll find it. Americans have become some of the most apathetic people on earth. Case in point, look at the obesity epidemic. If people don't care about themselves or their families, it's impossible for them to care about larger causes like their country.

[gateley]

59. Missed that, and didn't see/hear anything about it on the

news this morning, although I wasn't watching for the entire show, nor on the radio while I was in the car.

Maybe they don't want to give us any ideas. Freedom of the Press. :eyes:

[EFerrari]

2. I've been trying to follow Greece and Egyt but totally missed this. TY!

[readmoreoften]

7. There's a lot to follow these days! Thankfully!

:hi:

[EFerrari]

121. If you haven't had a chance to see the Personal Democracy Forum

speeches this year, I highly recommend them and especially Alaa Abd El Fattah's segment. I've been following him and his sister and some of their friends and colleagues since January. They are wonderful, disciplined activists and very able presenters.

Here's the link to the whole archive for 2011:

http://personaldemocracy.com/video?utm_source=Livestream+Registrations&utm_campaign=6dfe2aece2-Conference_Email-6_29_2010&utm_medium=email#2011

[defendandprotect]

100. May be some advantage in all of this going on at one time -- for the masses?

[meegbear]

3. The "Oh My GAWD! He called the president a dick!" was cloggnig the news

[readmoreoften]

9. Petty gossip.

And there's not much dumber than FIGHTING about petty gossip. I called GWB a dick all the time. Yes, the opposition hates us. That's why they're THE OPPOSITION. Get over it and fight back.

[Occulus]

24. Did you ever wonder if that's intentional? n/t

[readmoreoften]

27. I guarantee it.

[valerief]

33. It absolutely is. nt

[fascisthunter]

54. I think so too

[gateley]

62. Me, too. nt

[Junkdrawer]

4. If it's not being discussed by Morning Joe or Michele Bachmann....

it's not important to DU. That's one of the reasons I don't hang here much anymore.

[tekisui]

5. knr!

[Eyerish]

8. K&R

[leveymg]

10. KNR. Only a matter of time. Tick. Tick. Tick . . .

[MineralMan]

12. Well, we're all too busy watching Morning Jerk and

reading blogs to notice stuff like this. I mean...what do you want from us? You expect us to read the news, for pete's sake? :rofl:

[readmoreoften]

50. Focus, people! Focus!

[inna]

113. just curious - who do you think you speak on behalf of as "we/us"?

"us DUers?" "us democrats?" "us, the american people?" - and no, you do NOT speak for any of those groups.
please speak for yourself only.

[MineralMan]

137. Uh, my wife and I are an us.

Have a very nice day, and read my signature line for further edification, if you wish.

[October]

13. Thanks for posting! K&R /nt

[lob1]

14. I haven't seen this on the news and this is the first I've

heard about it. Thanks for the info.

K&R.

[malaise]

18. Lots here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jun/30/biggest-school-strikes-1980s-doubts-pension-reforms

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk/

[lob1]

23. Hey, malaise. Thanks for the links.

[LongTomH]

163. Thanks Malaise. I want to call attention to the link to the other stories on Guardian UK

Online fury at spineless Ed Miliband over failure to back strikes. We need to direct that sort of fury at the Conservadems and the generally spineless Democratic members of Congress.

Trade unions and anti-cuts campaigners plan summer of protest.

There's a lot more on the sidebar to the right. Need to bookmark for later reading.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. THanks did not know this

not that the MSM reporting on this is to be expected. I mean we might get ideas and shit

[readmoreoften]

29. Good god, cable news must be a gossip channel.

It's unreal what doesn't get reported on cable.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Why I get to compare now

MSNBC... Current and RT

:-)

[readmoreoften]

31. People's take on RT is insane. All media outlets are slanted by nature.

However, RT actually reports world events that are ignored by other outlets. How is omitting news events NOT slanted?

