(Cross posted at My Left Wing.)
So my new friend Lorraine gets back to her home in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York State fresh from her My Left Wing fun in NYC (We had a small meetup Sunday after the peace march.) and what does she see? (From Tuesday’s My Left Wing Open Thread. 5/2/06)
Yesterday, I got home from work and grabbed stuff before heading off to Saoirse’s softball game over in Ithaca. I had to drop something off at the Groton post office. Groton is a town of maybe 1000 people–fewer than one percent of whom are anything other than some mongrel mix of Anglo-Saxon.
Outside the post office, standing on the corner of Rtes 38 and 222, were four people. Three teens and an adult. Three young men, and one blonde teenaged woman. They were holding signs and American flags. The signs said, “Honk if you’re legal.”
I live in a small, small town in the middle of fucking nowhere. A few dairy farms. A few corn farms. A few retail businesses. No industry. NO industry.
I was at the stop sign, waiting to turn on to Rte 38. I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to get out of the car, discuss with them what on earth would motivate them to stand there with their little hate-filled signs, waving that goddamned American flag like a weapon. WHY?
She gets the Finger Lakes Finger. One of any NUMBER of fingers that can be experienced all over this great land of ours.
Among the many replies engendered by this post was one from slick riddles.
When I studied Russian years ago I discovered that, because there was such a large rural population the language had loads of words to describe backward rural people and backward rural areas. I think I need to look some up.
Which got me to thinking. (Doesn’t take much, these days…we are in big, BIG trouble, and I think about how to get out of it incessantly.)
Read on. My reply got kinda…deep.
Slick…
Appalachia starts about 1 1/2 hours’ drive in any direction from every large and small city in America.
Bet on it.
And understand it.
They say “Nature, red in tooth and claw?”
Well…America, red in tooth, claw and ballot box.
Nothing on earth is going to change this. Not overnight, for SURE.
There are those who believe that without at least SOME percentage of this level of human being a nation is doomed.
Could be…
But whatever the truth of the matter may be, when these people RULE…you’ve got trouble, right here in River City, U.S.A. And both political parties are now making the same error. Trying to cater TO them rather than oppose them. They are NOT the majority in this country. Not anymore they’re not. They just vote a lot.
They are short-termers. Of limited intelligence and attributes. Most of the good ones done left the farm generations ago. The Grapes of Wrath now speak Spanish. Las Uvas de la Cólera. Los <u>Ojos</u> de la Cólera. These people who so outraged Lorraine can make it to the ballot box and do their Fox News-powered clomp clomp clomp for BushCo, but do anything real? Like good work? Like show up for a march as did the REAL soon-to-be-majority on Monday? Not on your LIFE. Beered out in front of the TV set. Bet on it. They don’t even have the sense not to take souvenir snapshots of themselves torturing them evil ragheads.
So…just fuggedaboud ’em. Help those who can be helped if you are in the position to do so…my mother spent 40 years pulling them out of the dirt, one emotionally disturbed semi-rural Down East 2nd grader at a time…and organize a party that will literally dominate them.
Not be dominated BY them.
They are the dregs of a once-full cup.
Fuggedaboud ’em.
Sorry to be so hard, but there it is.
Maybe…just maybe…if some sort of miracle were to occur and the left were to actually take over the reins of this country for a few decades we could reform the media and educational system to the point where this level of humanity might be benefited. But for now, about the only thing that can be done is to put the people who use them out of power.
By any means necessary.
For those with the eyes to see, the impact of the May 1st marches and boycott shows the way. The ONLY power the people in a consumer-driven society REALLY have is economic. Literally the poorest among us sent a message to the powers-that-be this Sunday. A message that I am sure scared those holders of power <u>much</u> more than did Stephen Colbert’s snark. They can non-event Colbert. They CANNOT cook the books enough to hide a real boycott. Imagine the power of the MIDDLE class if it could be harnessed. The economic power.
Imagine a day (July 4th would be ideal) where the vanguard of the middle class (Bet you didn’t think you would ever see THOSE two terms linked together, eh?)…us, the people on the left blogs (including dKos, God help us all), the people who DID show up to for the NYC peace march and others like them across the country….declared as The Independence Day Boycott. Think of THAT economic muscle!!!
