• comfy@lemmy.ml
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        9 days ago

        It’s more complex than that, and a protest has more important benefits than a mere direct message (incl. networking), but a ruler or military/police won’t change their mind because a million people said “I don’t like this”. There needs to be some threat, like a strike or even violence, to make them suddenly care about ethics.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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          9 days ago

          There needs to be some threat, like a strike

          To state officials, any interruption of economic activity is a form of violence.

          One reason why they are so effective and why state police are so enthusiastic in preventing them from occurring.

        • blakenong@lemmings.worldBanned from community
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          9 days ago

          Strikes are useless nowadays, at least for government change in the US. The government just says “ok, strike.” And then knows you’ll stop eventually.

          • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
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            9 days ago

            That’s inaccurate. Hell the government hates strikes so much, some states have passed legislation making collective bargaining, and strikes illegal. When a government tries to tell you that doing something reasonable is wrong, and in fact illegal, that means it’s working.

          • comfy@lemmy.ml
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            9 days ago

            The government just says “ok, strike.”

            Got any examples? Because what’s first coming to mind for large modern strikes is the train strike that the Biden government explicitly outlawed. (before the environmental disaster in West Palestine, Ohio)

          • SabinStargem
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            9 days ago

            I think that if the US government is overhauled, guaranteed UBI would be key to allowing for effective strikes. The coercive power of losing your home and going hungry is what allows the powers that be to ignore the protests of the people.

            • blakenong@lemmings.worldBanned from community
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              9 days ago

              I agree… but the direction of the world is making it very clear that won’t happen. Heck, Denmark just raised their retirement age to 70. There is no more time for baby steps. We need literal heads on plates if we are even going to keep what we have now. Just remember, billionaires don’t change and they done give up power.

            • comfy@lemmy.ml
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              8 days ago

              I think that if the US government is overhauled, guaranteed UBI would be key to allowing for effective strikes.

              In the meantime, we use voluntary strike funds for a similar effect.

    • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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      9 days ago

      If you divide the data into red states and blue states, you’ll see that police killings have fallen in blue states, but risen in red states.