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Feral Finster's avatar

Romantic fantasies aside, revolutions happen, not when the 99% get tired of the 1% and rise up, because the 1% will do whatever it takes to maintain power. That's how they got to be the 1% in the first place.

Rather, revolutions happen when the 1% are divided amongst themselves. Often as a result of foreign threat or economic crisis.

The other condition that is necessary for revolution is for the security services to no longer stay on-side. This is why I pay little attention to the Yellow Vests, to the Dutch farmers, etc.. As long as the police and army are willing to break heads when ordered, nothing will come of them.

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SG's avatar

Besides striking another effective measure for us, not only as workers, but (unfortunately) as consumers is the BOYCOTT. For a time, it did work for us to boycott lettuce and grapes to help farm workers. But the boycott movement faded probably because we Americans are too willing to indulge in immediate rather than delayed gratification. Amazon is certainly a case in point: imagine boycotting them on a national level to insist on fairer treatment of their workers. We won't because we like getting our merchandise at the click of a computer key. Yet, if we target, carefully, industries that need reform through widespread boycotts (Walmart is another customer for a boycott), that could be another engine of change. Unlike mass protest marches and strikes, boycotts take time and are not glamorous. But could be very effective. Those who would now organize them, however, must be protected because the ruling class will destroy such very quickly. Strikes + boycotts seem a winning combination. You'd have to give up your fruits and vegetables out of season, though. And keep wearing last year's fashions and not buy the latest iPhone....

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