A day where millions of people did NOT buy hot dogs and beer.
Did NOT sit on the grass and watch the fireworks.
Did NOT turn on their tubes and watch that DC farce on the mall.
Independence Day Marches!!!
Independence from Corporate America.
Independence from the NEW King George and his court of controllers.
A NEW Boston Tea Party.
Right across the country.
Think about what THAT would do.
Am I dreaming?
Probably.
But…maybe not.
All it takes is one match dropped into a pile of dry hay to start a damned good fire.
Anybody with me?
We have two months.
Anybody good at organizing around here? I have no experience in it at all. No chops. Nada.
Later…but not TOO much later…
AG
We don’ need no steenking tips!!! (Although all are appreciated, of course…)
What we <u>need</u> is volunteers who know how to organize using the net.
Anybody out there?
I can barely organize 16 people for a rehearsal, myself.
Anybody?
AG
Love this idea. I am totally sold that there needs to be a mass movement of organized people to shake us from our corptocracy. I’m still racking my brain on methods. But this as a goal sounds wonderful.
Terry
Well, Joe…your was one of the first two names uggested over at My Left Wing by 5hearts.
For starters…we could use some recommendations here to get this one up for a while.
All ideas will be welcomed.
As a practical matter…is 2 months enough?
If not…Labor Day wouldn’t be a bad substitute. Not as dramatic, but that would give us 4 months. I prefer the fireworks idea and all that sort of thing suggests, but hey…I’m a musician and I know EXACTLY how much time any given project needs to come to fruition.
Better? (I really have no idea about the time frame of things like this.)
Later…
AG
I think this has alot of potential Arthur. Participating in the immigration rallies and marches the past couple of months have been among the most patriotic moments of my life. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the 4th of July than the people declaring their independence from the Corporatocracy.
I’m at work and alittle tapped out today, but am interested in helping get some ideas on the table.
And yours was the other name mentioned by 5hearts.
I am relatively free for a couple of days. Until Monday, to be precise.
Let’s talk, folks.
AG
Labor Day is good. Whatever. Count me in.
And please forgive the typos. Too many ideas, neither enough time OR brains.
OR organizational talent.
Later…
AG
which corporatocracy – oil, energy? We could bike outdoors or play in the hose rather than sit on the couch in the air conditioning and watch tv.
Perhaps getting our picnic stuff from the organic food store prior to that day.
Maybe in the evening sitting outside with candles glowing and talking to our friends and neighbors while the kids make smores over the grill.
Maybe taking the kids to the park and flying a kite or walking around the neighborhood pulling the kids in a wagon.
I’m all on board for this. It’s WAY OVERDUE.
I live in the middle of a HUGE swamp of the Appalachicated. Mississippi is ALL about Appalachia. No need to drive at all. I can knock on my neighbors’ doors and I’m in the middle of the fucking wilderness. And I live in the biggest ‘city’ in the state.
I think your idea will go over like a lead balloon HERE.
However, that doesn’t mean I won’t help spread the word. It doesn’t mean that I won’t march in protest on July 4th and keep my wallet shut.
It DOES mean that I might be alone, or nearly so, when I do it. But I’m fuckin’ ON BOARD. BET ON THAT.
NICE, blueneck.
I’m going to use it.
Thanks.
AG
Sutherners got a thang bout words, AG. We ain’t skeered to make one up when we need it. :/
Glad ya like it. It’s a gen-yoo-wine original.
Copyright waived, consider it my contribution to the creative commons.
And now for something totally different…
I like the idea of July 4th best. But practically speaking, I think it would be better on Labor Day. Sympatico with labor and all that, plus more chance of getting noticed as an entirely separate event. And enough time to organize, but not too far away in the future that we don’t have to start soon. Whatever, I’m in.
I will see what I can do here in SoCal to get it going.
I am all for this but I wish that we could do this on President’s day.
#1-When IS that?
#2-Can we even HAVE a “President’sDay” when we do not have a President? Isn’t there some kind of law…?
AG
Too long, in February. As to #2, well, past president’s are honored. Certainly not, George.
Not George?
Especially if he is no longer President even in name…
Let us pray.
AG
As I have said elsewhere, I am persona non grata on dKos.
