Morgan...you better believe it. I am seeing a level of a kind of aggressive assertiveness in some of our D lawmakers that is exciting as hell to me. This is one of them!
A few months ago, I publicly pushed back on national strike talk. Not because the instinct was wrong...but because it wasn’t feasible yet.
There wasn’t a unifying moment...and Democratic leadership hadn’t moved with enough force to make the kind of coordination this would require realistic.
That’s changed. The landscape is different now...in the way it needs to be for a strategy like this to actually work. I believe that.
And...I learned a long time ago: some ideas aren’t “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong.” They’re useful…or they’re not. And often, the only thing that decides which one it is…is timing.
Senator Gallego is right. While we do have power in our votes, the real power is our collective economic ability. Don't believe me.... ask Tesla and ICE airlines.
Thanks Jack. This makes so much more sense than to boycott businesses without a strategic plan to help the very workers who might be at risk from a corporate collapse. A finite time to flex the muscles will do more, I think. Especially if it is in a response to a specific reason -- interfering in the elections. I too like Senator Gallegos.
We now may have a core group of progressives and democracy advocates to lead such a national strike. Sadly, that does not include the Democrat leaders, Schumer and Jefferies, who are too beholden to corporate money.
A boycott without a plan...can turn into collateral damage for the exact people you’re trying to protect. Workers take the hit first. Executives often don’t. That’s why a time-bounded...purpose-built flex can be more powerful: it’s disciplined...it’s legible...AND...it creates consequence without drifting into chaos.
And you nailed the legitimacy piece: tying it to a specific breach...interference in elections...is what makes broad cooperation possible. Clear trigger. Clear reason. Clear line.
On leadership...I agree with the underlying point. This doesn’t start with speeches from the top. It starts...with a core of credible actors...willing to draw the line and coordinate.
Sometimes, elected leadership follows late. Sometimes...they get dragged into alignment by pressure from below and around them.
Either way, what matters is that people like you are already thinking in terms of structure; who gets protected...what’s the trigger...what’s the duration...what’s the exit.
Senator Ruben Gallego nailed it: you can’t govern a country that refuses to move. When leaders weaponize government to hold the nation hostage, authority isn’t earned—it’s revoked.
Shutdowns, paralysis, and obstruction aren’t abstract threats—they’re real tests of whether the people still consent to be governed. Donald Trump and his allies may think they can coast, but consent is not a birthright. It is granted, and it can be withdrawn.
Governance requires participation, accountability, and respect for the rules of the system. Ignore that at your peril: a country that refuses to follow cannot be led.
Thank you, Linn. I’d love to say there’s some “marvel” to it, but the truth is simpler: I’ve put almost everything else I enjoy....hobbies, long stretches outdoors...on freeze. This...is all I do.
Last week, my wife said, “I don’t think you’ve taken your clothes off and actually gone to bed in weeks. You doze off working, sleep in your clothes, wake up, shower, and go right back to it.”
I hadn’t even noticed. I guess I didn’t have room to.
We’re at a moment where sacrifices have to be made if we’re going to save our freedom.
Mine is small compared to what others carry...but I’m doing what I can with the few skills I have. And...if all of us do that, in whatever way we can...we’ve got a damn good shot at crushing this attack on democracy.
We really appreciate all you do. It helps all of us to make a difference. And a big thank you to your wife and family for their sacrifice in all of this.
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK, and CLEAR ANALYSIS! 💕💕
Keep thinking that outdoor protests are anti- productive. It makes people feel better, but risks being exposed to ICE crackdown, tear gas, being beaten, and an excuse to invoke the insurrection act.
Happy to see someone is actually ALIVE in Congress.
Jefferies and Schumer got together and decided how many people they had to pressure to pass a bill, and it worked.😡😠
Your right General Strike has to be organized a certain way.
I like it because it keeps people off the streets, is effective.
Unsure how long people can keep going without getting paid.
Joan...thanks for that link. The man infects minds...everywhere he goes. We, however...are the world's most effective "antiviral," and we work endlessly to destroy every mind-virus we encounter.
Just me, but right now , the Union shops are the best to help us. They can strike, and be assured they still have a job, and back wages. NO ONE ELSE HAS THAT ASSURANCE. Therefore, national strike , very unlikely. People gotta eat.
Beverly... you’re not wrong about the practical constraint.
Union shops have structure...legal backing...strike funds...and collective protection.
That makes coordinated action more realistic there than for independent workers living paycheck to paycheck. Most people...simply cannot absorb indefinite income loss. “People gotta eat” is not cynicism...it’s math.