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. Yep, and I must say fukushima through RT's eyes has been a hoot

to watch... let's just say there is this thing called Chernobyl... and now they are not the ones in the middle of that.

[originalpckelly]

16. Thanks for real news, and not a shiny object of the day.

[Arctic Dave]

17. Solidarity!

Is this getting any cable coverage?

[readmoreoften]

25. From what I'm reading on this thread, it must not be.

[glinda]

76. No. Don't give the public any info that people are pissed everywhere.

[defendandprotect]

107. +1 -- Keep on telling' it -- !!

Posted this lower on the thread -- what do you think?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1393010&mesg_id=1395705

[glinda]

166. I responded on that thread.

[girl gone mad]

19. k & r

[patrick t. cakes]

20. beautiful

big knr!

[SnakeEyes]

92. Mass murderers are awesome

I really wish people on the left would stop making us look bad with the Che worship.

[Starry Messenger]

21. k&r

[Fuddnik]

28. Keep that quiet. Don't want to give the proles any ideas!

[valerief]

32. Impressive. Thanks! nt

[postulater]

34. F n A!

That's how to do it!

[Rex]

35. YEP! You would think the M$M would be all over this story!

Oh wait...it goes against their paymasters wishes...nm. In America we have a news organization (M$M) that gets paid to keep the general population docile and stupid...and entertained. Within that is the TRUE danger...make your people stupid and fearful and watch them eventually go apeshit.

[TheKentuckian]

37. You are right as rain.

[glinda]

77. I love that saying.

[socialist_n_TN]

38. This one is just a limited one day thing I think.........

Just to show people it CAN be done and HOW to do it. But the lady in the last paragraph had it. Something like, this is the same as in Greece, we're just more polite. As it builds in reaction to the capitalist overreach, it will get LESS polite.

My little Marxist/Trotskyist group was all over this. The group is bigger in England anyway. They pretty much devoted the entire last issue of the newsletter (most of it anyway) to the plans for the strike and how to set it up for follow up. We're not giving up. Neither should anybody else.

[readmoreoften]

47. It is limited to one day. You have to begin somewhere and it took a lot to get us here..

We need to think about it dialectically instead of in a positivist sense. One protest, one multisector strike--not even one general strike--will change a country. Agreed: England's austerity measures are far less severe than Greece's and I imagine that when they get as bad as Greece they will also be impolite. I'm curious to what group you're with (PM me!). The major left organizer (outside unions) of this protest was the Socialist Worker Party (hence all the signs in the AP) They are related to a particular US tendency that I am, let's say, well acquainted with...

Good to know there are socialist organizers in TN. In Texas, my organization has 6 chapters in 5 cities and there are 4 other minor "competing" Marxist tendencies that we sometimes work with (...and some we stay clear of.) I'm not sure we have any groups in TN.

[socialist_n_TN]

89. I will send you a PM

:) And yes, I'm pretty familiar with the SWP also. :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

39. Just to be accurate, it's not a *general* strike, it's a huge public sector strike

Not the whole public sector, but those areas in which the Tory-Lib Dem coalition is trying to change the funding and qualification lengths of pensions (as the article notes). So it's about a specific problem.

[socialist_n_TN]

40. Thanks for the clarification.

Maybe the general strike will come about later in the year.

[readmoreoften]

45. True enough. But it is a cross-sector strike and others are wildcatting.

A mass political strike. Which is a huge advance.

[muriel_volestrangler]

49. I'm not aware of any wildcat strikes

though I'd be interested to hear of any that did happen.

And the strike is only 'political' in the sense that it's a result of a government proposal. It's about a specific area of their employment conditions; if any private employer tried to change a pension scheme in the same way, you could have a similar strike.