Anyone want to cross post it to dKos themselves? I wouldn’t mind in the least. There are many good-intentioned people there. I would have rejoined under another handle already except that when I did it the first time I was incapable of expressing myself freely without eventually giving away who I was to a number of the diary police watchbirds who promptly offed me a second…no, actually make that a THIRD…time.
Three’s the charm.
But I would be happy to reach people on dKos as well.
Or anywhere ELSE, for that matter.
Anybody?
AG
Hey, I’ll post it over there, but lets make a final decision on when its gonna be, and who’s gonna post it when and who will follow it up and stuff, first.
AG –
BostonJoe has been working toward a larger action. His diary from 4/14 was, Non-Violent Conflict: A Larger Proposal
The “Appalachicated” have been used and abused. They are not the ones in power, but they are manipulated into voting (the one thing corporations cannot do – yet) to support corporate chosen candidates.
I do not want to rain on your parade. I, too, have been reading, thinking, worrying about what to do. In an attempt to contribute something towards BostonJoe’s proposal, I began to look into corporations. Independence from corporate sponsored PermaGov is complicated, not so much by the “Appalachicated”, but by the middle class. Imo, the conundrum is it is the middle class that keeps the corporations humming.
Here is a list of the top 25 of the Fortune 500 businesses (the total list can be found at: link):
Just think, there are 475 more of these companies. Bechtel wasn’t even listed; perhaps it might not be publicly traded?
Some of us might work directly for corporations. If we live in a “company” town, even if we don’t work directly for the corporation, our livelihoods are often connected, including teachers paid by community taxes.
Boycott and march on the 4th of July, then back to work on July the 5th?
That might be the very step to take. And again on Labor Day. And again and again and again…
Could you flesh out your idea a bit more? If you had to choose, would you want a whole lot of people in some places or a whole lot of places, even if the “marchers” are a troop of one?
Maybe we should converge on Mississippi – didn’t something big start there once before?
“…we are in big, BIG trouble, and I think about how to get out of it incessantly.”
Thank you.
These people, my people(sigh), need another shakin up by some northern agitators.
And how could the Press ignore a hundred thousand marching in the streets of Jackson, Mississippi?
It would be NEWS!
BET – ON – THAT.
A TRUTH MARCH.
We’ll need AG and BJ and ManE on the steps of the Capitol Building, with megaphones.
You want someone to notice this effort?
Bring it down HERE.
Hmmmmm….!!!
Late, tonight.
More tomorrow.
Hmmmmm….
AG
Mississippi is going already through plenty of hell thanks to Dubya allowing all his buddies to steal all the Katrina rebuilding money. Plenty of people in Mississippi already feel like fools for trusting the Republicans with FEMA.
Your comment:
“It DOES mean that I might be alone, or nearly so, when I do it”
made me think about me doing this alone where I am. And I thought about how wonderful to do a protest together.
July 4th in Mississippi – could be sublime. 🙂
My own preference?
An effective economic boycott of EVERYTHING for one day by the middle class left. And by anyone else with the sense to see how effective a message this would send to the Corporate America-owned PermaGov and its pet media.
TVs off.
No gas bought.
No food bought.
No NUTHIN’ bought except the necessities to go to marches and demonstrations all over America.
WE got yer fireworks right here!!!”
How much money is spent every day in America by consumers?
Billions?
Probably. (Anybody know how to look that kind of thing up? Say the consumer expenditures on July 4th of last year?)
Imagine lopping only 1/10th off of that figure. On a day that is usually considered a big profit day by AmeriCorp.
PANIC IN THE BOARDROOMS!!!
“JEEZ!!! What if they did that for a week??? A MONTH!!!”
THAT would be my preference.
Let local organizations put together marches like the one in NYC on Saturday last. The ones all over the country on Monday. But most importantly…hit them where they keep what passes for their souls.
In their pocketbooks.
AG
Few people buy that stuff on July 4th. The vast majority of the BBQ stuff is bought in the days preceeding the 4th. Same with the fireworks. Nobody watches TV on the 4th of July. So, all that leaves to boycott is pro baseball games and movies?
A 4th of July economic boycott seems to be a whole lot of work or very limited impact and almost no coverage. A Day W/O Immigrants worked because it affected “business as usual” on a regular business day.