That’s exactly why a true nationwide general strike...is hard to pull off.
Where I’d refine the frame is this: it doesn’t have to be everyone to matter. Targeted sectors with organization and protection...can create outsized leverage. And...actions don’t have to be indefinite to be effective; time-bounded...clearly triggered responses carry FAR more legitimacy and sustainability.
Your point strengthens the strategy...not weakens it. If this were ever deployed...it would require structure...protection, and clear limits.
Movements that ignore economic reality...collapse. Ones that account for it ENDURE.
Just wanted to say, thanks for recognizing my ideas. Think it will take an Obama or all of Hollywood to pull it off. A Go Fund me for America, to replace lost wages? Who could be trusted to distribute? Sometimes, I think,maybe we need a brief, infrastructure blip. No work.. little spending. Everybody safe at home. I’m so small, and the world is so large. Thanks for helping us with your experiences.
As a lifelong Democrat and an Arizona voter since 1971, I was proud to cast my votes for Senators Gallegos and Kelly. They are men who can be counted on! Thank god, Kari Lake went down in flames 🔥
Even though I often did not agree with John McCain, I did respect his love of country and his sacrifice. Gallegos and Kelly, like McCain, did not fear or back down from 🍊 boy.
BTW, I’m not normally a disrespectful person to those who hold office or have other distinguished positions, as long as they earn my respect! 🍊boy didn’t have my respect long before 2016. I knew his time in the White House would be BAD, but bad isn’t an accurate description of today’s reality! 🤬
I have been suggesting this since the election, much to the amusement of friends. Who are no longer laughing. Good to see the reality of it laid out so meticulously inescapable, it is an excellent guide to “read and share”. Everywhere, and quickly.
In and out of peace and social justice movements for a long time, including various movements among the self employed. Pretty good thoughts, Jack, I’d go where I was asked and do what you said in general
But (you knew that was coming, didn’t you?)
Secondary gun-behind-the-door rule, to be prepared for but with not too much public discussion or writing down:
BACK YOUR WILDCATS.
When the red lines are crossed and our side begins to respond with well-planned measured actions, some folks out there are going to begin to respond without coordinating, without advising by the central committee, and in ways that are not necessarily measured and responsible. There will be immature, premature, and overdone behavior. Tl;dr we will have some wildcats.
What we must say immediately is three things:
1) unconditional amnesty and no investigations for our wildcats.
2) the reason there are wildcats at all is because you stupid fuckers tried to steal the election. This is entirely on you, Trumpsy Dumbsters and Trump collaborators
3) if you continue trying to steal the election, there will be more wildcats doing bigger things
4) we are in touch with whatever leadership the wildcats have. Later on we may choose to talk to them about de-escalation. Meanwhile we are only going to talk to them about making the struggle against you more effective until you capitulate. We will not help you suppress them; you opened the circus, but those are our monkeys.
The whole history of human rebellions against oppression, usurpation, and generalized tyranny bears it out: deplore our wildcats slightly and half heartedly if you must, defend as vigorously and endorse as much as you dare, concede nothing that the wildcats have won, and keep the bad guys wondering if the wildcats are on the brink of slipping the chain entirely.
Jack I believe there is a connection between what congress is reading in the epstein files that has made there conscious come to life because of the clarity they are reading and they are growing spines especially if they hav children or grandchildren (plus a sense of right vs wrong). The ones that have really read the files are being alarmed it seems so the only way to fight is to regain the congress to get real action and they know it. Thaks for this outline to follow and why it works.
Thank God there are people out there willing to step up and do the right thing still. Bravo Senator Gallego.
Morgan...you better believe it. I am seeing a level of a kind of aggressive assertiveness in some of our D lawmakers that is exciting as hell to me. This is one of them!
-Jack
This is great news! There are some heroes out there afterall!
Keith… YES.
A few months ago, I publicly pushed back on national strike talk. Not because the instinct was wrong...but because it wasn’t feasible yet.
There wasn’t a unifying moment...and Democratic leadership hadn’t moved with enough force to make the kind of coordination this would require realistic.
That’s changed. The landscape is different now...in the way it needs to be for a strategy like this to actually work. I believe that.
And...I learned a long time ago: some ideas aren’t “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong.” They’re useful…or they’re not. And often, the only thing that decides which one it is…is timing.
-Jack
Yes.
Senator Gallego is right. While we do have power in our votes, the real power is our collective economic ability. Don't believe me.... ask Tesla and ICE airlines.
