Pragmatic Leftist Theory
The neolibs are too far right. The tankies are doing whatever that is. Where's the space for the people who want fully-automated-luxury-gay-space-communism, but realize that it's gonna take a while and there are lots of steps between now and then? Here. This is that space.
Here, people should endeavor to discuss and devise practical, actionable leftist action. Vote lesser evil while you build grassroots coalitions. Unionize your workplace. Participate in SRAs. Build cohesion your local community. Educate the proletariat.
This is a place for practical people to develop practical plans to implement stable, incremental improvement.
If you're dead-set on drumming up all 18,453 True Leftists® into spontaneous Revolution, go somewhere else. The grown ups are talking.
Rules:
-1. Don't be a dick. Racism, sexism, other assorted bigotries, you know the drill. At least try to default to mutually respectful discussion. We're all on the same side here, unless you aren't, in which case kindly leave.
-2. Don't be a tankie. Yes I'm sure you have an extensive knowledge of century-old theory. There's been a century of history since then. Things didn't shake out as expected, maybe consider the possibility that a different angle of attack might be more effective in light of new data.
-3. Be practical. No one on the left benefits from counterproductive actions. This is a space informed by, not enslaved to, ideology. Promoting actions that are fundamentally untenable in the system in question, because they fulfill a sense of ideological purity, is a bad look. Don't do that.
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I totally agree on needing more time to properly organize, that was a driving force behind the creation of this community.
The next 10 months would be for saving up and spreading the message, engaging with coworkers and collaborating with existing unions and pro-union organizations. 10 months of saving 5% of your income would give you a couple weeks. Ideally this would happen collectively, but even individual savings would be helpful.
Even still, a 2026 strike date would be more symbolic than anything, a demonstration that it can happen, and a promotion of wider unionization. Right now in America, companies put in quite a lot of work to advocate against unions, they're not very much trusted among the working class. A symbolic major strike that makes the news could certainly help to spread awareness.
But you're right, a truly effective strike isn't going to happen until that becomes much more widespread. Despite the focus I put on electoral action, the real progress is going to come from widespread unionization.
The problem is that 5% is simply too much for people who are at the moment already sceptical of joining a union. If you want higher cuts you need to convince already joined members of that as well.
As for organzing a strike for awareness: I don't have any data backing that up but I believe people are already aware of unions they just don't think they are a good deal for them (which is wrong btw.) . A failed strike would reinforce that.
I also believe that increasing union membership should be among the highest priorities , since the workforce is getting smaller through demographic change, which gives it more power to achieve a more equal society. I think that this can't be achieved quickly though.
Agreed. That is the primary goal. Electoral efforts are secondary and supportive. It's much easier to push the ideals we advocate when they are witnessed directly at the level they are most effective. In America, the major obstacle is the perception that unions are not good for the workers. This is a perception built and bolstered by propaganda. It will take a great deal of effort to reverse.
The primary goal is to identify and promote a course of action that reverses that perception.