The folks at ACTIVE have come up with an interesting idea. They're calling for a nationwide strike by citizens against the government, turning the international socialists' tactics against them and possibly launching a movement which will have even more impact than the Tea Parties have had.
At a time when the extreme left has become the establishment, those who support traditional American values of liberty and free enterprise are by default the radicals, just as we were in 1776 when we opposed the tyranny of British rule. I don't agree with all of the beliefs and methods which groups like ACTIVE and the Patriotic Resistance and Bureaucrash advocate, but this idea of adopting the methodology and rhetoric of the radicals of the 60s in the fight against the growing power of the leftist state in America is very appealing.
Back in the early days of the Libertarian Party this is very much the approach we took. As editor and a columnist for Liberty magazine back in those days I was constantly writing articles which sought to capitalize on the enthusiasm of student radicalism and direct it against the terrible policies of the Carter administration. In the SLS we were borrowing ideas from the SDS which had preceded us by about a decade, and we were drawing on the hardcore anarchism coming out of the anti-government riots and the punk music coming out of England in the late 70s. At the time there was only so far we could go with the idea, because Carter's incompetence made his administration too soft a target and the entire dynamic changed when Reagan came into power and drew a lot of libertarians including myself more into the political mainstream.
The days of Reagan are long over now and the champions of liberty are the underdogs again. This time we have a statist establishment to oppose which is much more powerful and much more dangerous than Jimmy Carter ever dreamed of being. The time really is ripe for a liberty revolution, and the tactics of the revolutionaries of the past are now ours to use. The liberty movement has made a lot of strides in the last couple of years and generated a huge diversity of organizations and issue groups, both inside the Republican party and among independent voters, but it's clear that a lot of these groups are looking for opportunities to take action in more radical and dramatic ways.
The Tea Parties brought a lot of different groups together with a common goal, but their effectiveness is inherently limited and they have been successfully undermined by a media disinformation campaign portraying them as "astroturf" events because of the involvement of Republican party groups and big money advocacy groups like FreedomWorks. As an idea they have also lost momentum from being overused and have pretty much run their course as an effective protest campaign.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jon Sobel
I don't get how this is a "strike." People are going to stay home from work and protest (but with something other than tea)? That's just going to hurt the companies they work for, isn't it?
The only thing I can imagine being an effective "strike against the government" would be if a whole lot of people refused to pay their federal income taxes. I've been tempted throughout my life to do this... as have many on both sides of the political spectrum. (My taxes being used to torture people... lovely!) If the government went bankrupt, that would sure teach whoever was running it at the time... good luck keeping the nation going without a military, though. For starters.
2 - Dave Nalle
The idea of a general strike is that it will shut down infrastructure. The problem is that a lot of our infrastructure is essentially government controlled, so for it to work you need to get the unions on board at the very least. That may be unrealistic in our current environment where they have been so thoroughly bought off by the government.
Interesting you should bring up the military. Have you heard about OathKeepers? I'm going to write about it in an upcoming article. It's kind of like the military declaring its own bill of rights.
As for the general strike idea, I think it's very appealing, but I'm not sure it will work. The general idea of adopting that kind of radical tactic has a lot of appeal, but I'm not convinced that a general strike is likely to be all that effective, but it's great to see people thinking outside the box.
Dave
3 - Baronius
People who work for a living are never going to strike in great numbers. That's just a fact, but also it's kind of fitting. If you want to show your commitment to capitalism, earn a day's wage. It's the most radical statement you can make.
I've been reading about members of Congress being overwhelmed by protestors at town hall meetings. Whatever you may think of immigration reform, that was a clear case of a public outcry affecting the legislative agenda. Sending emails to your representatives may lack flair, but it apparently works.
I've heard legislators and staff say that the best way to get an elected official's attention is to write a letter. Calls and email are far less effective, they say. To me, that sounds like they're sick of being flooded with protests, and they're trying to reduce the volume. So definitely, if you have the time, send a letter or make an appearance at a public event, but if you don't have the time, don't be afraid to email.
4 - Dr Dreadful
People who work for a living are never going to strike in great numbers.