[readmoreoften]

51. It's not a strike BASED on specific demands and it is definitely political in that it is criticizing

public officials. This is different than a simple demand for better pay or a specific contract for a specific job title. It's a response to a particular cut, but it is not only a response to that cut. That cut is simply a tipping point. There are groups against the war, socialist groups, and demands for transforming the education system in the streets en masse. This is a broad protest against austerity in general. That's political. There are less signs for specific political demands than there are general political demands. There are wildcat strikes happening in smaller locations, I'm going to find out the details over the weekend and I'll let you know.

The results would not be similar under a private employer unless the employer was extremely large (and not even then). In the US most large private employees are under competing union contracts depending on their position within the company: security will be under a different contract than administrative staff, who will be under a different union contract than the mailroom, etc. I've worked in places where they are in different locals entirely.

The fact that this is a public sector strike does give it potential to be more powerful than a small strike of corporate employees. In the US, though, the propaganda against state workers has created a public v private aggression that makes organizing more difficult. (But there was the WI protests...) There are plusses and minuses to public sector strikes.

That being said putting this on par with, say, a simple bus drivers' strike, or UPS strike or even the MTA strike in Manhattan in 2006 makes no sense. Those don't make the top of Yahoo news. Ever.

[muriel_volestrangler]

55. I'm not sure where you're getting most of your post from

Yes, it is based on the demand to keep, broadly, the existing pension conditions. That's pretty specific - and simple.

As for most of your claims - let's look at a pretty comprehensive list of what happened today, from The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2011/jun/30/public-sector-strikes-live-blog?intcmp=239

"groups against the war" - no, I've neither heard nor read anything about that; link, please

"socialist groups", OK, so what? This is not entirely surprising. Socialist groups will normally support strikes. It's a matter of principle for them. For that matter, there are a few teachers from private schools on strike too, since they're still members of the government pension scheme.

"demands for transforming the education system" again, link, please

"This is a broad protest against austerity in general" - are you sure you're talking about the UK? Not another country?

"I'm going to find out the details over the weekend and I'll let you know. " If you found out about them today, why can't you tell us today?

I don't say the result of this is the same as a strike against a typical private employer; but the principle of the strike is. The workers have a dispute with the employers over their employment terms, and since the employers aren't negotiating in good faith, they've called a strike.

I'm not "putting this on par with, say, a simple bus drivers' strike, or UPS strike or even the MTA strike in Manhattan in 2006". I called it "a huge public sector strike". But it's not a general strike, and I don't think it involves wildcat strikes either. It involves a specific dispute, and planned (and voted-on) strikes. I have not heard of any threats to take the unions to court over today - and after Thatcher's anti-union laws, that's normally the reaction of any employer that thinks it can find a rule about official strikes that hasn't been followed to the letter.

[joshcryer]

58. Heh, not even as big as the 2004 or 2007 strikes.

As I said to the local state socialists, don't get your hopes up. This is more of the same. It won't lead to much.

[readmoreoften]

68. Stop thread stalking me.

You don't know what "state socialism" even means. Hell, you don't even know what anarchism means. I'm not sure you know what any words mean So just go back to supporting US military intervention Mr. "Against the State" and stop trolling.

It's telling that you find more hope in US imperialist intervention than in growing protests against austerity around the world.

[joshcryer]

108. No, I'm cynical. I've heard this before. It's bullshit and won't happen.

And fyi, I wasn't aware that I couldn't respond to overly bright eye'd optimism like this "general strike" nonsense.

Many anarchists are against compulsory learning, btw. Check out some http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history1.htm">Gatto. They'd be in solidarity with these strikers but the ultimate outcome is that their position in our global anti-capitalist society would be moot. They exist to train people to not question authority and be good worker bee consumers. It has worked out fantastically. So just like in 2008 they'll get what they wanted and it'll be forgotten.

[socialist_n_TN]

159. Yep. Nothing works...............

:sarcasm: Until one time it does. And everything before is seen as leading up to it.

Of course, I wouldn't expect anarchists to understand that. They couldn't organize revolution to (literally) save their lives. And if it DID accidentally happen, they couldn't defend that revolution from the capitalist counterrevolution.

