An Argument for a General Strike on Feb. 6
Check my new piece on the way forward: The Warning Shot and the Mayday Strike. This is archived.
Check my new piece on the way forward: The Warning Shot and the Mayday Strike. This is archived.
The general strike should be called sooner rather than later. Trump must step down.
There’s been a lot of talk and momentum for a general strike since I first published about it on Saturday. This is good.
The current day proposed for the strike is Feb. 17. This is fine— but let’s do it before that too. Let me explain.
Feb. 17 is a Friday before a holiday weekend. That will kill any momentum. If the strike were on a Monday, it could potentially continue on through the week. This gives more power to the people.
Feb. 17 is two and a half weeks away. That’s time for the Trump administration to develop counter-measures and shut downs. It’s time for businesses to prepare for the effect. It’s time that will allow the powers that be to propagandize against it. They don’t deserve time.
Feb. 17 is at the end of the week. Friday begins the weekend. A Monday would allow all the energy from the weekend of protesting to continue into the beginning of the week. Again, this is about momentum.
I think it’s very clear that Feb. 6 would be the best day for the general. It’s in about a week, enough time to organize through social media and word of mouth. But it’s not enough time for the powers that be to sufficiently prepare.
A social movement like the one in the streets the last ten days is an historical moment unlike any in my lifetime. The swiftness of the movement is unlike anything in history. I think we need to take advantage of that agility and enthusiasm as soon as possible.
Plus, Feb. 6 is a Monday. That means that the strike could continue— and maybe grow!— on Tuesday. And Wednesday. People don’t want to go to work on the Monday after the Super Bowl anyway. Get enough of them publicly striking and by Tuesday the movement could grow.
And finally, there are sure to be protests this weekend across the country (as there are through the week in major cities). Not using this momentum and energy would be a massive loss of opportunity.
If we stop work on Feb. 6, that will send a message. If nothing is done, we stop again on Feb. 17.
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