JULY 4TH, 2006 INDEPENDENCE DAY

[everythingsxen]

We need to organize a nation-wide general strike. The various protests and stuff are fine, we can do that while striking. If we stop buying stuff and don't go to work and everyone who thinks Bush should be impeached and we should leave Iraq now, did that, it would stop all work in the country. If we add in common cause with illegal immigrants and throw in citizenship for all illegals in the country now, this country would be totally shut down. Yes July 4th is a holiday, so no one will notice, but its an important symbolic holiday, plus when no-one goes back to work on the 6th or 7th or... etc. It would take little time for the corporations to notice and would tell the people they are bribing in Congress to carry out impeachment, withdrawal and legalization of immigrants. This seems to work effectively in other democracies, so why not ours? I have no idea who to contact and how to get this going, but that's why I am posting it here. It needs no real organization anyway, everyone just do it. Stock up on supplies for at least a month and save some extra in case other strikers need some food. If we all work together we can change this country. The right is loud and claim that everyone supports Bush, but less than a third do support him and this cursed war.


Begin :rant:
Once it's over, we repeal the Patriot Act and end the War on Terror; I think we should end the War on Drugs too. We have a lot of debt to repay and one good way to do that is to legalize and tax drugs. Then we pardon everyone in jail who is in only for drugs only (no firearms and/or other charges). The we start fixing the country; we need to rebuild our infrastructure and rein in corrupt corporations. We also need to rebuild our standing in the world and return to a more altruistic foreign policy and try to normalize relations with as many nations as possible.
End :rant:

[originalpckelly]

1. I said this a while back...

Think of prohibition: the people made the policy. There were so many people breaking the law, that it became impossible to enforce it.

Think about this: if millions of people do something against the law, what power does the government have to throw, say another million or two, in jail? None. There are more of us than there are of them.

I believe as you do, these people aren't going to go quietly into the night. The elections are rigged. You don't even have to think the voting machines are being messed with to think this, however. We don't live in a democracy anymore. These people now in office have very little chance of being thrown out this November because of gerrymandering. You might say, what about the primaries? Look at Lieberman, need I say more? I understand he is a Senator, and he is on our side, but imagine what it must be like for Republicans, imagine how little they want out of office.

One last thing: democracy is real. When the Declaration of Independence says "deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" it isn't a bunch of bullshit, it is the truth. There are simply more of us than there are of them. You see, that is where democracy comes from, its only true power is derived from our authority, and any other power they may have, pales in comparison and is an illusion.

We will show them democracy at work. They can't makeyou go to work.

And it won't be hard to get people to stay home and sit on their asses.

This plan is perfect because it plays to people's laziness.

[Selatius]

2. It won't happen unless people want it

I see the US population wanting to end the war, but I don't believe the population is willing to go as far as to invoke a general strike on a nationwide scale.

The only time I've seen a population do that is when it has been made desperate through poverty and deprivation. I've seen it happen from Venezuela to Ukraine, but Americans seem too comfortable and fat to do such things. Until they are made to feel the pain of loss, the pain of deprivation, and the pain of poverty, I fear too few people will want to do anything.

I believe if we're still in Iraq by 2008, and the economy has not improved by then, then there's a chance people would be angry enough to take to the streets in time for the next presidential election.

There are two things I have seen that can make a population move: Pain and an idea. The first forces a population to move. The second convinces people to move with or without pain. The second is the most powerful as it indicates the people have learned a lesson...whatever that lesson may be.

[originalpckelly]

3. It isn't our side alone...

there are people from every walk of life, Democrat and Republican, and they feel our government has been taken over by corporations. Then there are the millions of Democrats, whom are sick and tired of being given no consideration, and are willing to rectify that. If we could get are few million, let's say 3 million, that is 1% of the population, but three million people can have a big effect on the world. This is the Boston Tea Party, all over again.

[originalpckelly]

4. Kick:

them out!
:kick:

[everythingsxen]

6. Secondary kick

More people have to hear this idea. I know the freep-types think they are the majority.. I just hope it's not the case that most Dems are too afraid to run with this.

[Squeech]

5. United we stand

How to make it so? I don't think it matters what specific tactic, the irreducible minimum for saving this country is for the American people to take that phrase to heart and hang tough against the kleptocracy.

And of course you will note that the GOP's stock in trade is dividing people: black against white, gay against straight, labor against management, nativists against immigrants, churchgoers against secular humanists, etc. So we need to convince a majority that none of those differences matter, that the present leadership of the country is ripping off all of us, and our children. How do we do that?

[everythingsxen]

7. Why is no one saying anything?

This is a good solid plan. People will do it. Less than a third of the people support this war and *. I personally have not met a person in at least six months who didn't think * should be impeached and we should leave Iraq. And thats even hard core republicans.

As I said July 4th is a holiday, so more people will be willing to participate that first day, but it is also a Tuesday, which means a lot of people would have to work anyway. Most important of all though it is Independance Day. And if all take to the streets on July 4th, marching with banners reading:



And

LIBERTY OR DEATH

And

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

(More Jefferson quotes here http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasjeff109180.html )

A word on Thomas Jefferson. One of our most important Founding Fathers (I think), he had a good deal to say on corporations owning our country and Presidents who steal too much power. You would do well to read his life and works. One more thing, this year is the 180th Anniversary of Jefferson's death. This would be like holding a wake in his honor.

Please my brothers and sisters, if we all work together, we can restore America. And to paraphrase Ben Franklin 'We must all hang together, folks...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately.'