Sunday, September 9, 2007
From Us To You-- The Challenge To Organize...
It seems that our pleas for an end to the Iraq war, universal health care, and trying to stop the permitting of Mexican truckers free reign of our nations highways has fallen on deaf ears. So what can we do? We can organize and start a nationwide work stoppage. It seems to work in other countries of the "free" world. It would require first the support of the Longshoremen's union and the Teamsters union and any other unions that would want to give support. Any others would be more than welcome to join the protest. No riots in the street. No civil disobedience. Just don't go to work. Call in sick if you must, but just don't be there.
...
We've marched by the millions across this country to stop the Iraq War since 2002, and the Administration and Congress will not listen; We've petitioned for universal health care, and yet our President vetoed a Bipartisan Bill expanding the sCHIP program, which would have ensured health care for millions of America's less advantaged children; This Administration has let the Post-Katrina Gulf Coast, particularly New Orleans, to fend for itself and/or rot away; We asked for our ports and borders to be secure, and yet the President vetoed a bill that would fully fund the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and offered to sell our ports to Dubai; They oversaw the biggest Real Estate and Credit Scam in the History of the Free Market System, and have bankrupted the Country. The list goes on and on. It's time we put a stop to the insanity, and since they don't listen when we take to the streets by the millions on a weekend, we believe that it is time that we leave our workplaces on a Wednesday. If we stop the wheels of their Industry, maybe they'll start paying attention and listening to us.
This is one protest that truly requires no effort-- just call in sick and stay home. Truckers, Teachers, Professors, Garbage Men, Engineers, Stagehands, Electricians, Plumbers, Landscapers, Laborers, Welders, Autowokers, Government Servants, Cashiers, Housekeepers, Hospitality Workers, Grocery Employees, Security Officers, Linemen, Longshoremen, everyone.
Write letters to your Local Unions. Talk about it at your local bar/pub, at the gym, at the barbecue, anywhere and everywhere appropriate, and get buzz rolling. Organize. It starts down here with us, not some monied org with a sidebar agenda. We don't need to go anywhere. We don't need to spend anything. Just stay home. We believe that October 17th would be a great day. The 25th Anniversary of The Solidarity Movement protests and strikes that shut down Poland, and brought down Communist/Soviet rule. We all need a day off... why not take it off together?
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18 comments:
Is it the 7th or the 17th?
This is confusing.
Solidarity was banned on the 17th, so I think the banners just need fixing!
Fixed banners... OY! Sorry.
--mf
October 17th is correct. It was the outlawing of Lech Wałęsa's Solidarity Movement that caused the uprising.
--mf
So... forgive me if I'm not getting this, but how is getting a bajillion service-level workers who can least afford to be fired, fired from their jobs (and replaced with others from the pool of de-skilled desperate people) going to help anyone?
What exactly do you see happening? Surely you can't be unrealistic enough to think that, sure, apathy has reigned supreme for the last six years or so, but now we're definitely going to have some kind of mass movement which will involve enough people to matter?
Got to start somewhere.
Have you a better idea?
--mf
Hi--seems like your plan and ours are on the same page! Please check out http://www.PledgeToImpeach.ORG and read our Plan, sign a Pledge if you agree, and spread the Word. There's no conflict between our campaign and yours--we haven't set a date to strike, yet.
We agree 100% with your concept! Simply STAY HOME when the date comes. No street action (the tools they're using unconstitutionally against peaceful assembly are getting harsher than ever). Just call in sick or take a vacation day(s) and don't spend any money that day(s) other than what is essential. Families staying home together; barbecuing with the neighbors; even board games instead of TV... Listen to radio :-)
Write to the Administration on that website (Pledge To Impeach-dot-o.r.g.), introduce yourself & blog(s), and I'm sure that we can advertise your link if you'd like to advertise ours. Also, discuss Oct. 17 and Lech Wałęsa's Solidarity Movement with PTI! Let's exchange ideas. Cooperate on getting the word out.
PTI has been ongoing since 2005. The founder is speaking (again) in D.C. today. Some months ago we started to reach out specifically to unions. We do need a "bajillion" participants (to NOT participate in the economy on a set day or longer), which is why we're still working towards this. We've got several thousands so far. Let's support one another!
We believe that there is no chance that all of the troops will be brought home under this current administration. Thus, our goal of impeaching them (both Bush and Cheney).
Also, if we (together) grow a "bajillion" folks who understand what We, the People, can do by hitting the economy together, then we CAN get them to listen to us (by calling additional nationwide strikes as necessary) about healthcare, corruption and cronyism, bankrupting the country our grandchildren will inherit, the North American Trade Union and Mexican truckers, outsourcing, etc. etc.
A-n-d PTI has a plan cooking about how strikers will not lose their jobs. Ask their Admin.
