Calls for general strikes began as soon as Trump was elected. They surfaced first on the traditional platforms of the labor left, and slowly crept toward the center, arriving eventually even in the Washington Post and Cosmopolitan.

For the radical left, this has been baffling — usually, the term “general strike” was only discussed on the fringe of the Left and labor movement. What could this mean, and what could it become?

So far, most commentators on the Left have been dismissive of calls for a general strike. This is the wrong orientation. A general strike is possible, but far from inevitable. The Left must do everything it can to make the move toward strike action successful.