The NRA, you may have noticed, is pretty powerful. They do not control a workplace. They cannot strike. They do:
- Lobby effectively at all levels of government.
- Give face to and promote gun rights on TV and in the media, eg whenever children are massacred.
- Coordinate and cultivate all sorts of action in support of their cause.
- Provide various meaningful direct services to their members, eg certain sorts of legal services, training opportunities, conferences, benefits and discounts, etc.
For reference, they have fewer than 5,000,000 members (a generous estimate) and the price of a membership is currently $75 for two years. Both very small numbers considering the dramatic results they achieve.
I'd love to join the Fuck This Economy union along with 5,000,000 of my fellow Americans and see that organization become the most feared lobbyist in Washington, pushing for real solutions for workers and the working class. I'd love to have an organization to turn to for assistance when I (a poor) feel my employer is violating my rights. And I'd love to attend union meetups and training sessions on how best to further organize labor and press our case. I'd wear the t-shirt, I'd rep the bumper sticker.
Why is this opportunity not available? For context, my workplace is NEVER going to unionize and neither are 90% of them. It'd be swell but it's just not realistic.