[readmoreoften]

67. Answers

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/0IpybAI26E.fjXbyP_3sdQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00NjU7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/

You know what, as someone who was on strike for a year, I think I know what a strike is. But thanks for the "education"

(1) As I posted before, you are correct. It is not a general strike (that is what yahoo said in its first article) and I misspoke. There are only calls for a general strike from the crowd. However, this is more than one section of the public sector walking out:
http://news.yahoo.com/mass-public-sector-walkout-begins-040031375.html;_ylt=AktYzjpQjxZKyD.A7rJ8pBWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTM5ZWZkOTlzBHBrZwM2ZGY5YzlhZS1iOTlmLTMyMjEtYjFhYy1mYTZiMGM2MzFlZjQEcG9zAzIEc2VjA01lZGlhVG9wU3RvcnkEdmVyAzk5OTAwYzg0LWEzNDctMTFlMC04YWVmLWU3YmZhMzMwYzc1Nw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

A third of English schools were closed and another third were affected, officials said, as up to 350,000 teachers, lecturers and education staff took action against plans to make them work longer and pay more into their pensions.
Tax offices, museums and job centres were also brought to a standstill as a further 100,000 civil servants walked out/ on the first nationwide day of strike action since the coalition government took office last year.
However, airport operator BAA said feared delays at London Heathrow because of a walkout by immigration and customs staff failed to materialise, and ministers said only half the civil servants who could have downed tools actually did so.

(2) Socialist groups like the SWP do not put out massive mobilizations for every strike. And they are often not welcome on the picket lines of small strikes.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/sExfjFU_aGY2AFJ_UjVcMA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MjU3NDtjcj0xO2N3PTM3MTM7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTQzNztxPTg1O3c9NjMw/
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DtyWkLMLNlaNyZH_GgJNJA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0yODg7cT04NTt3PTUxMg--/
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/britain-pension-strikes-1309442320-slideshow/public-sector-workers-part-national-20110630-081814-263.html#
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RHXJNh5nECvVlxyiA0lzyQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MjA7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/britain-pension-strikes-1309442320-slideshow/thousands-public-sector-workers-teachers-march-central-london-photo-133841109.html
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/W1T6.nOnsOLYw.478Ej42w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD02MzA7cT04NTt3PTM4Ng--/
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ePlRvH3pcovH6EQ5fCY0JQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MjA7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/BpfeOI52YqgZmoKHdOlvMg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MjE7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/SGmW5Av4GI4iuUwGqLQ_bQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MjE7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/


Not to mention anarchists present at the strike. Also not usual for non-political strikes.
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qRScC5TTETglAqmMNMrqSw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00Mjk7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/


(3)
"This is a broad protest against austerity in general. link please."

Okay.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/KMPMCrZ_ZxXo3HrOyLt3rQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zMTA7cT04NTt3PTUxMg--/
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/zFwF8_ZSupTQkVQc4ireLw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MjA7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/britain-pension-strikes-1309442320-slideshow/five-unions-called-600-000-members-response-proposed-photo-095230641.html;_ylt=AoJUwsb.j2CQhSZfHqcuYGhfaP0E;_ylu=X3oDMTNyN21tMW9hBHBrZwM4M2MyNzUzYy1lOTZkLTNlYTItYThiYy1iZTgzNTA4YTU1YjEEcG9zAzU3BHNlYwNNZWRpYUNhcm91c2VsUGhvdG9HYWxsZXJ5Q0FYSFIEdmVyA2JkYzhiZmEwLWEzMGMtMTFlMC1hMTc1LTYzMzM3NjhiNjg2MQ--;_ylv=3#
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/UC2W1u4pI8wScCKLhwcpeA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MTY7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/

(4) Anti-war protestors

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/OoOLfIfO6T3mxObe18sxDg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MjA7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/fLi8XiKAe6LyuSP.xVkiMQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD02MzA7cT04NTt3PTM5OQ--/


(5) OOO a two-for-one! Socialists and Anti-war protestors

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/pmufqhQlK9iU2e.ZT5LMIg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MDg7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/


I'll tell you over the weekend because I'm not getting my information from the interwebs. I'm talking to people on the ground and I will see these people at a conference over the weekend. I heard about wildcatting in the UK today but I have no hard confirmation, just rumors. Whether this is true or not, I'll be sure to let you know.

