u/WildOkra9571

This regime is in place only because American corporations think it will increase their wealth and power, and the surest way to force MAGA out is to show the 1% that fascism leads to financial ruin.

This is a reminder that you don't need to wait for a general strike to disrupt corporate operations. There are lots of little things you can do to undermine corporate profitability. And while these acts may feel small, they are no smaller than the act of voting; if enough people end up on the right side, the impact will be felt widely. Here are some simple examples for the workplace:

• Choose lower cost options that take more time
• Call that meeting that could have been an email
• Collect superfluous bids/quotes before choosing a vendor
• Go out of your way to gather excessive input from everyone before making decisions

The voter numbers in the Massie election are sketchy af, and are probably a preview of the shenanigans we can expect in November -- yet practically NOBODY is doing anything about it besides conduct a postmortem.

If we actually want to STOP ELECTION FRAUD that ain't gonna cut it. The slow, methodical, after-the-fact procedures from the Before Times aren't going to protect us from the no-holds-barred fascist takeover.

I'm just a guy thinking out loud, but it seems to me that instead of hoping people show up to protest if fraud is uncovered, it might be more effective to rally on Election Day and stay there until we're satisfied that the results are trustworthy. Now, maybe it's Election Night or maybe early in the morning after, but the point is that we should show up as the default condition and leave only when things seem right. By bringing this up now, it gives people a chance to schedule PTO if they're able to, etc. And people can rotate in and out as they need to, etc. But I think we need to get out of Reactive Mode, because it hasn't been working for us too well.

Maybe you can bring it up at your next Indivisible meeting.

Maybe you do something to build your mutual aid network. Maybe it's something targeting corporate operations. Maybe you focus on the elections. There are lots of possibilities:

• Check your voter registration status
• Bake some treats for your neighbors
• Gauge interest in a clothing swap, book exchange, or seedshare and see who's willing to help (can even just be among your friends)
• "Accidentally" misplace something (real or digital) at work
• Contact your local chapter of Indivisible
• Deliberately delay turning around a document at work by a tiny bit -- maybe just long enough that the next person will put it off until after lunch or even the next business day
• Cancel Amazon Prime

There are TONS of things we can do. Some of these are small enough that you can even do more than one. Maybe you're already doing these things, and can suggest others or get other folks involved.

ETA: A lot of people complained about the May Day action being just one day, and small actions like these lay the foundation for larger actions, by more people, down the road

We are in a war of attrition with corporate America. They want to suck us dry, leaving us poor and desperate. But we have power too, in the dollars that we spend -- or don't spend. When we help each other, we make it easier for people to avoid handing valuable funds over to corporate America.

Baking treats for neighbors can make it easier for them to skip Starbucks.

Holding a clothing swap can make it easier for them to skip Walmart.

Inviting people over to play cards or board games makes it easier to unplug from Amazon Prime.

And the connections that we build while doing these things make everyone stronger. Find the things -- even little things -- that you can do to help your friends and neighbors pull back from corporate consumption.

This regime is in place only because the oligarchs think it will increase their wealth and power, and the surest way to force MAGA out is to show the 1% that fascism is the path to financial ruin.

It has been noted time and again that a general strike is uniquely difficult to pull off in the US, but there are numerous decentralized tactics available to us:

1. Slowing work down, so that you're doing just enough not to get fired (akin to the quiet quitting that some people already do)
2. Engaging in simple sabotage -- e.g., intentionally misplacing objects or files, "accidentally" spilling things at inconvenient times, calling that meeting that could have been an email, etc.
3. Disrupting the infrastructure that corporate America relies on, e.g., blocking traffic into FedEx stations at the end of the day, when they're trying to onboard all the incoming packages

Not all of these have the in-your-face appeal of a general strike, but they're a lot easier to pull off and they're accessible now. And while these acts may feel small, they are no smaller than the act of voting; if enough people end up on the right side, the impact will be felt widely.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is one of the most important defenders of civil rights in America; and now Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab are trying to prevent donors from supporting them. If you have accounts at any of these places, they need to hear from you NOW.

"A government that criminalizes opposition is undemocratic. Financial institutions that enable it are complicit."

