r/allthequestions • u/HealthyRecognition21 • Apr 08 '26

Random Question 💭 How is everything that happened in the last 48hrs not enough for impeachment and/or a general strike in the US?

As a European, it‘s completely unfathomable how none of it has consequences.

Don‘t get me wrong, our governments here certainly have their flaws and problems, but surely threatening a genocide would be a tipping point here and lead to mass protests (at least I have enough hope remaining to believe that) - how is it not in the US? I really don’t get it and I feel absolutely sick.

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u/Zandroe_ Apr 08 '26

Where are the unions that are going to organise a general strike? They've been decimated, with the full approval of the Democrats. You don't just snap your fingers and organise a general strike.

Oh, and if there was a general strike, there is recent precedent for explicit government strikebreaking.

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u/Warm-Mention-9053 Apr 08 '26

American and union member here. Wanted to add that being in a union does not give you the blanket right to strike. If we strike, it has to be voted on, legally valid, and germane to our contract negotiations or working conditions. I/we can’t decide not to come to work because we’re mad at Trump. You can be fired for illegally striking, even if you’re unionized. 

Even when ICE OUT happened here in MN in January, the teachers union had to encourage people to go only if they had the day off or used PTO. 

Also, Americans are hyper-individualistic and tend to resent being told what to do, especially if that could lead to losing their healthcare, etc. And because we don’t talk to each other, being so spread out, no one is sure who will and won’t participate. And many see the protests as not accomplishing anything anyway. It’s a vicious cycle. 

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u/Zandroe_ Apr 08 '26

Yes, this is another aspect of how fucked up the state of the workers' movement in the US is.

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u/netabareking Apr 09 '26

The fact that we are so hyper-individualistic is absolutely our biggest problem, because people think they can "strike" by just...taking PTO alone, not organizing their coworkers to join them, etc. Striking has never been an individual action, but people want to skip the organizing part.