Could the Writer’s Strike Actually Lead to a General Strike in the U.S.?

I recently wrote an article regarding this issue at Rethos.com and I wanted to flesh out some more of my ideas on this potential.  One of the differences I notice between the writer’s strike and others strikes I’ve paid attention to is the amazing amount of publicity this strike is getting.  Obviously, the writers have connections to journalists, so it makes sense.  But, I think it’s precisely because of this publicity that the strike could be expanded to include other corporations connected to the big media corporations.

This strike is one of those strikes that has the potential to both end up in obscurity or spark fundamental change in U.S. society.  If the networks and other media corporations are successful in brainwashing people into ignoring the strike, then it’ll be added to the obscure strikes many of us fail to remember.  But, if the writer’s are successful in keeping their strike on the forefront of people’s minds and continue to add to the intensity of their tactics, then this strike has the potential to start other strikes and so on.

In the Rethos.com article, I proposed a boycott of any corporations connected to media corporations if the strike is not resolved by May 1, 2008.   Seeing as many people probably didn’t stop watching TV as a result of the strike, it’s unlikely that they’ll stop buying things as a result of the boycott.  But, just because they might not doesn’t mean they won’t. 

By the time May 1, 2008 rolls around, we’ll have been over-saturated with presidential politics to the point where it hurts to think politically.  We’ll be swamped at our jobs trying to recover from a slowing economy.  Our families will experience extra pressure because of the slowed economy and the housing market.  In some sense, I think we’ll all lose a little weight.  And with this lost weight, we’ll be in prime condition to take our lives by the reigns.  We’ll be ready to take on the corporations and start building the communities we desparately long for.

Picture this … It’s May 1, 2008 … Mayday.  You wake up.  Turn on the TV (possibly for the last time) and realize that the writer’s strike is still going strong.  That’s the signal.  You realize that your weight has gone down by about 10 or 20 pounds and your headache is starting to get worse.  That’s when you get the call.  "Hello," you say.  "Hey.  Have you heard?  Look outside," the voice says and the phone goes dead.  Adrenaline and endorphins begin to pump through you and your heart beats faster.  You start to take shorter breaths.  You move towards the window and can already hear an unfamiliar, yet eerily familiar noisy sound.  As you open the window, the light shines in just as the tail end of a red and black banner passes your window.  The strike and boycott have begun!