The history of labor relations disproves your argument, Baronius. Unions in the US tend to have a bark worse than their bite, but that's far from being the case elsewhere. In Britain alone I can point you to the General Strike of 1926, the 1979 'Winter of Discontent' and the miners' strike of 1985, among many other mass withdrawals of labor.
I agree, though, that in the current economic climate the idea of striking is very unattractive to most working people.
5 - Jon Sobel
It doesn't really sound out of the box to me, more like desperate. The (relative) left won the last two elections largely by out-organizing the other side, but doing so within the system, abetted by superior use of the internet.
6 - Dave Nalle
Jon, I refer you to the Sam Adams quote at the end of the article. I think that's the key. We're "irate" and have had enough. After a long time of being pushed around and compromising, people are finally ready to push back.
Dave
7 - Bliffle
Another one of Daves silly and naive fantasies.
Dream on.
Even were a successful strike mounted and successful, the participants would quickly discover that their compatriots have diametrically opposed ideas of how to proceed After The Revolution. so they'd start killing each other and establish oppressive governance.
Take a look at the Russian 1917 revolution.
8 - zingzing
"At a time when the extreme left has become the establishment, those who support traditional American values of liberty and free enterprise are by default the radicals, just as we were in 1776 when we opposed the tyranny of British rule."
where were you stationed?
how do you define "extreme?"
ditto "liberty?" (and why is that "liberty" and "free(dom)" have become republican catch phrases (words) over the last few months? it's like all they do is say the words without any context, expecting that fellow republicans will get all riled up. sound bites have become bits.
i count at least a dozen uses of "liberty" in this article alone. so what does it mean, and how is obama infringing upon your liberties? and why did you not mind it when bush did the same in the name of "protecting the nation['s interests]?")
"These socialist programs will never be reversed once they are implemented, so we need grassroots protest on a huge scale before the end of the summer."
what in politics is ever irreversible? and you want "huge" and "grassroots" to happen within a couple of months? how likely is that? you're fucked if that's what you "need."
"I love the irony of using classic radical tactics against this government, because the truth is that they may have started out as radicals, but they are now the establishment and we are the radicals."
no, you're not the radicals. you're the old establishment wasting away. bye bye! see you on the other side. it only gets better/worse from here. as your generation dies off, you, like every other generation that has ever come before, are going to be appalled at the lengths the radicals go to. and as my generation dies off, i'll do the same. get used to it, you're over the hill--it's a downhill slope towards the political and earthen grave.
9 - roger nowosielski
I have to agree, zing. Just hate to see Dave die off as well. I'd like to believe there's still a chance for him. If that's all that the Reps are capable of right now, then it's indeed the end of the party.
10 - Clavos
it's a downhill slope towards the political and earthen grave.
It's ecologically unsound and decidedly un-PC to be buried in a grave any more.
In fact, it should be against the law. It should be mandatory that all human corpses be made into animal feed or fertilizer and distributed to poor farmers under government supervision; let's stop wasting our resources.
All terminally ill and handicapped people who can't work should be euthanized as soon as they become unable to work, they are a drag on our economy and the health system, and we need the money for windmills and solar panels.
11 - roger nowosielski
At least the trains will run on time.
12 - MarkSaleski
sad to say, but dave's 'articles' are reminding me more and more of the stuff that hannity is pushing on fox.
pure fabrication.
13 - Dave Nalle
Bliffle, it's not my idea to have a strike, I'm just pointing it out as an example of innovative application of radical tactics.
how do you define "extreme?"
Far outside the norm. Do you define it differently?
ditto "liberty?" (and why is that "liberty" and "free(dom)" have become republican catch phrases (words) over the last few months? it's like all they do is say the words without any context, expecting that fellow republicans will get all riled up. sound bites have become bits.
And perhaps because their fellow republicans DO know what they're talking about that means that you're the one who has lost the meaning of the word.
i count at least a dozen uses of "liberty" in this article alone. so what does it mean, and how is obama infringing upon your liberties? and why did you not mind it when bush did the same in the name of "protecting the nation['s interests]?")