Great examples, William!
"Collective"...there is magic in that.
-Jack
Thanks Jack. This makes so much more sense than to boycott businesses without a strategic plan to help the very workers who might be at risk from a corporate collapse. A finite time to flex the muscles will do more, I think. Especially if it is in a response to a specific reason -- interfering in the elections. I too like Senator Gallegos.
We now may have a core group of progressives and democracy advocates to lead such a national strike. Sadly, that does not include the Democrat leaders, Schumer and Jefferies, who are too beholden to corporate money.
#HoldFast
Sue
Sue...yes!
A boycott without a plan...can turn into collateral damage for the exact people you’re trying to protect. Workers take the hit first. Executives often don’t. That’s why a time-bounded...purpose-built flex can be more powerful: it’s disciplined...it’s legible...AND...it creates consequence without drifting into chaos.
And you nailed the legitimacy piece: tying it to a specific breach...interference in elections...is what makes broad cooperation possible. Clear trigger. Clear reason. Clear line.
On leadership...I agree with the underlying point. This doesn’t start with speeches from the top. It starts...with a core of credible actors...willing to draw the line and coordinate.
Sometimes, elected leadership follows late. Sometimes...they get dragged into alignment by pressure from below and around them.
Either way, what matters is that people like you are already thinking in terms of structure; who gets protected...what’s the trigger...what’s the duration...what’s the exit.
That’s how movements become effective!
#HoldFast right back:)
-Jack
Yeah, hell with those guys. We have an election to protect.
#HoldFast
Rae..we damn sure do. And...we WILL.
#HoldFast...
-Jack
Senator Ruben Gallego nailed it: you can’t govern a country that refuses to move. When leaders weaponize government to hold the nation hostage, authority isn’t earned—it’s revoked.
Shutdowns, paralysis, and obstruction aren’t abstract threats—they’re real tests of whether the people still consent to be governed. Donald Trump and his allies may think they can coast, but consent is not a birthright. It is granted, and it can be withdrawn.
Governance requires participation, accountability, and respect for the rules of the system. Ignore that at your peril: a country that refuses to follow cannot be led.
#HOLDFAST
Jane, We. Will. Protect. Our. Elections. It's as simple as that. Thank you...for being here!
-Jack
Brilliantly clear battle plan. I marvel at how you are able to research and write these posts!
Thank you, Linn. I’d love to say there’s some “marvel” to it, but the truth is simpler: I’ve put almost everything else I enjoy....hobbies, long stretches outdoors...on freeze. This...is all I do.
Last week, my wife said, “I don’t think you’ve taken your clothes off and actually gone to bed in weeks. You doze off working, sleep in your clothes, wake up, shower, and go right back to it.”
I hadn’t even noticed. I guess I didn’t have room to.
We’re at a moment where sacrifices have to be made if we’re going to save our freedom.
Mine is small compared to what others carry...but I’m doing what I can with the few skills I have. And...if all of us do that, in whatever way we can...we’ve got a damn good shot at crushing this attack on democracy.
-Jack
We really appreciate all you do. It helps all of us to make a difference. And a big thank you to your wife and family for their sacrifice in all of this.
YES, JACK!
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK, and CLEAR ANALYSIS! 💕💕
Keep thinking that outdoor protests are anti- productive. It makes people feel better, but risks being exposed to ICE crackdown, tear gas, being beaten, and an excuse to invoke the insurrection act.
Happy to see someone is actually ALIVE in Congress.
Jefferies and Schumer got together and decided how many people they had to pressure to pass a bill, and it worked.😡😠
Your right General Strike has to be organized a certain way.
I like it because it keeps people off the streets, is effective.
Unsure how long people can keep going without getting paid.
Advavtage: They can't fire EVERYONE.
# #HOLDFAST
Netty
I’m in.
Never doubted it for a minute, Rae!
-Jack
Our troops have phones, they see and know (Bl to finish reading your post)
https://time.com/7378785/trump-military-speech-fort-bragg/
Joan...thanks for that link. The man infects minds...everywhere he goes. We, however...are the world's most effective "antiviral," and we work endlessly to destroy every mind-virus we encounter.
-Jack
There’s always something or more, weather change here raining.
Just me, but right now , the Union shops are the best to help us. They can strike, and be assured they still have a job, and back wages. NO ONE ELSE HAS THAT ASSURANCE. Therefore, national strike , very unlikely. People gotta eat.
Beverly... you’re not wrong about the practical constraint.
