The Docile American (Part 1/5)
3 2018-04-17 by xxnexus_polarisxx
by Zbignew Zingh
A perplexed European asked me a question: Why, she asked, have there been no general strikes in America to end its aggression in the Middle East? Why, she asked, are Americans so unwilling to force their government do what must be done?
These are not new questions. Everyone with an inkling of history and a modest awareness of international news realizes that Americans, completely contrary to the foundation myth of the American Revolution, are incredibly docile. It stings, however, when someone from the outside points out an obvious weakness.
Citizens of other industrialized countries are able to organize national actions to achieve common goals. Americans at the university, labor, middle class and working class levels, however, seem to be utterly impotent and thoroughly disorganized in any long-term, coordinated endeavor that extends beyond electoral politics. We literally struggle to organize coordinated national events.
A general strike is one of the most powerful tools of non-violent civil disobedience. In a general strike all work stops, businesses shut down, consumers do not spend money, teachers and students stay away from school, employees call in sick, lawyers do not try cases, assembly line workers do not assemble, teamsters park their rigs, pilots do not fly, doctors practice only emergency medicine, and commerce grinds to a halt. General strikes are not violent, but they cause tremendous economic hurt. When properly coordinated and prepared, they are very persuasive. General strikes have toppled governments, such as in Argentina, and they have prevented the implementation of anti-labor legislation, most notably in France and in Italy.
Some argue that Americans are simply too economically comfortable to participate in any political action more strenuous that penciling an X on a ballot. That cannot be the answer. Indeed, the notion that Americans live better than everyone else is part of our national mythology. Although many Americans reside in spacious (and heavily mortgaged) houses and, by incurring massive debt, own lots of "stuff", citizens of several European industrialized nations live, on average, healthier, more secure lives and work far fewer hours than most Americans. Certain Asian countries are not far behind. Notwithstanding their better living conditions, Germans, French, Italians and Spaniards, for example, are still more willing to take concerted political action than are Americans.
There are several reasons for Americans' complacency and Europeans' engagement.
25 comments
1 FR3DF3NST3R 2018-04-17
I went to uni with an American and when the lecturers went on on strike she wanted to meet up in the library and bash out our group project. Like 5 working class northerners were gonna cross a fucking picket line because she was dragged up by morons.
1 Ben-Swann 2018-04-17
We are the people ✊
1 NotNicerAnymore 2018-04-17
Why do you think the last decade was spent incrementally detailing to Americans the extent of the Surveillance State in which they now exist?
The knowledge of full spectrum monitoring has a chilling effect right down to the subconscious of the public.
A government cannot just announce that they record your thoughts and movements, that would be tyranny.
It must be leaked out slowly by "heroes" blowing the whistle on the rogue government in which they participated with thousands of other careerist "good Americans".
There is a certain confirmed hopelessness in America where the government is corrupt and the interests of the people at the bottom of the pyramid bear no resemblance to those running the system.
Learned helplessness should never make people abandon their responsibility as individuals.
1 TheWiredWorld 2018-04-17
Link to original?
1 ahackercalled4chan 2018-04-17
http://dissidentvoice.org/Feb07/Zingh13.htm
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
I'm too comfortable and there are too many people who want my job.
Also, when was the last effective organized strike/resistance?
1 brofistnate 2018-04-17
Oklahoma teachers.
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
Never heard of it. Too busy. Were there any funny memes?
1 irwin_normal 2018-04-17
Your sarcasm is misplaced
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
That is not sarcasm.
1 IanPhlegming 2018-04-17
Then you're really not working hard at all to find out what's going on. You are failing yourself, your family and your country.
If you have enough time to make repeated comments showcasing your ignorance, you have enough time to do a little reading of news every day.
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
You've missed the point.
1 GobBluth19 2018-04-17
No you just don't have one and want to appear as though you do
You're ignorant as to current events, and instead of wondering why you're unaware of something that's been going on, you deflect and mock others. Who does that benefit?
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
Yep. You got me dude.
1 GobBluth19 2018-04-17
then all you're doing is demonstrating that you're a massive part of the problem... read more news instead of this sub, and stop thinking in memes
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
Or, maybe I'm making a mockery.
1 White-Knee-Grow 2018-04-17
try not to cut yourself on all that edge
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
Amazing.
1 Madrenoche 2018-04-17
Amazing you made 4 comments from a 6th grader perspective.
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
Amazing you read my comments and still are clueless. Nice that you go out of your way to let everyone know and add insult to ignorance.
1 Madrenoche 2018-04-17
I try and do my part
1 irwin_normal 2018-04-17
is your denial of sarcasm sarcasm?
1 IanPhlegming 2018-04-17
There was no reason for this to be five parts. It's clogged up the front page, and I suspect you know that.
1 xxnexus_polarisxx 2018-04-17
Actually, there is a good reason. By breaking a long piece down to parts, it's easier to read. Due to our love affair with cell phones and social media, a lot of people are loosing the attention span necessary to read long articles and books.
1 Kendle_C 2018-04-17
This reads like a frustrated George Soros (Giorgi Schwarz) who can't get a return on his infiltration budget, nothing's going native, viral, nobody's died or there are no murderous riots? I mean bus 500 people here and there, same people different causes, opposition riding the same bus; there's no bang for the bus. Gonna have to dig in to find out what gets race wars started, get global back on track, scare some people, control the dialogue. Looks like we're going to have to break the economy like we did in Venezuela or Ukraine. The snipers were convincing, thanks State department.
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
Never heard of it. Too busy. Were there any funny memes?
1 DrWigglesMcGulicutty 2018-04-17
Amazing you read my comments and still are clueless. Nice that you go out of your way to let everyone know and add insult to ignorance.