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Call to action from Democracy Fund:
The charitable arms of Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab have stopped processing donor-advised fund contributions to the Southern Poverty Law Center. There is no legitimate justification to this step against a nonprofit civil rights organization that continues to be a 501c3 and has not been found guilty of any crime — the precedent here is alarming. Any nonprofit perceived as a political opponent of the current administration could be next.

This is what a chilling effect looks like. When the financial infrastructure of charitable giving bends to political pressure, free speech and civil society both suffer. Courts have repeatedly rebuked the underlying campaign of intimidation against nonprofits, law firms, and public servants. DAF sponsors should not be carrying water for it.

Democracy Fund is joining dozens of foundations and philanthropic leaders calling on these firms to reverse course. Philanthropists and funders are watching — and we will remember which institutions stood with civil society and which ones folded.

A government that criminalizes opposition is undemocratic. Financial institutions that enable it are complicit.

1. Remember that Walmart used predatory business practices to destroy all the mom and pop stores in small towns everywhere. They are anti-union, with pay so low that workers have been forced to supplement their income with food stamps. And the Waltons have poured millions of dollars into the MAGA agenda. They don't deserve one f-ing cent from anyone who cares about this country.
2. Some folks have mentioned that Walmart is the only place available in their town for fresh groceries. If you have to shop there, I would like to suggest astroturfing while you're there -- openly commenting out loud about how everything has gotten so expensive, that the tariffs are horrible, etc.
3. Just because you have to buy your fresh groceries there doesn't mean you have to buy all of your non-perishables from there too. Costco offers free 2-day delivery in the continental US on orders of at least $75. This is a great opportunity/excuse to use group purchasing with friends & neighbors as a foot in the door to mutual aid. Go in together on that big pack of paper towels and split it up. Or TP, bars of soap, granola bars, whatever. Cooperative economics are a vital part of building on the May Day momentum.

WHY IT MATTERS:

1. Calling for impeachment unnecessarily restricts how people think about ending this regime. It leads them to think that removal has to wait until after the midterms. It leads them to think that the numbers will favor conviction after the midterms (they don't, actually). And it leads them to think that Somebody Else will take care of the problem.
2. Most people aren't like us, looking for actions to take against this regime. Rather, they are looking excuses to avoid having to do anything. Impeachment is the ultimate "sOMeBoDY dO sOMeTHiNG!!!" (Congress needs to step in! The unions need to step in! The military needs to step in!) And it undermines efforts to organize and prepare for more direct actions, like a general strike.
3. Impeachment is the slowest, messiest possible way to force MAGA out of the White House. There's actually greater precedent for a President being forced to resign than for being removed by impeachment. "Just you wait until midterms!" is exactly what the GOP wants us to do.

"Join us for a clothing swap and find new friends' old favorites! Swaps do not occur as one-to-one trades, rather well-loved clothes are pooled and find new homes. You do not need to bring clothing in order to participate, although donations are appreciated! We will also have mending supplies available in case your new treasure needs a little extra love."

One of the things that has struck me at the No Kings protests is that people mostly look the same -- jeans, t-shirt or other casual top, etc. I feel like it would present a much more striking image if people showed up at May Day demonstrations wearing what they would have worn to work that day -- scrubs, Carhartt, business suits, whatever. I think it would really help emphasize that people from different walks of life are coming together over this.

\[And yes, some people WFH or wear jeans and casual shirts to work, and some people won't be able to wear uniforms without taping over the logos or at all, but I think there's still value in the general idea\]

I've seen lots of complaints that the May Day Strike happening this Friday isn't scheduled to last longer. One of the main reasons why it's not longer is that most places don't have strong mutual aid systems in place to help cover people's needs. SO USE THIS WEEK TO HELP BUILD THOSE MUTUAL AID SYSTEMS. Get people thinking about how to feed and clothe each other, and help each other out in general. These don't need to be super-coordinated MegaEvents. You can just throw May Day branding on things like:

* Food drives
* Clothing/book/toy swaps
* Seed shares/planting workshops
* Free meals
* Bike/car maintenance & repair

Even just baking treats for neighbors -- it can be any little thing that we do for each other or for our communities.