The Political Invention of the Feminist Strike – L. Cavallero & V. Gago (2021)

2011-Present, Authority, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Patriarchy, Strike, Subjectives of Refusal, Subjects Redefined, Tactics of Disruption, The Home, The Workplace, Urban Spaces, Women

Luci Cavallero and Verónica Gago discuss the March 8th feminist strike in Argentina in both global and historical context. They argue that the strike disrupts multiple domains of patriarchal society – weaving together judicial power as a gear in patriarchal violence, financial-economic power, and the urgency of demands for economic autonomy as an indispensable part of any confrontation with sexist violence.

The feminist strike enables other meanings capable of responding to pain, but without becoming trapped in victimism.

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The General Strike – I.W.W. ‘Big’ Bill Haywood (1911)

1840-1945, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Strike, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, The Bourgeoisie, The Workplace, Workers

Speech given by Bill Haywood in New York City on March 16, 1911 and subsequently published by I.W.W. in pamphlet form. Delivered on the 40th anniversary of the Paris Commune, Haywood traces the history of the general strike since 1871, its use as a disruptive tactic, and its relation with the ballot

When anything happens to disturb the profits, what do the capitalists do? They go on strike, don’t they? They withdraw their finances from that particular mill. They close it down because there are no profits to be made there. They don’t care what becomes of the working class. But the working class, on the other hand, has always been taught to take care of the capitalist’s interest in the property. You are always looking after the interest of the capitalist, while a general strike would displace his interest and would put you in possession of it.

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The Social General Strike – Stephan Naft (1905)

Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Self Institution, Strike, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, The Bourgeoisie, The Workplace, Workers

Where Naft (aka Arnold Roller) argues for the social general strike as the weapon come of age for the working class. Countering social democratic critics, Naft argues that the disruptive effects of the general strike would precipitate, if not be, the revolution itself.

The social general strike will completely interrupt production in the whole country, stop communication and consumption for the ruling classes long enough to totally disorganize the capitalistic society; so that after the complete annihilation of the old system, the working people can take possession through its labour unions of all the means of production.

The Social General Strike points to a thorough change of the present system: a social revolution of the world; an entire new reorganization; a demolition of the entire old system of all governments.’

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