Bill, I was actually gonna write to Headon / Cup o' Joe this week. I did read your blog entry there! We need as many progressive radio stations as possible to start talking about the concept; do you agree? We're working on that but have thus far batted zero. Any suggestions???
Weareone I support totally what your org. is trying to do, but here's some facts and why impeachment is secondary to our goal. I have written my congress/folk about impeachment and many of the issues discussed in your blog and mine. I actually received an answer as to the incompetance of "Brownie" after the Katrina disaster. That was the last time I've received any feedback from my elected officials.
Even John Conyers the only congressman to actually propose impeachment seems to have given up on the idea (check his website if you don't believe me).
That leaves us with only one option. The strike. I haven't heard anything on progressive radio lately other than the Democrats don't have the spine to stand up to this administration.
If we can get the support from the major unions then this idea will move forward. When we have the attention of the government then we can bring up the impeachment issue.
Yeah--you're totally right that Congress is NOT behind impeachment. And of course the 4th arm of the govmint--the corporate media--is deliberately off-point by having joined in the fray way early about the '08 presidential election. Between now and then, lotsa innocent lives will, unfortunately, be lost in Iraq (and even Afghanistan, still) and....... possibly Iran, due to the U.S.'s involvement.
The founder of http://www.PledgeToImpeach.ORG has met with Representatives a handful of times, having flown from California to D.C. specifically for those scheduled appointments. We've delivered hundreds of thousands of "petition signatures" for other groups. We've presented our own "Citizens' Petition for Impeachment" signed by our group's handful of administrators and backed by thousands of folks who've signed our Pledge. This was presented *after* we were promised that it would be submitted on the House floor if we could show support from 1% of that Representative's constituency--which we did. However, said Representative renegged on his promise. Also, in person, we've spoken to John Conyers, who--once my hero for his brave actions in 2004 and 2005--has sold out to the party line.
We are NOT "waiting nicely" for the House to respond to our request to impeach. We've known from the get-go that they likely wouldn't. Which is why our "pledges" ARE to strike! We have said that we will strike and boycott immediately upon the House's refusal to vote "yes" on a bill or a citizens' petition or a State's resolution and stay on strike until they do vote "yes" to pass Articles of Impeachment onto the Senate. Well, Representative Kucinich's bill (H.Res.333) to IMPEACH Cheney was submitted to Conyers' committee last April. It currently has 19 co-sponsors, including some on Conyers' Judiciary Committee and on Nadler's Subcommittee on the Constitution, where it was referred.
PTI's problem has been the type of thinking that you have responded to me with--groups NOT coordinating towards the same goal (which is what I was proposing, since both this campaign and PTI's campaign are about the same methodology--a nationwide STRIKE), including unions (which have thus far turned us down). The "Right" has been winning at their agenda for 6 1/2 yrs. because they walk lock/step. Individuals on the "Left" are free thinkers but also fail to work together (in-fighting, such as the split between A.N.S.W.E.R. and UFPJ). And, even 'tho Dems control Congress, we're still being controlled by the agenda of the Right because of (a)their political strategizing in place of the good of the country and (b)99% being bought by corporations just like Republicans.
So, demeur, thank you for replying, but I don't follow what you're trying to say. We agree on methodology--a STRIKE. We agree on the need for The People to take back America, right? We just disagree on what specific demand we want to make first. IMO, that's a minor difference that can be worked out (in fact, PTI did compromise and coordinate actions with another group this summer). I had made my post suggesting that we join our energies; what I understand is that that's not of interest to you.
An excellent thread! Lots and lots of information and shared ideas. I'm of the mind that the terrible State of the Nation is becoming clear to a host of Americans all at once. I think the idea of General Strikes is likely to transcend political parties soon enough. Losing one's house, health care or job is a reality to Everyman, regardless of politics.
--mf
I believe the first issue is to get out of Iraq. That is sucking the life blood as well as our soldiers blood from this country. Then we can work on impeachment. Did we not elect the Democratic congress to do start with that issue? Impeachment will take time and only time will tell if that action would make him a real lame duck. I'm trying to recall if Nixon was able to accomplish anything in his last days, but then those were different times when he didn't hold power of the media and the justice dept.
mf, yup--just recently the words "strike" and "boycott" are being picked up by different folks.
demeur, you may have been like myself and so many millions worldwide who tried to stop the invasion of Iraq before it officially began. I listen everyday to "alternative" (non-corporate sponsored) media and hear the truth about Iraq from unembedded reporters, Iraqi citizens, & Iraq War veterans (DoD gives gag orders to over 10%), & military individuals who've opted (a hard road taken by tens-of-thousands during Bush's Admin) not to participate. So, I couldn't be sickened more by the Iraq War.