Zing, you've been here long enough to know that I was just as critical of the infringements of liberty which took place under Bush. As for why more people are complaining now, I suspect that they're more willing to accept threats to their liberty when they are justified by a perceived threat than they are when the motivation is to redesign society on a socailist model.
what in politics is ever irreversible?
Entitlements. Name one which has ever been rescinded.
and you want "huge" and "grassroots" to happen within a couple of months? how likely is that? you're fucked if that's what you "need."
I know, it's a challenge. But the situation is getting increasingly dire.
no, you're not the radicals. you're the old establishment wasting away. bye bye! see you on the other side. it only gets better/worse from here.
I've always been a radical. I've just been waiting for the rest to catch up with me. as your generation dies off, you, like every other generation that has ever come before. I'm also not planning on dying off soon, sorry. I've got another 40 years in me.
Dave
14 - roger nowosielski
What's irreversible, Dave, is the present. You can't retrieve the past.
15 - Bliffle
Clavos ventures:
"All terminally ill and handicapped people who can't work should be euthanized as soon as they become unable to work, they are a drag on our economy and the health system, and we need the money for windmills and solar panels."
I take it that this is ironic, knowing (lamentably) your personal situation.
16 - handyguy
Articles I'll never finish reading dept.:
At a time when the extreme left has become the establishment...
If you believe this, you are a fool.
If you don't believe it and wrote it anyway, you are despicable.
17 - Baronius
What in politics is ever reversible?
18 - Cindy
Good article Dave. It is humor right?
You do remember when the tea baggers went to DC and were going to show the govt how the people are in charge? And they planned to dump their gazillion tea bags out wherever as a symbol of protest. Then they found out they needed a permit, but they didn't have one. So, they wrapped up their tea bags and took them all home like good, obedient little citizens.
These are the people who are going to take part in a general strike? (snoopy laugh)
19 - roger nowosielski
Unfortunately not, Cindy.
20 - Clavos
Ironic, Bliffle?
Yes, at this time. Do I think it could happen in the foreseeable future? Again, yes. In fact, one can hear the foreshadowing already in the discussions about saving costs in health care; not necessarily from the government yet, but there are people writing such thoughts already, albeit not in as extreme a fashion as I presented in my comment.
21 - handyguy
I'm half expecting a tea bag [with a wingnut attached?] to be incorporated soon into the Blogcritics Politics logo.
Will we be treated to straight-faced articles about 'continued questions' regarding Obama's birth certificate? How about the liberal media conspiracy against Sarah Palin, Mark Sanford and John Ensign? [The liberals apparently made all three crazy enough to shoot themselves in the foot. Repeatedly.]
22 - Dr Dreadful
Alas, Handy, with the exception of Roger (and occasionally Glenn) no-one leftwardly-inclined appears to be interested in writing in the Politics section at the moment.
23 - handyguy
I have considered an article about the Christian Congressmen's C-Street church/residence/support group/mindcult. But Rachel Maddow has given it so much coverage there may not be much left to say. Perhaps as a book review of The Family by Jeff Sharlat, the book that covers the scary/funny influence of C-Street.
24 - Dave Nalle
If you believe this, you are a fool.
If you don't believe it you are a dupe.
If you don't believe it and wrote it anyway, you are despicable.
If you know the truth and are just engaging in a bit of provocation and distraction here, you're an enemy of the people.
Dave
25 - Dave Nalle
Good article Dave. It is humor right?
No, Cindy. There's little to laugh about these days.
You do remember when the tea baggers went to DC and were going to show the govt how the people are in charge? And they planned to dump their gazillion tea bags out wherever as a symbol of protest. Then they found out they needed a permit, but they didn't have one. So, they wrapped up their tea bags and took them all home like good, obedient little citizens.
Actually, they did start dumping the tea bags, but then gathered them up when ordered by the police.
But I suppose you'd prefer they killed the cops and rampaged through the streets?
The difference between the tea party folks and your infantile anarchist comrades is that they believe in the rule of law, even if they want to change a lot of those laws.
These are the people who are going to take part in a general strike? (snoopy laugh)
They are at least interested in trying some new ideas. What are you going to do? Dress in black and light a flag on fire?
Dave