We heard about this earlier this week through a neighbor:
A grassroots organization is encouraging U.S. residents not to spend any money Friday as an act of “economic resistance” to protest what the group's founder sees as the malign influence of billionaires, big corporations and both major political parties on the lives of working Americans.
The People's Union USA calls the 24 hours of spending abstinence set to start at midnight an “economic blackout,” a term that has since been shared and debated on social media. The activist movement said it also plans to promote weeklong consumer boycotts of particular companies, including Walmart and Amazon.
Other activists, faith-based leaders and consumers already are organizing boycotts to protest companies that have scaled back their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and to oppose President Donald Trump's moves to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies. Some faith leaders are encouraging their congregations to refrain from shopping at Target, one of the companies backing off DEI efforts, during the 40 days of Lent that begin Wednesday. [snip]
The planned blackout is scheduled to run from 12 a.m. EST through 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday. The activist group advised customers to abstain from making any purchases, whether in store or online, but particularly not from big retailers or chains. It wants participants to avoid fast food and filling their car gas tanks, and says shoppers with emergencies or in need of essentials should support a local small business and try not to use a credit or debit card...
Some of you might not believe in actions like this since they could have an impact, however slight, on the labor market, or because the impact is likely to be limited. It's also likely the blackout will be felt more in bluer parts of the country. Here's one viewpoint:
Anna Tuchman, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, said she thinks the economic blackout will likely make a dent in daily retail sales but won't be sustainable.
“I think this is an opportunity for consumers to show that they have a voice on a single day," she said. ”I think it’s unlikely that we would see long-run sustained decreases in economic activity supported by this boycott.”
Tuchman's point about giving voice to "the resistance" is the more compelling one for us. You don't need to support all the positions of some of the organizers to participate (it's a broad left coalition, so "it's complicated"), or believe it's sustainable. But if you do decide to take off one day from spending money (or later to boycott some of the more egregious knee- bending companies), maybe you'll be making a difference, like dropping a pebble in the water.
It's a great idea. We'll be participating. hopefully it catches on.
ReplyDelete