this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2025
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Antiwork

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  1. We're trying to improving working conditions and pay.

  2. We're trying to reduce the numbers of hours a person has to work.

  3. We talk about the end of paid work being mandatory for survival.

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INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC BLACKOUT DAY!28th Feb 2025 ✊ (slrpnk.net)
submitted 1 week ago by Prpl@slrpnk.net to c/antiwork@lemmy.ml
64 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/18476518

The day to buy nothing, to make the corporations and governments experience our power. ☮️

Upvote if participating.✊

28th FEB 2025

Read more here ➡️ https://jointhepeoplesunion.com/

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 15 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I’m seeing far too many variations of national strike/don’t buy anything/everyone local protest memes that are scattered throughout February. I can hear someone argue that they might want a month filled with protest, and that’s fine, but if you’re looking at this from the outside all you see is disorganized shifting dates and objectives. Shit needs to get organized. It’s head-shakingly liberal; everyone has their own agenda, all are legit and should be heard, but they all can’t pull together to succeed with the overwhelming show of force to be effective.

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 days ago

Yeah, just like during the campaign the left can't even agree on what we're supposed to be doing.

[–] chobeat@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago

It looks like cringe amateur stuff from the inside too, don't worry

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

This came up in another thread and I am surprised it is not as well known: General strikes are illegal in the United States since 1947's Taft-Hartley Act.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft%E2%80%93Hartley_Act

Attempts to organize and exert political and economic influence have to do so under the parameters of that act. Unions can't support these things openly or officially without violating the act. So these things have to be called something other than a general strike to avoid persecution. They're essentislly stripped of major legitimizing and organizing organ: labor unions, by default.

[–] stickly@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Not a lawyer but I wonder how much teeth that law has. The GOP/Trump has put on a clinic on how to legally gum up the wheels of justice, it seems like unions could try the same. Delay, argue technicalities, appeal, rise, repeat...

For example: if you spend 2 months in court arguing about who organized what and what they're technically striking for, damage could still be done even with the strike broken up. Multiply that by a few major unions and it adds up.

You can already see a similar plan coming together with UAWs 2028 contact expiration plan. Its not a general strike, there's just coincidentally a lot of strikes at once.

Of course there's a stricter set of laws and leeway when you're not a corrupt oligarch so it wouldn't work. But it's fun to think about...

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago

Its not a general strike, there's just coincidentally a lot of strikes at once.

Exactly. These are the hoops organized labor has to jump through to get even a footing.

Meanwhile compare what the billionaire class is able to use for their signaling.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 12 points 6 days ago (2 children)

what are the demands of the protest?

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

If this thread is like the others, there are no demands but a strong intention to express general discontent.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 7 points 6 days ago (3 children)

what is being protested then?? Why make the effort if they themselves don't know what they want?

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yeah that's a really good point.

The general consensus seems to be that doing something is better than doing nothing.

I really disagree though. After a few failed attempts people will lose heart and get in line.

There seems to be half a dozen different protests now too, all on different days with no cohesive objectives

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

with no cohesive objectives

That's a pro. As soon as there's a clear motif or leader, it's very easy to undermine that single point of weakness. A general rabble sends the clear vibe of "we are not impressed, and might burn things" with the air of uncertainty to keep the powers that be on their toes.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Well I guess you can't undermine a protest that isn't protesting anything but that still doesn't explain what the point of this non-protest protest is? How would a bunch of people not buying stuff for a day keep "the powers that be" (who? the capitalists? Their politicians? The police?) on their toes?

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

"We saw a blip in <sale/metric/police safety> and we think it correlates with the general unhappiness of the populace, as displayed here, here, and maybe here."

Blips can cause panic, even small ones

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Is it supposed to hit profit margins? Because I doubt it will, people will still be buying necessities at the same amount and call me cynical, but I believe almost everyone will be buying the non-necessities the days before and after.

To be candid, it just sounds like the most toothless, do-nothing, slacktivism kind of protest that's only meant to generate backpats

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago

it could turn violent and do real damage to capital, that's the beauty of an unfocused protest -- the night is ever young

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 days ago

No it's not. A general rabble isn't going to achieve anything because they're not asking for anything. Morale is low and participants are easily disuaded because they can see they're not achieving anything. No one wants to risk physical harm or incarceration for a cause that just doesn't really exist.

[–] ZeroHora@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

In my experience, in my country, a protest without a clear goal is a quick way for right wings to rally people with their agenda.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Ukraine? Because from what I understand the maidan would be a prime-example of it

[–] ZeroHora@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago

Brazil, shit like this happened in a lot of countries.

[–] C126@sh.itjust.works -1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Don't worry. The protest won't matter at all and a large majority won't even hear about it. Gives layabouts an excuse to layabout some more.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 days ago

Don’t worry. The protest won’t matter at all and a large majority won’t even hear about it.

But that's precisely what worries me, people spending effort that goes to waste instead of organizing something that effects a change

[–] stickly@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

Nobody answer, this guy might be a fed

[–] Sylvartas@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That means I have to preorder monster hunter if I want to play it on release though

[–] JustEnoughDucks 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Must.... Consoooooom

[–] Sylvartas@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 6 days ago

Yeah I was being sarcastic because I instantly thought of the release when I saw the date. I can wait 1 day though

[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 35 points 1 week ago (25 children)

Until people start taking protest seriously nothing will change. A single day for a few hours event will do nothing to sway them. It needs to be a prolonged event that hurts them

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I dint think these general "buy nothing" days are the right way to go. Whatever people don't buy on the day will just be bought the next day.

I think it would be difficult to achieve anything more than a standard deviation in daily sales, as in its not really noticeable.

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yep. It's 1/365th of their business. That's a single day stock dip of -0.O2%

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I'm not sure about your math really.

My point though, is that weekly sales won't dip at all, you'll just buy things before or after.

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

I'm not sure about my math either, but my math is just as irrelevant as a one-day shopping boycott

[–] Prpl@slrpnk.net 16 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Yes but to reach the big we need to start small.

[–] LordWiggle@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

Luigi already did that, now it's time for the next step, or at least continue his legacy. With Musk on top of the list.

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