by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
Our democratic republic finds itself at a crossroads. From now until around January 2025, the United States is probably going to go through an unpreceded era of instability as we lurch towards the existential choice of autocracy or civil war.
At the moment, we have the first ping from that dark future in the guise of the Dobbs decision. And, as such, something has to happen in the real world to address this particular clusterfuck. If both men and women want to protect what’s left of their American birthright — that of living in a Western democracy — something’s gotta give in the real world.
Instead of mentally whacking off and daydreaming about solutions that simply will not, can not be effectuated, someone, somewhere needs to risk their life and scared honor by doing something risky in the real world.
And, to me, the obvious risky move would be to organize a Women’s General Strike. Use the existing infrastructural associated with the Women’s March to get all intersectional on the patriarchy’s ass and get a female stock broker in Manhattan to decline to go to work on the same day as a African American cleaning lady in Mississippi.
History has proven that when women collectively get pissed shit changes. And, as such, if we want to save our American democratic birthright, women need to kick Republicans in the crotch — they need to attack them economically. Women could bring the country to its knees within a few days if they simply said — we’re not going to work until you codify Roe and give us an promise that SCOTUS won’t overturn it.
Or, if you REALLY wanted to get radical — you say, “Women aren’t going to work until abortion rights are codified in the Constitution.”
This is really fantastical because women are such a diverse voting group that it’s really hard to get them all on the same page, especially within the context of a nation of 335 million people. But you’ve got to start somewhere.
It’s just annoying in the extreme that you have so many angry, motivated women and there just isn’t the leadership to help organize them to ACTUALLY slay the patriarchy. Sigh.