See my illustrated answer above.
AG
You write:
“Boycott and march on the 4th of July, then back to work on July the 5th? That might be the very step to take. And again on Labor Day. And again and again and again…”
I don’t know about the “again and again and again…” part, because people would begin to get bored, but I can see trying it twice. Maybe even three times. Imagine an effective Christmas boycott!!!
Personally, I would like to see the entire population of America simply stop cooperating in their own demise. Refuse to live in debt, refuse to buy at chain stores, refuse to stay medicated on bullshit Big Pharma drugs, try to patronize corporations that are either on the low end of that list or completely off the charts for those things they absolutely must have to live, refuse to consume the hypno-media that keeps them in a trance state. A successful movement like that would totally break the back of the system and it would either have to change into something more representative or let its true fascist colors fly for all to see. But for many reasons (Not the least of which is the shocking effectiveness of the trance-media) I do not see this happening.
Frankly, folks are just too attention-challenged by and large to even be able to see the predicament in which they live. It has proven almost impossible get through to the supposed aware ones…the bloggers…about what the media does to them. Not for lack of effort…I’m 1 1/2 years into the idea on a pretty much every day basis. So I wonder what success a movement that is essentially BASED on that idea, even watered down to a single day (or two or three), woulkkd have.
But for a day, a couple of days…maybe that’s the ticket.
Onward…
AG
Personally, I would like to see the entire population of America simply stop cooperating in their own demise.
AG – you are asking us to look in the mirror. It is not easy to do.
All junkies must eventually.
Or die…
AG
It’s a great idea, except for one big thing. You are asking for basically real no sacrifice from the predominantly white middle and upper classes who get July 4th off work, and putting the burden of sacrifice on all the poor, predominantly minority working class individuals who could be scheduled for work on July 4th.
McDonalds doesn’t close on July 4th. Walmart doesn’t close on July 4th. Krogers and Piggly Wiggly and Albertsons isn’t closed on July 4th. Nursing homes and hospitals aren’t closed on July 4th. Firehouses aren’t closed on July 4th. Guess who will be expected at work on July 4th? All those working class people who work paycheck to paycheck that will lose the most if they are fired for missing work on July 4th.
You see where I’m going here. You can’t schedule an action that places a much greater burden upon the mostly minority working classes.
I’m all for real direct action. I’ve been screaming for direct action for more than a year here and there in the blogosphere. I had my butt was out in the streets yesterday draped with about every white, flag-bearing piece of clothing in my closet and I didn’t spend a dime all day. So, do not mistake this for someone making excuses to get out of taking direct action.
What you need is a new date. A date everyone involved has just as much at risk as everyone else involved. A date everyone would have to pay attention to the general strike and boycotts happened. A day that couldn’t be buried by lack of real news coverage during the summer months. That date would be…
Tuesday September 5th… the day people traditionally end vacations and come back to work and school.
And… make sure the Hispanic community is involved from day one. They are clearly organized in ways in ways we can only dream of at this point.
afs is right, create your own special day – and be ready with the talking points so the media know what to say about it. Don’t mess with other people’s traditions, they’ll just resent you for it. This is a wonderful idea Arthur.
However much I love the thought of getting together for one big party, there’s the question of how much will we spend to do it. How much gas, how many plane tickets, and we’ll probably have to eat somewhere. Glitterscale is right too, we all have to join together from our own little corners of the universe.
Like everybody else, I’ll be glad to participate when the time comes. But meanwhile I’m busy making a move to appalachia, and hoping I can make a difference there.
It seems to me that the sheer symbolic weight of July 4th makes it the IDEAL day.
Here is how I answered afs on My left Wing.
==
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
===
I think that the symbolic power of a national holiday…especially July 4th…outweighs your working objections. My vision of this is as a middle-class economic boycott more than anything else, supported by demonstrations and marches…not a work action or strike…so the people you mention would be free to GO to work if they so choose.
As with my NEWSTRIKE!!! and MEDIASTRIKE!!! ideas, the theory is that you hit corporate America in the pocketbook. A symbolic hit at least at first, but one that they could count. One that would make them think “JEEZ!!! What if…???”
