Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Occupy Nigeria: A general strike against the 'Cabalocrocy'

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Occupy Nigeria: A general strike against the 'Cabalocrocy'

Click here to access article by Paul Fudder from Solidarity.

With millions on strike and crowds singing Solidarity Forever, Occupy Nigeria has shut down the most populous country in Africa. ...Though big labor actions might be more common in Nigeria than in the US, folks are saying this one feels different. Maybe it's the wave of protest against neoliberalism around the world in 2011, maybe it's the corruption--facilitated by neoliberal deregulation -- or maybe it's the high unemployment rates (over 40% among young workers), maybe it's that oil is so central to the economy; or maybe it's all of this together.