solidarity to everyone who’s stuck in that grind and still finding the energy to push back. Since a few people asked, here’s what I would focus on if I lived in the U.S. and wanted to change this mess:
UNIONIZE. UNIONIZE. UNIONIZE.
I can’t stress this enough. In Europe, most of the rights we take for granted — paid vacation, parental leave, job security — came through decades of union pressure. The U.S. labor movement has been gutted, demonized, and sabotaged by corporations and politicians alike, but it can be rebuilt. Start small. Talk to coworkers. Normalize labor solidarity again.
DESTIGMATIZE REST.
One of the most toxic exports from the U.S. is the glorification of overwork. “Sleep when you’re dead” is not a personality — it’s a warning sign. Advocate for mental health, for boundaries, for actually using your vacation time (if you even get any). And stop treating burnout as a badge of honor.
COLLECTIVELY REJECT BULLSH*T JOB EXPECTATIONS.
Your boss messaging you on a Sunday? Don’t reply. Don’t set the precedent. Normalize saying “no” to unpaid overtime, to extra responsibilities without extra pay, to “hustle culture.” One person doing this gets punished. Ten people doing it changes company policy.
PUSH LOCAL AND STATE POLITICS HARD.
The federal system is slow and corrupted, yes, but a lot of labor reform can start local. Push for citywide minimum wage increases. Paid sick leave ordinances. Tenant protections. Local change matters — and builds pressure upwards.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO QUIT BAD JOBS (IF YOU CAN).
I get that it’s not always possible — the system is designed to trap people. But if you have a way out of a toxic workplace, take it. You are not obligated to suffer just because someone gave you a paycheck. Your dignity isn’t negotiable.
STOP WORSHIPPING THE RICH.
The idea that billionaires “earned” their way up is the biggest scam in U.S. mythology. In Europe, we look at someone hoarding $100 billion and think, “How many people had to be underpaid or exploited for that to happen?” Question wealth. Demand taxes. Support redistribution.
Look, I know the odds are stacked against American workers. But you’re not powerless. They want you isolated, exhausted, and scared. Organizing anywhere — workplace, online, in your neighborhood — is a radical act of resistance.