Union shops have structure...legal backing...strike funds...and collective protection.
That makes coordinated action more realistic there than for independent workers living paycheck to paycheck. Most people...simply cannot absorb indefinite income loss. “People gotta eat” is not cynicism...it’s math.
That’s exactly why a true nationwide general strike...is hard to pull off.
Where I’d refine the frame is this: it doesn’t have to be everyone to matter. Targeted sectors with organization and protection...can create outsized leverage. And...actions don’t have to be indefinite to be effective; time-bounded...clearly triggered responses carry FAR more legitimacy and sustainability.
Your point strengthens the strategy...not weakens it. If this were ever deployed...it would require structure...protection, and clear limits.
Movements that ignore economic reality...collapse. Ones that account for it ENDURE.
Good read!
-Jack
Just wanted to say, thanks for recognizing my ideas. Think it will take an Obama or all of Hollywood to pull it off. A Go Fund me for America, to replace lost wages? Who could be trusted to distribute? Sometimes, I think,maybe we need a brief, infrastructure blip. No work.. little spending. Everybody safe at home. I’m so small, and the world is so large. Thanks for helping us with your experiences.
Question Jack (or anyone else): how can I identify a corporate Democrat? Do I have to look at the financing or election funding of each Senator?
Great question, Sherry.
Funding pattern: check who their top donors/industries are (OpenSecrets makes this easy).
Voting pattern: look for repeated “protect business” moves...weakening regulation...siding with industry on labor/consumer issues...blocking reforms.
Behavior pattern: who they negotiate for...what they water down...and who reliably gets protected.
It’s rarely one vote. It’s the PATTERN.
-Jack
As a lifelong Democrat and an Arizona voter since 1971, I was proud to cast my votes for Senators Gallegos and Kelly. They are men who can be counted on! Thank god, Kari Lake went down in flames 🔥
Even though I often did not agree with John McCain, I did respect his love of country and his sacrifice. Gallegos and Kelly, like McCain, did not fear or back down from 🍊 boy.
BTW, I’m not normally a disrespectful person to those who hold office or have other distinguished positions, as long as they earn my respect! 🍊boy didn’t have my respect long before 2016. I knew his time in the White House would be BAD, but bad isn’t an accurate description of today’s reality! 🤬
There’s been a call for a general strike for a while. https://generalstrikeus.com/
It has to be 3.5% of the population to be effective. For USA that’s 11 to 12 million people. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world
I have been suggesting this since the election, much to the amusement of friends. Who are no longer laughing. Good to see the reality of it laid out so meticulously inescapable, it is an excellent guide to “read and share”. Everywhere, and quickly.
In and out of peace and social justice movements for a long time, including various movements among the self employed. Pretty good thoughts, Jack, I’d go where I was asked and do what you said in general
But (you knew that was coming, didn’t you?)
Secondary gun-behind-the-door rule, to be prepared for but with not too much public discussion or writing down:
BACK YOUR WILDCATS.
When the red lines are crossed and our side begins to respond with well-planned measured actions, some folks out there are going to begin to respond without coordinating, without advising by the central committee, and in ways that are not necessarily measured and responsible. There will be immature, premature, and overdone behavior. Tl;dr we will have some wildcats.
What we must say immediately is three things:
1) unconditional amnesty and no investigations for our wildcats.
2) the reason there are wildcats at all is because you stupid fuckers tried to steal the election. This is entirely on you, Trumpsy Dumbsters and Trump collaborators
3) if you continue trying to steal the election, there will be more wildcats doing bigger things
4) we are in touch with whatever leadership the wildcats have. Later on we may choose to talk to them about de-escalation. Meanwhile we are only going to talk to them about making the struggle against you more effective until you capitulate. We will not help you suppress them; you opened the circus, but those are our monkeys.
The whole history of human rebellions against oppression, usurpation, and generalized tyranny bears it out: deplore our wildcats slightly and half heartedly if you must, defend as vigorously and endorse as much as you dare, concede nothing that the wildcats have won, and keep the bad guys wondering if the wildcats are on the brink of slipping the chain entirely.
Jack I believe there is a connection between what congress is reading in the epstein files that has made there conscious come to life because of the clarity they are reading and they are growing spines especially if they hav children or grandchildren (plus a sense of right vs wrong). The ones that have really read the files are being alarmed it seems so the only way to fight is to regain the congress to get real action and they know it. Thaks for this outline to follow and why it works.
#HOLDFAST
Teri
I like and respect this strategy!