This text was distributed at the November 15th mobilization against the G20 meeting in Washington D.C.
Why?
We won’t waste your time explaining the crucial moment we’re in: from
the fuel, food, and housing crises to government bailouts and
superficial reforms of the financial casino, the international economy
is in crisis. If you’re here at the 15N mobilization, you know the
damaging and predatory role banks—from the World Bank all the way
down—play in our society.
These mobilizations against the G20 are a first step—this summit is
composed of the same world leaders who helped create this problem and
they have no interest in pushing reforms that help people instead of
bankers. But we need to go further. Demonstrations are not enough to
change the state of things; besides, what would we demand? A smoother
way for bankers to exploit our savings? Better regulated speculation on
food and energy? Lower interest rates on mortgages? Partial ‘debt
relief’ for underdeveloped economies?
This is not the world we want—we need to take on the financial
system on our own terms. Now is the time for sharp and forceful actions
that attack the financial system’s source of power: our dependence on
it. That’s why we are calling for a global bank users strike!
The plan
We must withdrawal our support for the financial system. Everyday it
exploits our debts, our savings, and our paychecks—to fund speculation,
predatory lending, environmental destruction, and corporate expansion.
This will be an indefinite strike which will not end until people’s
debt is canceled just as Wall Street has been bailed out. It won’t
finish until the current international financial system is abolished
and alternatives are created that cover people’s needs and not those of
speculators.
If hundreds of thousands of people around the arranged to stop
paying their debts—and if they supported one other—they could not be
stopped. If there are a many more participating in this call by
withdrawing the money from the banks, this system that enslaves us
would be stopped.
What meaning would a delinquencies list have if everybody was
registered in it? What will they speculate with if we take all of our
money out of the banks? Let’s begin this indefinite strike! Let’s
withdrawal our money from the banks and put it in alternatives that
don’t speculate with our paychecks! We won’t pay our mortgages and we
will stay in our homes; we will not pay personal debt. Let this crisis
be paid for by the richest!
How will we do it?
We have prepared a pre-enrollment system when there are 1000 people
signed up, the strike begins. This call is at an international level,
but the aim is to promote supportive, organized local relationships
that are the true source of power against finance capital. We will
divide the enrollment lists by regions and begin regional strikes when
enough people are interested and organized.
A support network will be required for all the participants in order
to guarantee food and housing to each of us. Additionally, the strike
itself tries to encourage the development of alternative,
non-capitalist institutions in society by investing in ethical
financial institutions or community-determined development projects.
While institutions such as a credit unions and ethical banks are far
from anti-capitalist, they represent a practical alternative that
organized bank users could potential influence as they take action
against big commercial banks.
Get involved
Find out more information: http://www.17s.info and participate. Pre-enrollment is already open!!!
Crisis Group-
Catalonia
http://www.17-s.info
Bank Users Strike-
North America
http://www.bankstrike.net
bankstrike@riseup.net