“What if just a moderate number of the prime demographic did this on a permanent basis to some degree?”
“What if…UH OH!!!…what if people found out that they do not NEED credit cards and patent medicines and Walmart and Fords?”
“What if…O MY GOD!!!…what if people realized that they do not need TV NEWS!!!”
“Maybe we’d better…moderate our act some. It’s not working all THAT well anyway.”
And so on.
Or alternatively they break out some heavy cop/heavyhanded spin action because of this idea and the iron fist behind the polyester glove/wizard behind the holographic curtain become apparent to the many who do not see it now.
That’s where <u>I’m</u> coming from, anyway.
Do not follow the money.
LEAD with it.
Their fortunes are now based not on our labor but upon our consumption. Labor strikes are worthless as a result. They just move to another, cheaper labor force and/or tech the present one on down into obedience.
But CONSUMER strikes?
A whole ‘nother kettle of fish.
Bet on it.
I am.
Later…
AG
On a day nobody watches the news to see the impact?
Okay, I know there’s a bunch of businesses open on July 4th, but those businesses that are open have never done huge business numbers on July 4th. Most people do their shopping for their July 4th BBQs earlier in the week. What shopping that is done on July 4th is generally short lists of things people forgot in the July 4th BBQ planning lists, and extra beer/soda if they bought too little. July 4th retail sales promotions are aimed at the days before of after the July 4th holiday. So your primary impact of this consumer strike becomes what? Major and Minor League Baseball? When the baseball fan base leans heavily Republican?
I see a whole lot of effort being expended here for very little coverage of at best limited impacts.
The reason “A Day Without Immigrants” worked so well is because it demonstrated how much “business as usual” depends on the work of immigrants. Scheduling an economic action on a holiday only ensures that “business as usual” is not compromised, and no effect means no coverage.
Maybe.
I just do not know.
How much gas is burned going to the beach? To Grandma’s house? How many TVs are turned on to watch the DC farce? How much money do the millions spend who flock to the big celebrations in major cities? In small towns?
How much beer is bought?
Yes, people stock up.
Maybe as a part of this we could call it the New American Tea Party and ask people to throw overboard their whole usual routine on July 4th.
Simple Tuesday. (It’s a Tuesday this year.)
THIS year…DON”T go to Grandma’s over the long weekend.
THIS year…do NOT pig out on poison weiners and bad beer.
THIS year…come to the BIG parade.
In NYC.
In DC.
In LA.
In Houston.
And declare your own Independence Day.
Independence from being used by Corporate America.
Independence from the NEW King George.
Independence from high gas prices.
Independence from being used as cannon fodder in a Blood For Oil war that profits only the rich.
OHHHH yes…
This CAN be done.
It is only a question of HOW.
AG
There’s a lot of double posting happening between My Left Wing and here.
I’ll summerize. I posted the statistic about the Day W/O Immigrants stopping 90% of port activity at LA/Long Beach. A Sept 5th action would affect all economic activity, not just consumer goods.
The basic idea is great. It just needs some minor adjustments.
Lets have both.
AG
I’ve been reading through the comments and wanted to add this.
I don’t think that the day matters. Fact is that things are really bad and something should have been done yesterday. So the sooner the better. What day it happens is not really the question. What matters, I think, is when can masses of people be engaged with such an idea? And how can they be engaged? If we can reach the people. And the people are willing. Then something like this can work on any day. In fact, I would suggest that ultimately, a mass movement of this nature would need to be sustained. One day. Nice show of support (and don’t get me wrong, it would be a great thing to pull off a massive one-day event). But those in power will shrug it off, unless it is sustained and directed toward a purpose.
For example, assuming you could reach the masses with a 1) a method (e.g., national stikes/boycotts) that they endorsed, and 2) and they were unified around a single goal, or a single set of goals (e.g., we’re going to remain in solidarity, and continue exercising or methods of sanctions, until our government gets the troops out of Iraq, then I think you have the formula for serious change.
AG says above I’ve been working on a larger project. This is true. Slow going. I’m stuck trying to find an idea that might meet the above criteris. But what he is talking about in this diary is exactly the idea. So I support it fully. And it does not hurt to try and fail, I think. Just dust yourself off and try again until the world moves or you die.