:hi:

[muriel_volestrangler]

130. Yes, Socialist Worker does mobilise for pretty much every strike and march they can get on

It is their main activity. That's what they are known for.

And a couple of protesters giving a peace sign when arrested is not 'protests against the war'. The 'Cut War Not Welfare' placard is from the Stop The War Coalition - of which Socialist Worker is a major part. You're looking at Socialist Worker organising (note he's carrying several). Yes, they're not always welcome at small protests - because they are trying to take them over and turn them to their own agenda. Which is basically what your photos with the Socialist Worker signs in are showing.

[jwirr]

81. If the MN protest goes anywhere it will be three dimensional: unions,

providers and clients. Not to mention families of people effected. I am eager to learn what is going on down in St. Paul.

[defendandprotect]

104. Thank you -- did notice, however, that protesters aren't being treated like 'terrorists" ... and

their police still look more or less like public servants --

vs ours who look and act like Gestapo -- !!

[a2liberal]

150. Wait, what?

What do you call the photo of the police carrying away a protestor?

[Boudica the Lyoness]

168. Carefully carrying away

Not dragging..shooting with rubber bullets or real ones...not spraying mace in the face...not beating with batons...not handcuffing..not banging shields to intimated...not hurling tear gas bombs...not using water cannons..not letting dogs rip up their flesh.

America hates Americans.

[arikara]

41. Yes, they keep trying to tamp down the protests and news of in Greece

because they say it could "infect" other countries.

[StarsInHerHair]

65. & notice how that trash Cameron says the austerity changes are 'inevitable'

a little mind game, right there

[readmoreoften]

71. They all say that. It's accumulation through dispossession by the capitalist class.

Schools, parks, public services?! Can't afford 'em! (We'll take over through privatizing them and busting your unions...)

[StarsInHerHair]

84. the GOP & 'New Dems" say the same things here

[socialist_n_TN]

90. They're all doing it. Remember Cantor saying not long ago

how social security and Medicare won't be there for people his age? Those types of pronouncements are part of the "inevitability" propaganda.

[defendandprotect]

105. We should be doing something in "Solidarity" -- where are our unions to call for that?

Lights out for an hour in the evenings --

showing our own unity --

Pulling our cars off the roads for 15-20 minutes at a time during the day --

showing that we are uniting and of one mind -- anti-elite! Pro-labor!

Calling for nationalizing our oil and other natural resources --

which shouldn't be in the hands of private interests for profit!


One of the most powerful responses, imo, would be to turn off the TVs for days

at a time -- it's all a right wing propaganda juke box --

put the TVs in the closet --

but truly turning them off -- totally -- for a day or two would have an impact --

Try a week -- and see what the impact would be!!


Lots of these things to be done that don't bring us out into the street but which

begin to show us that we can unite and what it feels like to fight back!


:)

[glinda]

165. On the right track but must be bigger. You realize that if it doesn't affect them directly they

do not care.
But there needs to be something big all at once.

Personally, I think surrounding them by thousands of people and hauling their asses into "public designated prisons" and appointing a judge would work. Put them on trial.

It has to be public and be seen across the world with no confusion about who is responsible.

Actually a huge bunch of full page newspaper ads calling out names might work as well as the corporations and products and politicians they fund. Still they won't care.

See... we have to start treating them as they are. They DO NOT CARE. Enough nice already.

