Recently some diaries have appeared, reporting on the ongoing netroots organization of a general strike this
coming September 11, 2007. Various websites and blogs have spread the initiative informally, which urges citizens to refrain from shopping, work and school in order to show widespread opposition to the Bush administration's continuing disregard and disdain for our Constitution and civil rights.

The goal of this diary is not to promote the strike itself or any particular agenda thereof; rather, my intention here is to analyze responses on Daily Kos to this general strike movement and provide a brief overview of general strikes in a historical context. As can be observed in this diary from two days ago, if there is disagreement among our community members it comes from perceptions about the "organization" of the strike and the issues about it seeks to raise awareness.

Group urges higher incarceration rate to reduce reliance on foreign oil imports

'More behind bars, fewer in cars,' say experts

Ken Ustandet
La Lune de la presse internationale

Reported in the La Rochelle Times

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Citizens' Organization for National Security (CONS) urged lawmakers to pass more restrictive and draconian laws after the August 2007 recess, in order to dramatically increase the incarceration rates across the nation. The group claims in its latest report entitled Jailing America: The Road to Foreign Energy Independence that incarcerating more of the American population would decrease domestic reliance on oil imports.

At the heart of the arguments for the establishment of "security first" priorities and police-state societies, including video-surveillance, domestic wiretapping, increased paramilitary and police forces, and so on, are the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The referencing of the horrible events of that day have become so ubiquitously mentioned as to be essentially a self-perpetuating justification among politicians and public officials, both in North America and Europe. The terrorist attacks that arguably "changed everything," and most certainly established the bellicose war-footing of the Bush administration, obliged European governments to express solidarity with the American "anti-terrorism" cause, while at the same time opening the door to participation in the dubious expansion of empire, which we can observe with secret CIA prisons in Europe, or military and financial contributions to the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

'We're going to have to replace a lot of vehicles,' say automakers

Alain Terrieur
La Lune de la presse internationale

PARIS, FRANCE

After the triumpant and glorious victory of Nicolas Sarkozy over the French electorate on Sunday, when the newly elected head of state received 129% of the popular vote, automobile makers celebrated the continued governance of the conservative right. Congratulating Mister Sarkozy for his well-run campaign against the other less-qualified candidates, the presidents of Renault, Citroën and Peugeot have annonced they will continue to support conservative politics in France, in order to create a greater demand for new vehicles.

'We believe the results are completely trustworthy,' says Interior Ministry

Reported in the La Rochelle Times

Alex Terrieur
La Lune de la presse internationale

PARIS, FRANCE

Conservative presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy easily won the second round of the French elections Sunday, taking in a whopping 129% of the popular vote, sources reported to the La Rochelle Times. Socialist candidate Ségolène Royal received a mere -29%. The vote tally was based on a new computer system set up by the Interior Ministry, which used an experimental calculation method. In socialist-leaning neighborhoods, as well as areas with high percentage of government employees, all recorded tallies gave two votes per person to Nicolas Sarkozy, and negative one to Ségolène Royal. In more "normal" communities, with a white majority of households who earn more than forty thousand Euros annually, each vote was counted only three times in favor of Mister Sarkozy. According to the Interior Ministry, the new system "worked quite well" and "the result is very reliable, if perhaps somewhat audacious," explained Anne Equedotte, a spokeswoman for French polling places. "There's really no reason to doubt the results," she added. "We believe they are completely trustworthy."

French media declares 'distinguished victory' for far-right candidate after two-hour debate marked by long sentences, four murders

As reported in the
The La Rochelle Times

Luc Attmi
La Lune de la presse internationale

MONTPELIER, FRANCE

During the televised presidential debate yesterday evening between the two French presidential candidates, who face a runoff election on Sunday, conservative nominee Nicolas Sarkozy opened fire on the audience in mid-debate, killing four people and wounding ten others. The outburst of violence was caused primarily by the persistent, aggressive questioning of the Socialist candidate, Ségolène Royal. Thrown off and flustered after having been caught in flagrant lies and disinformation, the Union pour un mouvement populaire (UMP) conservative party candidate took out an automatic weapon and began firing into the crowd. Security forces intervened to evacuate the remaining participants, before Mr. Sarkozy was allowed to continue speaking and resume the debate.

Promoted by Colman