I’ll make this contribution from my own plan, though I was going to save it until I’d completed something coherent.
Assumptions:
Given all this, I think we need an idea that is really easy. That brings people together, en masse. So everyone gets to recognize how many of their brothers and sisters in the world are on their side. And then builds toward using this strength in numbers. Gives the people of direction.
Specifically, as it relates to AG’s idea. Let’s start sometime in the next week or two. Tell people on blogs and in life. Every Friday you should draw a symbol on your hand (in the planning group, I had originally said draw a “=” on your hand, before someone informed me that everyone would think we are Coldplay fans — I didn’t know about this). But pick a recognizable, yet not too radical symbol. An “x”. Starting on “x” date. People start wearing an “x” in their hand. The “x” means you are sick of the direction of the country. Sick of war. Sick of gas prices. Sick of criminal negligence like Katrina. Sick of trillions in debt. Sick of international trade that places human beings in a race to the bottom. Sick of short-sighted policies that are destroying the earth. Tell people wearing “x’s” that once there is a critical mass, we will start with a program to make our voices heard. Tell them that together, united, we are a strong force.
Then evaluate how many “x’s” we see on Fridays. Count them like naturlists survey bird populations. See if the number is growing. And when it is large enough, we pass the word for a few weeks. On “x” day, we start an action. There are several possibilities. A nationwide meet-up of “x” people. Say at a place that almost every community has. Like “x” people should get together and talk at their closest McDonald’s (and don’t buy anything), on Friday, some month, some day. Next step. “x” people should boycott a specific set of corporations. List them. No Wal-Mart/No fast food/No Exxon-Mobil/No shopping at mall. Next. “x” people should take a national sick day on Friday and meet at (fill in ubiquitous place) and march to local government center of power. Next. “x” people should save for a week long sick-out. Etc.
These actions, would need to be tracked by a leadership group. And demands would have to be made. Here is what “x” people are doing. Here are a list of concrete goals that they want. They aren’t doing anything illegal, but they do have the power to tank the economy. So if you want to stop the “x” people, negotiate with us. Otherwise, by the fall, your economy will be hurting.
You could take this “x” people idea and use it for the 4th of July action. Have it build to that date. And beyond.
Still an idea in transition. But I thought I’d share it.
Yes.
Much to think about.
Later I’ll have more, but right off the top of my head, I think that this “x” marks the spot idea would disperse faster than it accumulated.
Most people are capable of ONE fairly concentrated and simple action that is well out of their ordinary routine. Can take ONE day or afternoon out of their lives to do something.
Go to a ball game.
Go to a peace march.
Etc.
And can dedicate ONE day to an idea, if the idea is attractive enough.
But a gradual build-up?
Day after day?
Meetups every week or so? (I LOVE the McDonalds thing, by the way. Exactly. Use their infrastructure…buildings, media…for OUR ends. And give them exactly nothing in return. Nice. Best idea in the post.)
Not so many people will do that. Money, family, TV trance state. The works. And you will concentrate the “mass” movement down into round up the usual suspects time, which has just about reached the boundaries of its possible success on these blogs, in my opinion. The committed…intellectually committed at the very least…spend a LOT of time trying to figure out what is really happening and how to get things done.
The rest?
“What’s for dinner, Hon? And where’s that damned TV Guide?”
But $4.00 gas will get a LOT of people’s attention.
The the obscene profits of Big Corporate Brother, the bloated salaries of the know-nothings who RUN those scams, the sheer, arrogant, right-in-your-face-and-what-are-you-going-to-DO-about-it-punk corruption and theft that is rampant in the Ratpublican Party now…
THOSE things will lift people off of their asses for a day.
Especially a day so fraught with “independence” symbolism as July 4th.
So yes…use fast food joints for meetings. That’s TWO good uses for them. (Toilets being the other.)
Now fore the MENTAL fast food joints.
The media.
How do we get THEM to cover such an idea? Such a movement?
And, as I posted on My Left Wing today:
==
=
=
=
=
=
===
Again…I have no practical experience with large scale organization.
I DO have some with small scale stuff. Groups of 20 or less brought together for an essentially moral purpose at little or no money. Which is the way most large ensemble jazz has been produced in America over the last 40 years or so.
