What are we willing to do to change the course?

[readmoreoften]

Poll question: What are we willing to do to change the course?

Hypothetically, let's say that this politcal sequence continues. Either Barack Obama is not elected, or urgent action is needed before the election or perhaps Obama is a dud or he's a nice guy but simply isn't permitted to change the course of the current political sequence. By 'course' I mean the following: (1) increasing economic problems related to deregulation and corporate plundering, wealth gap gets worse, infrastructure continues to crumble (2) the continuation of the War on Terror by staying in Iraq, spying on US citizens, increasing the security state, U.S. invading new countries.

Now image the ONE thing that you just won't stand for--whatever that might be so long as it is not purely local--is an impending reality (new terror attack on US soil, serious damage to abortion rights, oil goes up to $7 a gallon, invasion of Iran or Pakistan or wherever, end of net neutrality, Cheney admits he did it all for profit and Congress refuses to prosecute, end of elections or electoral fraud puts in McCain etc.)

You feel you just have to do SOMETHING. Choose the one which you feel is the MOST you would do to stop the political sequence?

Also how difficult do you imagine the decision will be? What do you think CAN be done?

[NYC_SKP]

1. All of the above. More might be tough to do while doing the first several..

and still make a living, but I'm sure there are actions not included in your list that would be worth doing.

I might have to just move to another country, but, sadly, no country on this planet is safe from our misdeeds.

[readmoreoften]

2. Well once you're striking, you're not really donating anymore I suppose.

But other than that... Striking is a larger gesture than donating.

[NYC_SKP]

3. A one week general strike? I do have a little saved up for "special needs". nt

[readmoreoften]

6. The last one was one week or LONGER. :)

I was on strike for 6 months. It wasn't fun. I had no money saved. Fortunately I think that a week or two week long general strike would shake up the world. Some sectors could block out or slow other sectors. If you get the transportation sector on board, that's huge. It would be horribly difficult to organize considering it would violate existing union contracts and it would be difficult to sustain.

But there really isn't much of another way.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Done quite a bit already and whatever will be necessary

comes to mind

[MedleyMisty]

5. Honestly for me it's net neutrality

because I am so horribly addicted to this glowing box. Hey, at least it's more interactive than that other glowing box. And I can come up with not so selfish reasons like the net being the last bastion of free thought and stuff.

I don't know what I would do really, though - I'll have to decide when/if the time comes.

[amerikat]

7. I will give new meaning to "pitchforks and torches"

Pitchforks so we may make good compost and torches to see our way in the darkness.

I am obviously very pessimistic. I think Obama will be elected and that is good. But I also think the economy will be in shambles by then, I am fortunate to live in a rural farming community with many natural blessings such as water, farmland and cattle, a dairy and cheese industry. The winters are hard but there aren't to many summer soldiers here.

[Wwagsthedog]

8. Oil at $7 a gallon?

That's $294 a barrel. If that is what you mean, the course will have been changed for us and I don't think it is for the better.

[NewEnglandGirl]

9. All of those issues

are so important to me but honestly I don't think I could live in a state of sanity if this war continues much longer. I would be willing to give up quite a bit (not that I have a lot) to do whatever I could to change the political situation.

[readmoreoften]

10. One advantage we could have in a strike would be--that some rich people would agree with it!

Everyone would have to organize locally. You can't organize a strike over the internet. You have to know who you're striking with. You can't talk strategy on line. But the real benefit is that wealthy individials who are against the course of events could donate to the strike in the form of a strike fund. This would alleviate hunger and provide some emergency funds if it lasted longer than a week.

[NewEnglandGirl]

11. That is true

I've been through that with some local issues. And at those times I unfortunately discovered that many people didn't care unless the issue very directly affected them, especially their finances. But with the number of atrocities being carried out by this administration I find it hard to believe we would find too many people that it would not affect and move them to the point of wanting to help. I hope we don't have to find out! But if so, I hope that is true. :)

[stillcool]

12. I don't know....

my involvement is predicated on what there is for me to be involved with. I have to force myself to write letters to try and get standard recounts conducted after every election in my state. I've been writing letters for years. Sometimes it all gets really old, and that in itself shocks me. My lackadaisical attitude towards the myriad of unthinkable events that have taken place over the last 7 years is depressing.