[defendandprotect]

167. Agree -- however, the uniting of the public has to come first --

[leftstreet]

44. K&R

[JackRiddler]

46. No wieners? No dicks? No stiffies?

[rhett o rick]

52. r & k

[fascisthunter]

53. corporate censorship of the News.... our media is Pravda

[Shagbark Hickory]

56. One of the top stories on the tv channels I watch.

...

[louslobbs]

63. Thank you for this post, this is what is important, not who called who a dick as a distraction as

this nation is terrorized and fleeced by the Republicons, their corporate masters and the corporate owned propaganda "news" media. Focusing on these important issues and taking a stand for what is right and fair for everyone will be the only way to stop the mad march of the right sadly, with enabling from the Democrats and the masses who seem to be sleeping, playing video games and watching TV. Let's wake up, all of us please!
Lou

[BiggJawn]

83. But... But... But...

I *CAN'T* go protest right now!
"American Survivor's got Talent", starring Snooki Kardashian is on!

[louslobbs]

170. lol.....I think that covers it.

lou

[TBF]

64. I posted on Greece yesterday, and did catch this on the web -

but have been out of the house a lot today. Thanks for making this a priority. I hope Americans are watching - we should be next.

[Terry in Austin]

66. Pension BS

>> warning this week that the pension system is "in danger of going broke" faced with an ageing population.

Ignorant at best, mendacious at worst.

Pensions are an annuity, which is basically an insurance product: the actuarial types have it figured where they can bet that you will die before they've paid out more than you and your employer paid in.

So the reactionary policy types wring their hands and make it sound like they're shelling out from the till to pay pensioners, when in fact it's just plain old insurance, and that ain't rocket science. They already know how to factor in changes in population size and life expectancies.

Never heard of anybody going broke selling life insurance, for instance --it would makejust about as much sense for these pols to claim as much. But then it would be that much easier to spot them for the lying weasels they are...

[readmoreoften]

69. Yes. The pensions are "going broke" because they're stealing from the funds in the US.

You're right. Why would they suddenly "go broke"?

[emsimon33]

72. Before cutting social programs, etc.

tax the wealthy and corporations and in the US...the government must pay back what it "borrowed" from SS and Medicare...and in the US...implement a national healthcare plan without the intervention of insurance companies and with a tight reign on big pharma!

Will we need another French-style revolution against the greedy wealthy (nearly $100 million in David Tepper's checking account????? and he tears down a $34+ million home to build an even bigger monstrosity?????) before they get the message????????

[glinda]

78. Yes. When are we all going to learn that maybe it is time to quit being nice. We are all being

screwed and stolen from and left to be eaten by a wild pack of dogs.

[bertman]

74. Rec and kick. nt

[RainDog]

79. k&r n/t

[AnnieBW]

86. What would it take for U.S. Government Employees to do the same thing?

Cancelling "America's Got Talent", I suppose.

[SnakeEyes]

94. The willingness to get fired

It's illegal for federal employees to strike. Remember the ATCs during the 80s that Reagan fired?

[gtar100]

93. Yes!!!

[SnakeEyes]

95. General strikes can piss off the rest of the people

affected by it and they turn against you. Hope this doesn't turn out like the 80s, they do have a Tory in office again.

[defendandprotect]

96. Agree -- that we are all LABOR is the real story ... aside from Global Warming

also created by those who are saying this is "fair and equitable" treatment

in UK --

The elites are a danger to all of us -- why does it take so long to recognize that?


All that does harm to labor is Treason -- Abe Lincoln

[JVS]

98. Oh shit!

I hope the pub doesn't close.

[AtheistCrusader]

101. Where's Britian?

[defendandprotect]

102. While here in US, OBAMA -- not W -- OBAMA ended COLA's for senior citizens ....

which merely kept them up with inflation and kept Social Security from being

a poverty wage -- and not even a loud sigh from senior citizens?

Imagine our senior citizens aren't united to protect Social Security and Medicare --

except thru AARP which is an insurance agency?

