June 14th will likely be a shocking, provocative, and scary day of grotesque militaristic, fascistic danger but also an exciting, enticing, and hopeful day of magnificent resistance in hundreds of cities across the country and in Washington too. Perhaps in Washington it will even block Trump’s military parade. But even if it does, then what? 

Jeremy Brecher has written brilliantly about the history of general strikes, for example here, and I can’t add anything to that historical accounting. To my eyes, Brecher’s writing promotes what we might call “stoppages.” For example, “a general strike and … no work, no school, no housework, no shopping” as earlier proposed by Occupy Wall Street. Hmmm, “no housework”? Not sure how that works? But regardless, you might respond, “Oh, great, sure, that would be wonderful. Everything stops to stop Trump. But it’s delusional. We are not there yet.” Okay, then how do we get there? 

Resisters assemble and act. Sometimes it is small. Perhaps a conversation over lunch or dinner. Other times it is large. Massive rallies or marches. It may occur in hundreds of places simultaneously or participants might instead travel to one or a few central destinations. Resisters highlight one issue or perhaps many issues. In any variant, we all know joyful self expression isn’t by itself effective resistance. Consequences after activity matter. However small or large, local or national, single or multi-focus, resistance is effective only if it enhances the likelihood of some future desired outcome. Does our activism create lasting commitments and organization of steadily more people? Does our activism spread awareness and win gains that generate more gains? Resistance on June 14th will seek to enhance the likelihood that we stop Trump’s agenda from installing all out fascism and also seek to reverse already enacted vile policies. Hopefully, it will not only oppose what’s being done to us, but also pivot toward positive program. You might wonder, “how does an action, event, or whatever else contribute? What should resisters do?”

First, to contribute, an action, event, or whatever has to affect both immediate participants and those who witness or hear about the efforts in ways that grow our numbers and commitment. What we do today needs to enable doing more tomorrow. Second, what we do needs to raise social costs for elites. We say shut down your oppressive agenda or feel our growing opposition to your positions, incomes, and even to the whole array of structures you thrive on. The word “growing” is the heart of the matter. What we do today needs to raise social costs for elites that convey the likelihood of more costs to come. 

Consider stoppages. Suppose as but one possibility the resistance follows not too long after June 14th’s clash with a big, beautiful stoppage. For participants, the idea is no work, no school, no shopping. You might say, “Oh sure, we can seek all that, but not everyone is going to do all that.” Not yet, of course. But perhaps some unions might strike. Some staffs might call in sick. Plenty of summer school students and teachers might join the protest. Some Malls might suffer ten or even twenty percent less traffic. Some people may simply stay home for a one day moratorium. Other people may not just abstain but also undertake a teach-in, social gathering, or perhaps obstruction and other civil disobedience. You might reply, “okay, maybe, but even if so, what’s special here? What makes this type of suggestion different, and why do you think it would get done? How would it even get started?”

Imagine as a possible follow up to June 14th there were to be a July or perhaps August one day stoppage. Who would call it? Perhaps Indivisible, 50501, the General Strike Project, Our Revolution, the Association of Flight Attendants, Bernie and AOC, the Chicago Teacher’s Union, and maybe even the UAW would take that step. Maybe those who call for it feature one core, unifying demand, “Stop Trump,” “No Kings” or whatever resonates beyond June 14th when their call for the stoppage goes out. What if then the next event were to announce that in one, two or however many more months make sense another stoppage would occur, but perhaps for two days and with two core unifying demands—for example, “stop Trump” and also “replace fossil fuels.” And then when that happens, a new call for a month or two or three later, whatever makes sense, urges a stoppage that might seek to last three days with three core demands, say “stop Trump,” “replace fossil fuels,” and “end genocide.” Next up, a fourth demand, “Enact a big beautiful wealth tax.” And so on. 

In this unfolding scenario—and of course some other approach might be better still—the first stoppage would not only itself be resistance, it would also provide momentum for the second, and likewise for each new go round. The whole trajectory would inspire other efforts as well, of course. What pace? Whatever works. What scale? Whatever emerges. No one would have to be bussed anywhere. Everyone would know what’s at stake. Resisters would engage from work, school, regarding shopping, or with whatever focus they choose. Each one day or perhaps later multi day stoppage would wonderfully inspire and organize the next, and additional new undertakings as well. Why? Because, in this scenario or any other steadily escalating and persistently operative scenario that resistance might undertake, each new activity would auger the success of the next. Each action, for example, would say to the public you can become part of a continuing and growing campaign. You can enjoy the sense of efficacy, community, and mutual aid that each action generates. Join to stop Trump’s insanity. Join to change history. Join so MAGA members’ totally warranted anger and frustration at working class indignities and subordination encounter a bigger, more steadfast, and far more relevant team than MAGA to join. Its message to media mavens, corporate executives, and elite decision makers would be that we are growing. We will not be stopped. So listen up Donald Dumbass, J.D. Jackass, and Evil Elon. Even you three self-serving sniveling sinners can see that our stoppages will get steadily larger, broader, and more scarily worse for you and yours. You will see that to try to coercively, forcefully stop us will only cause more people to join us. You will see defeat stalking you. You may as well surrender now. Because for us, there can be no surrender.  

In this possible scenario, or in any scenario where we keep growing, diversifying, and raising greater social costs for elites as we fight to win—we will win. You might still wonder, can we really actually undertake some such winning path? Isn’t a better question, how could we possibly settle for less?

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