And MY experience is that unless there is some structure and organization…leaders and followers, goals and tactics…those scenes rapidly disperse into an aimless wander.
That very nice vision of organizing “hundreds of thousands of people to come, without signs or puppets or anything, to visit their representatives’ offices for a specific issue on a given day. just all show up, individually, without a march or anything, until the lines go out the door, and there is no way to effectively control the crowd, but without any legal provocation or visible leadership?”
I think it would peter out before it got started.
And organizing several simultaneous marches from different interest groups?
Well…have you noticed suGar’s attacks here? I think they are largely ideologically and turf ownership motivated. Imagine trying to form a working, “cooperating” coalition of turfs, many with their own ideological special interests and ego-driven “I was here first, so move on over, asshole” attitudes. PLUS the inevitable moles and agents provocateur. Betcha that would fall apart before the third meeting.
Better a simple message that acts as an umbrella for ALL interests having to do with opposition to this system as it now stands.
“Don’t follow the money…lead with it. The July 4th Economic Boycott. Make yourself heard!!! Economic Indpendence Day. VAYA!!!”
With marches and demonstrations. But the REAL message?
“YOU need US!!!”
“WE’VE got yer profit right HERE!!!”
Simple.
And it would work.
The “organization” part that I am talking about is threefold.
1-Permits, flyers, dealing with different groups that want to participate, etc. The nitty-gritty of demonstration making.
2-Getting the word OUT. Press agentry in the Information Age. The nitty-gritty of MOVEMENT making.
and
3-Raising money to finance these things.
Again…I have zero experience in these aspects of a movement. And if I were to have to reinvent these wheels by myself, by the time I got them ready to roll it would be months or even years too late. Besides the fact that I simply cannot afford to stop working at what is an amazingly high maintenance job…musical performance at a very high level…long enough to really get this done.
So once again…it’s good that so many people seem to have contrary views of what should or can be done. Something like this morphs into unforeseen shapes anyway, I am sure. But what I am looking for is people who know HOW to do whatever eventually comes of it.
If anything does, of course…
Facilitators.
Anyone?
AG
Looks like a huge amount of work to create very minimal impacts. There just aren’t huge potential economic losses for big business from a July 4th boycott.
I really do not like being a diary pimp.
But…more recommendations, please. For this thing to grow it needs to be in the light a while longer.
Thanks…
AG
“I DO have some with small scale stuff. Groups of 20 or less brought together for an essentially moral purpose at little or no money. Which is the way most large ensemble jazz has been produced in America over the last 40 years or so.”
Think about this for a minute. The potential is huge if you think about it. 4000 users x 20 people = 80,000 people. Of course not all can participate but get this on every lefty/dem blog and it grows rapidly. Put a poll out for a date for starters. Not everyone will agree on the 4th. Do it democratically by vote/poll. Zero in on the date and get going rounding up 5, 10, 20 people. Each of them rounds up more and so on and so on….
Yup.
That is what I am trying to do here at the two blogs I have found that seem to be open to new ideas. (I posted the same diary and got similar responses at My Left Wing.)
As far as a poll is concerned…no. Too shallow. Talk among ourselves is better. I am making my points, others theirs. A consensus will be reached. I am already being moved by others’ logic, myself. That and logistics…July’s too close. Not enough time. It’s just that the spinner in me…I could have been an ad guy if I had no conscience…just LOVES the resonance of a July 4th date.
A day of real passion in America.
To a great degree, the ONLY day of real passion. And passion is half the battle.
AG
I think this would be great and I will mention it tonight at DFT Austin. I will also post it on my blogg later today
ONE consensus here seems to be that we need pre-existing groups to get involved.
OK…I hear you.
In NYC…because I would REALLY like to do some face-to-face stuff…what:
1-Catholic organizations
2-Union organizations
and
3-Other organizations…especially some of the people behind the Hispanic organizing…should I contact?
And please…spare me the exclusionary, one-topic-or-go-to-hell ones.
YOU know what I mean…
AG
I need more recs, here, if possible. I’m just beginning to get some idea of a consensus, some better views of things, as I watch the diary inexorably sliiiiide on down the list into oblivion.
Please.
Thank you…
AG