A true general strike is possible in Trump's America
By Lena Afridi
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General strikes have been proposed several times in the past decade, with little interest or outright dismissal from those outside unions or leftist circles, and even from many within.
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A general strike brings collective power to the forefront. It has been met with trepidation by many Americans, in particular those people who have the most to gain from such a show of power, and also the most to lose by participating in such a broad scale labour action.
Despite the precedence of labour actions in the US, effective general strikes have not happened in this country since the 1930s. The US working class has largely removed itself from the tradition of general strikes.
Though these actions have very recently proved to be effective worldwide, including in Western Europe, in India, where only last year the largest general strike in history took place, and across Latin America, the US labour movement has generally shied away from the general strike as a tactic.
Injustices against marginalised people are very much ingrained in American history. However, this is a political moment where meaningful connections among communities and issues are not only necessary, but actually possible.
In order for a national general strike to be truly meaningful and effective, it must speak to all those that have routinely been silenced.
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https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/indepth/opinion/2017/02/true-general-strike-trump-america-170221044733116.html
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