Permanent bases--you know, the elaborate ones with swimming pools, fast food joints, concrete offices, air conditioned dorms, man-made lakes, fiber-optic cable & towers communication systems, extensive merchandise for sale (electronics, souveniers, etc.)... No one knows the likely number of bases that will remain in use in Iraq--the military has admitted to over 100 bases in Iraq which is no bigger than Idaho, 14 "enduring" ones & 4 mega-bases--but some of these are ready for any drawn-down of troops. In other words, when some thousands of troops do come home, many will stay in Iraq w/o venturing daily into the civil war which the U.S. fomented by organizing, training, arming, paying death squads--both Shia and Sunni's.
And, of course, construction is almost finished on the world's largest embassy--the U.S. embassy in Iraq.
So, we'll be there--indefinitely!
TBC...
War is great business. U.S. taxpayers have spent billions (well, most tax monies just pay the INTEREST on our debts--like to China--but Congress approves funding & perhaps, translated, that means MORE borrowing to saddle our children/grandchildren with), but this is NOT to pay troop salaries (the Pentagon already has that budgeted). It's to pay the profiteers--Halliburton, KBR, Bechtel, Lockheed, Grumman, etc. And the mercenaries, which number AS MANY as U.S. troops in Iraq. Blackwater, etc., who hire fighters from countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America.
Those who are trained to guard political figures will be needed indefinitely--to guard the diplomats in that humongous embassy (it's size is comparable to the Pentagon)--after some U.S. troops come home. Others will remain just to maintain security along the world's most dangerous road (from Baghdad to the airport).
War is about killing. And works great along with corporations who have new widgets to test in battle. Regarding weapons, Iraq is a great place to try out white phosphorus that burns people from the inside-out, high-powered microwave weapons and lasers that disembowel & decapitate ($1/2 Billion annually is spent on directed-energy weapons) and to get rid of our stockpiles of carcinogenic and fetus deformity-causing depleted uranium.
BushCo wanted to take over Iraq, ultimately, towards control of the Gulf region and over the transport of oil to various countries--the Big Plans worked out by the PNAC (Cheney, et al) since 1997 for *global domination.*
IF the Iraq War were miraculously brought to an end, the U.S. would still be killing people worldwide. The Administration--esp. Cheney--has as much as stated a committed intent to attack Iran. He may have already tried. Those nuclear missiles arming a B-52 flying from N. Dakota to Louisiana Aug. 30th... Cheney has the authority to override the chain-of-command in cases such as WMD. Some say Cheney gave the "stand down" order to the USAF on 9/11/01 (while also being involved in the training exercises on that date).
Besides Iraq, the U.S. is still fighting in Afghanistan (where our bases were placed along the proposed pipeline from Uzbekistan to Pakistan, our 2 new best friends after 9/11/01), and--as far as I know--in the Philippines and at-the-ready in the Somalia region.
Global unrest over resources (oil and potable water) is our foreseeable future. And--unless rigged elections, media outlets owned by pro-war corporations, and one-party politics allow us to vote into office a Peace President like Kucinich--the U.S. will continue our current trend regarding foreign affairs... global bullying, exporting "democracy" via the most hellish means history has seen. Heck--the Strategic Command near Omaha, has been awaiting the opportunity to conduct pre-emptive attacks since pre-2003 using space warfare, nukes--whatever's ordered, as it became the full-spectrum global strike center after 9/11.
The militarization of space is underway, fulfilling the dreams of PNAC'ers for the U.S. to have "full spectrum dominance," capable of attacking any square mile in the world with the flip of a switch. Many $Billions are awarded yearly just in missile defense contracts (to Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, Grumman, etc.).
TBC...
Soooo... all of this (money invested, profits yet to accrue, the world's need for resources) is why I say that activism towards ending the Iraq War should not be a singular focus. What is needed is GLOBAL activism, all on the SAME page (not in-fighting among "peace" groups), with a LONG VIEW for goal-setting and strategy. IMO, given the vast extent of our crises--not the least being *climate change* and *over-population*!!!--the ONLY hope for LIFE even a few generations hence IS (1)consciousness awakening, (2)cooperation among heart-centered people worldwide, and (3)massive, multi-pronged actions declaring "no" to war / poverty / environmental degradation / greed and "yes" to a higher level of humanism / kindness / stewardship of the planet / sharing. And all of THIS requires higher-level thinking, refined communication and educating one another, and commitment for the long haul.
Personally, I've BEEN *packed,* literally, to hit the streets en masse for several years now. But I don't want to be stupid and just be a target of ever-hardened police tactics, nor use up my energy & life for less than the most powerful positive impact possible, and there has been no long-term MASSIVE in-the-streets intelligent organizing to date. And waiting to find Others of like mind is frustrating, yielding my being overly wordy herein.