Do they think that AARP is going to protect them? Fight for them?

I don't get it?? -- !!


Also see ....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1393010&mesg_id=1395705

[Recursion]

152. Why do you keep spreading that lie?

COLAs are determined by formula, period.

[suffragette]

103. K&R

[Divine Discontent]

106. kick for the truth! LABOR LABOR LABOR!!!

[inna]

109. was in the process of reading this - just before i saw your post:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jul2011/ukst-j01.shtml

[inna]

115. as good analysis as any.... and in fact, better

[Ken Burch]

117. It's a mass public sector workers strike, not a general strike

In a general strike, at a minimum every unionized worker in the UK would be out.

It is a huge event, though, and you're right that we should be hearing and talking much more about it.

[Raksha]

125. K & R

[DFW]

126. If anybody can still find it, EVERYBODY ought to see the film "Ådalen '31"

It's about the small workers' uprising (tame by comparison until Reagan-style repressive over-reaction by the government)
in Sweden in the small town of Ådalen in 1931.

A general strike ensued, and the right was out of power in Sweden for 40+ years straight.

But one of the best lines is when one of the younger workers is crowing about the general strike that ensued.
A boy whose father was shot dead by the soldiers sent to put down the demonstration said, "man måste läsa också."

i.e., "you have to learn from it, too."

Oh, that, and it's one of the most beautiful films I ever saw.

[14thColony]

127. My ex walked out along with the rest of her teachers union

It was her union's first national strike since it was formed in 1884. I think that alone is a pretty big deal.

Bad side: I hear all the same crap in the media here as back in the U.S., where they interview "average folks" on the streets who uniformly talk about how the teachers and public sector workers have it too good, and they should be suffering just like everyone else. It's always "they should be brought down" and never "why can't we be brought up?"

So far I've yet to hear an interview with a guy on the street where they say "hell yes I support 'em, and not only that, we should all be doing this." I'm guessing those clips are being edited out. Pretty blatant divide-and-conquer/turn the masses against each other kind of stuff.

[Citizen Worker]

128. The worker movement in Wisconsin has been co-opted by the democratic party.

[kornovol]

129. this is

leading to a global revolution. I hope for the better

[socialist_n_TN]

146. As long as the capitalists continue to overreach

you are correct sir or ma'am. And my opinion is that WILL continue to overreach. It's the nature of the system. Welcome to DU.

[TrollBuster9090]

131. More importantly, they'd like us to believe that if we raise taxes on the wealthy by

so much as a penny, that's where all the corporations and plutocrats will relocate to. *eyes*

Thanks for posting this.

[Hubert Flottz]

133. Good...Make Tony pay for the wars he and Bush instigated.

[amyrose2712]

135. +++

[Odin2005]

138. Go Brits!!!

[Yon_Yonson]

139. IT'S HIGH TIME WISCONSIN FOLLOW SUIT ... SHUTE EH DOWN

I really beleive that the a general strike in Wisconsin is the only way to get anybody in this fucking government to pay attention. Hit them where it hurts the most ... in their pocketbook and make them bleed greenbacks!

[socialist_n_TN]

147. The poster you have in your post is true

Sometimes I wonder if enough people understand the concept. It's NOT about how many people you will piss off that won't vote next time. A general strike is a MILITANT challenge to the SYSTEM itself. NOBODY WORKS! Even the people who WANT to scab are prevented from doing so.

[Yon_Yonson]

151. This state this country needs to show some fortitude

.... develop some gonads for petes sake! We know that the problem is so stand up to those greedy fucks and say NO MORE!

[AllyCat]

141. And this is how it's done. We are trying the legal channels here in WI

but I still think the corporate PTB that run our state will find a way to stop the people from winning their state back. I fear this is next, but we need to do whatever it takes.

