Join me tomorrow, Dec. 8 at 7:00pm ET for a live Q&A where we will discuss the importance of mass mobilization and strikes in pushing back against our rapidly consolidating authoritarianism.
Are there any books or documentaries that give a faithful account of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and how the state ultimately crushed it and seemingly erased the Occupy movement from the public consciousness? What could current protest movements learn for it, in terms of being effective and enduring against state violence?
I was involved in Occupy movement. We were not crushed. We were removed from City Hall Courtyard where we gathered for months. We could have, and did assemble at the Friends Meeting House. We crushed ourselves by in-fighting and eventually giving up. There may have been agent provocateurs but we still folded.
Hey Chris, thank you for everything you do. Isn’t there hope that the death of our systems will lead to the birth of a new social, economic, and cultural paradigm? Isn’t this the pattern throughout history?
I believe I am already on a government “naughty” list due to a protest I made by returning my badges, awards, certificates, and other paraphernalia with a letter of explanation to Kristi Noem (I am retired US Customs & Border Protection) in protest of Trump’s fascist and cruel use of that agency. I am retired now, what else can a person like me do? I think they’ve got me on a watchlist already and I depend on a government pension.
Is it time to retire on my limited benefits, stealth camp in my van for months, while protesting full time? What in your opinion are the TOP #1-#10 protesting destination City's in the USA? #1=easy #10=difficult.
I absolutely agree both with "the importance of mass mobilization and strikes in pushing back against our rapidly consolidating authoritarianism" and that the unions (that still exist) have been systematically weakened; so how does the Citizenry (demos) of the US get mobilized to mount a General Strike and who is this "Citizenry"? Put a shoe in the cogs of the economic engine for a day! (I can't be present for your live-stream, but I'm sure that you will touch on this question in your intro.)
Chris, forces within U.S. society work to keep the people divided (e.g. along partisan blue/red lines), distracted (screens everywhere; fluff and stuff "news"), and downtrodden (low wages, expensive health care, etc.). Is it possible to mobilize a mass movement under such conditions, especially with militarized police forces and an increasingly intrusive surveillance state? Thanks.
Not surprisingly the strikes in Italy was essentially erased from the American media. Most coverage in America concerns itself with how Americans on tour can deal with the inconvenience and doesn't explain why the strikes are happening. Apparently also the two unions organizing the strikes in October have resumed their antagonism and are not coordinating their December strikes. Would the weak state of American unions (and the questionable seriousness of Americans generally) hobble any similar action in the US? The performative success of the "No Kings" events have not seemed to have led to any substantial resistance beyond the internet.
Since boycotts are the most powerful tool citizens have against those who only care about money....Why do millions refuse to do it? Even those who attend an anti-genocide protest make stops at genocide supporter Starbucks, McDonald's, etc., on their way to or from the protest.
What will it take to get millions of hypocrites to care enough to walk their talk? And stop ignoring the wisdom of people like yourself and Albert Einstein, who said, "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything."
Things seems to be accelerating at an alarming pace. I'm afraid we don't have much time left. With the majority of the working class over worked and under paid it seems like most are suffering a general malaise. How do we rekindle that fire we once had in the past?
Hello, I m a subscriber of CH on substack but 7 pm ET time is 1 am in Brussels so i went to bed and now would like to access it. But its not available anywhere i can see. Could someone help me please? So looking forward to listening. Thank you!
Given that Trumpism and Project 2025 is what may be the final extrusion of the free market and with the majority of citizens oblivious to the systemic economic/ political nature of this predicament, how do we overcome this? What percentage of the population grasps this?
Chris, do you have any suggestions on how we can work effectively as a coalition of journalists and society towards Gramsci's concept of cultural hegemony?
Are there any books or documentaries that give a faithful account of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and how the state ultimately crushed it and seemingly erased the Occupy movement from the public consciousness? What could current protest movements learn for it, in terms of being effective and enduring against state violence?
I was involved in Occupy movement. We were not crushed. We were removed from City Hall Courtyard where we gathered for months. We could have, and did assemble at the Friends Meeting House. We crushed ourselves by in-fighting and eventually giving up. There may have been agent provocateurs but we still folded.
Hey Chris, thank you for everything you do. Isn’t there hope that the death of our systems will lead to the birth of a new social, economic, and cultural paradigm? Isn’t this the pattern throughout history?
I believe I am already on a government “naughty” list due to a protest I made by returning my badges, awards, certificates, and other paraphernalia with a letter of explanation to Kristi Noem (I am retired US Customs & Border Protection) in protest of Trump’s fascist and cruel use of that agency. I am retired now, what else can a person like me do? I think they’ve got me on a watchlist already and I depend on a government pension.
Is it time to retire on my limited benefits, stealth camp in my van for months, while protesting full time? What in your opinion are the TOP #1-#10 protesting destination City's in the USA? #1=easy #10=difficult.
I absolutely agree both with "the importance of mass mobilization and strikes in pushing back against our rapidly consolidating authoritarianism" and that the unions (that still exist) have been systematically weakened; so how does the Citizenry (demos) of the US get mobilized to mount a General Strike and who is this "Citizenry"? Put a shoe in the cogs of the economic engine for a day! (I can't be present for your live-stream, but I'm sure that you will touch on this question in your intro.)
Chris, forces within U.S. society work to keep the people divided (e.g. along partisan blue/red lines), distracted (screens everywhere; fluff and stuff "news"), and downtrodden (low wages, expensive health care, etc.). Is it possible to mobilize a mass movement under such conditions, especially with militarized police forces and an increasingly intrusive surveillance state? Thanks.
Unions!!!
Not surprisingly the strikes in Italy was essentially erased from the American media. Most coverage in America concerns itself with how Americans on tour can deal with the inconvenience and doesn't explain why the strikes are happening. Apparently also the two unions organizing the strikes in October have resumed their antagonism and are not coordinating their December strikes. Would the weak state of American unions (and the questionable seriousness of Americans generally) hobble any similar action in the US? The performative success of the "No Kings" events have not seemed to have led to any substantial resistance beyond the internet.
Since boycotts are the most powerful tool citizens have against those who only care about money....Why do millions refuse to do it? Even those who attend an anti-genocide protest make stops at genocide supporter Starbucks, McDonald's, etc., on their way to or from the protest.
What will it take to get millions of hypocrites to care enough to walk their talk? And stop ignoring the wisdom of people like yourself and Albert Einstein, who said, "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything."
Apart from craven behavior, are there any other reasons that members of Congress cannot join "No Kings" marches?
Things seems to be accelerating at an alarming pace. I'm afraid we don't have much time left. With the majority of the working class over worked and under paid it seems like most are suffering a general malaise. How do we rekindle that fire we once had in the past?
Hello, I m a subscriber of CH on substack but 7 pm ET time is 1 am in Brussels so i went to bed and now would like to access it. But its not available anywhere i can see. Could someone help me please? So looking forward to listening. Thank you!
Thank you Chris! I’m so happy I could watch you live from OZ.
Look forward to seeing your amazing book suggestions! 😄
What are your thoughts on Saul Alinsky’s organizing methods? Do they still apply?
Thank you Hedges!!! A source of hope in these very dark times.
Given that Trumpism and Project 2025 is what may be the final extrusion of the free market and with the majority of citizens oblivious to the systemic economic/ political nature of this predicament, how do we overcome this? What percentage of the population grasps this?
Chris, do you have any suggestions on how we can work effectively as a coalition of journalists and society towards Gramsci's concept of cultural hegemony?