Impeachment... A few have advocated this since the illegal appointment of GWB by the SUPREME COURT in 2000. I came onboard when Ray McGovern did publicly in early 2003. But time has passed and a million Iraqi's have lost their lives in my name. The media & political machinary has been distracting the public this year by earlier-than-ever attention to the next election, and there are a finite number of months now left to garner public participation in campaigning for the House to IMPEACH.
My reasons for wanting to impeach Bush & Cheney are (1)to draw the line for all future Executive administrations, (2)to demonstrate to the world that this republic IS still a working democracy based on laws and made up of a caring populace, and (3)for public investigations that will reveal heretofore secret truths regarding what our government has done, educating our citizenry to a higher level of sophistication for the future.
In other words, what is at stake is the office of the presidency, the future of this republic and our "democracy," and how we are viewed by the rest of the world (including would-be terrorists).
Impeachment would NOT take a long time. First off, by "impeachment" I mean the proposition by a single Representative (already done against Cheney by Dennis Kucinich almost 1/2 yr. ago and symbolically by McKinney on the last day of the previous Congressional session), the presentation of Articles of Impeachment by the Judiciary Committee, and the passing of same by a simple majority of members present in the House. THEN the matter goes to the Senate for hearings. But an unbelievable wealth of info already exists--from investigations heretofore yielding multiple impeachable offenses, from a dozen books written by constitutional attorneys and others, from proceedings held at State / county / municipal / political party levels. The actual verdict by Senators is less my concern than our getting impeachment past the House and Senate hearings broadcast on C-Span.
Sorry--I don't understand your point about lame duck and Nixon and getting things done. IMO Shrub and Dickie have done *nothing* but destructive acts for 6 1/2 yrs. and are still at it, big time. Nixon RESIGNED before getting impeached, as the writing was on the wall.
My bottom line (and that which I agree w. the founder of Pledge to Impeach about) is whether for IMPEACHMENT or for ending "the" war or for global activism is that our strategy must be NON-PARTICIPATION (in the current systems).
Well you've pretty much summed up what I've learned over the last several years. My point in all of this is that congress will do nothing as long as they are ignoring us. Check the current congressional record as to what they are doing right now. Basically nothing. I don't even see Kucinich's resolution for impeachment anywhere in the record or in any of the calanders. Makes me wonder what drawer it got shoved into.
Oh and if what I just heard about the vote on appropriations is true it's a real disgrace to all of us. From what I heard it was a vote in the middle of the night with almost no one there.
I'm all for impeachment and conviction we just need to get the republicans to get on board. Remember it was they who told Nixon his time was up. Also remember that all of the rethugs that are high up in the administration came out of the Nixon and Reagan camps.
Last thing to remember is the mess that will have to be undone by the next president. There's the war, the economy, health care, social security and all of this at a time when the U.S. is broke. It's estimated that the damage this clown in the white house did will take decades to repair. He's spent more money in the last 6 years than ALL of the U.S. presidents combined! The global activism will start some time after the global depression.
Absolutely the Dems on The Hill have done NOTHING all year. One measely minimum wage hike that affected only 20 states (since the other 30 + D.C. already had higher state-level minimum wage laws).
Kucinich's H.Res.333 impeaching Cheney was given to the Judiciary Committee at the end of April, and Conyers gave it within days to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, & Civil Liberties chaired by Nadler. So, that's the drawer where it gathers dust. 19 co-sponsors, the last one a week ago, so someone is keeping it drifting along.
Again, my only reason for commenting on this blog was to say that I AGREE re building (w. unions) a comprehensive national strike as the activist strategy towards whatever end! I've been unable to influence my 3 federal reps for as long as they've been in office. The STRIKE is the way to get "their" attention, tied to our foremost demand. No use trying to get any members of Congress "on board" w/o also flexing our collective economic muscle.
demeur, your info re an appropriations bill is news to me. All I know is that the Senate just passed their version of a FY2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill, esp. benefitting CA.
Your point re global depression preceding global activism is sad but likely true. As someone had written here about motivation kicking in when a family loses their house, etc. (like can't feed the kids).
BTW, demeur, some days ago you were musing about Nixon's last period in office. I just heard David Swanson say that having "impeachment" in the air put Nixon on the offensive such that some progressive moves out of Congress were passed by Nixon. He was speaking in terms of what brought the Vietnam War to an end, 'tho I didn't hear specifically what moves he was referencing.
It remains my belief that, as this is a much more complicated (read: war profiteering, neocon ideology, loss of civil liberties, increase of police tactics, tough treatment & subsequent prosecution of dissidents) time when tactics of the '60s & '70s are not sophisticated enough, IMPEACHMENT is the only *hope* we have of ending this war(s) (and ending "the" war will still require massive public outcry against the next hawkish prez, be that Hillary, Obama, or any Repub).
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