[socialist_n_TN]

160. And thanks to Waukesha County if that's not proven

it's a STRONG indication that what you said is true. People need to understand that the SYSTEM, ALL of it including electoral politics, is set up to benefit the enemies of the people. That's why elections can only lead to half measures at BEST.

[neoralme]

142. Yes, it is. It's inspirational when you see people take to the streets

ready to fight. They mean serious business. Contrast that with the upcoming event in Washington DC in October, where the organizers have said "we must remain peaceful--no matter what". Yeah, right. Not interested. With cops beating up people in wheelchairs, congressdorks cutting Medicare, and Obama playing lead actor in Kabuki Today, the American demonstrators are going to sings songs and have a love-in. We just don't get it. Keep us informed, rmo. Thanks.

[go west young man]

143. Today the entire British press is trying to downplay the strikes.

The British media is obviously in the governments pockets. Here's an example of how they play the strikes.
In this article they actually portray the strikes as leading to a young girls death. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8610392/13-year-old-girl-crushed-by-tree-during-teacher-strike.html
Elsewhere on all front pages. The strikes are pretty much invisible. From BBC, to the Telegraph, to the Guardian.
It's called media complicity directed by the government to play down the crisis.

[patrice]

145. K&R

[locahungaria]

148. Thank you!

It's about time we all woke up and quit obsessing over all of those non-issues we've been trained to be so focused on.

[KansDem]

149. Hate to be critical, but unless the oligarchs feel threatened...personaly threatened...

How much "change" can occur?

They are protected by their stooges in government. And if it gets really bad, they have defenses in police departments, National Guard, FBI, CIA, and death squads to do their nefarious bidding.

Just how are the oligarchs suppose to fell "personally threatened?"

[Yon_Yonson]

171. Hurt the oligarchs in their pocketbooks make them bleed greenback ... that will hurt em

On a daily bases we ask our troopers to defend us against peoples and governments that corporate amerika and their political whores deem a threat. While we allow the same pricks to steal our democracy/freedoms from right under us a home. GO FIGURE!

Personally I feel what they gonna do to me? Break a couple bones, pull some finger nails, shave my head and send me back to the NAM or worst yet kill me. At least I will go down fighting and die with my boots on.

[geardaddy]

153. I gotta stop reading the comments on stories like these.

The stink of reichwing shit is all over the comments section.

[flamingdem]

154. Thanks! This is HUGE but no one here is taking a lesson? We need to do so!! nt

[onehandle]

155. I listen to UK radio. The Torys think that striking is bad.

And that seemed to be the extent of their brilliant opinion.

[EFerrari]

156. Amy Goodman is broadcasting from London today.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/1/hundreds_of_thousands_of_greek_and

[Corruption Winz]

161. Well, hopefully we can catch on..

Because things aren't going to get better by themselves.

[EFerrari]

162. Clip of Weisbrot on austerity last night/ PBS Newshour:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june11/austerity2_06-30.html

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

169. The Movement is coming

like it or not. May not take the form some think it will, but I see a large segment of people moving to
cooperation instead of competition.

Detroit is a great example, people are starting to take control, from urban farming to fixing up our
"broken homes" so others may live in them at a very cheap rate. This gets NO airplay, but we don't care
the Zeitgeist movement is growing. We the People will win.


http://www.grist.org/article/food-2010-11-18-food-peeling-back-the-skin-of-detroit

http://www.grist.org/article/food-from-motown-to-growtown-the-greening-of-detroit

[maritimer]

172. Yes, we need to do that here and I am willing to participate

This is why I get dismayed- what is it going to take to get people (aside from Ohio and Wisconsin etc) to stand up?

[Yon_Yonson]

173. I asked a union organizer the same question

He said their are members who favor a general strike but the majority of them are not angry enought. He also said the a failed general strike is worst than none at all. I have stood by for over 30 years watching corporate amerika and their political whore decimate America and I say to the unions CALL a GENERAL STRIKE AND SHUTE ER DOWN!

[JonLP24]

174. ....

:kick: