The current hostile corporate takeover in the USA and the clear loss of political power of the common people, I started wondering what happened if people used consumption as their leverage. Since the system is designed for continuous growth, what would happen if a mass movement of people stopping buying new non-essential consumer goods?
It would send a much stronger message than angry public protests. Thoughts?
Edit 1: Received some fantastic responses one of these highlighted February 28th as the “National No Spend Day” that we can consider the rehearsal.
*Do not make any purchases Do not shop online, or in-store, No Amazon, No Walmart, No Best Buy, Nowhere!
Do not spend money on: Fast Food,Gas,Major Retailers Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Only buy essentials of absolutely necessary (Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies) If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses.*
This movement is the definition of equitable, not spending means everybody can contribute within their means, and if you can’t afford to buy shit anyway, you’re already doing your part!
Not to be a dick, but I barely have enough money to cover myself and my wife. I don’t exactly have any extra money, and our budget is tighter than a tightrope wire, which I suppose is part of the point.
The definition of precariat.
Maybe… You shouldn’t have to be on a shoestring budget? Maybe this economy should let you support yourself more comfortably.
And maybe you should be the recipient of mutual aid during a general strike if you need it.
Wow, I don’t even know where to begin here. Make more money, right? Work harder? Perhaps the system should provide more? That ain’t reality. Despite making pretty good money, everything is outrageously expensive. It’s comforting to live in should/could/would land, but one has to have their feet on the ground when providing for their family.
That’s not even close to what they’re saying.
They’re saying that, given the amount of work you put in, you shouldn’t have to be living on such a tight budget. Not that you should just magically make more money.
Furthermore, they aren’t leaving anything in should/could/would land. They aren’t implying that you should be providing aid to those that need it, but that you should be receiving aid if you participated in this and fell on hard times because of it.
There’s nothing wrong with you, it’s the modern day slavery we all are suffering. You get paid barely enough to keep you alive, nothing more and they have you believing that you can someday be millionaire if you work harder. Those times are far away, you are nothing more than slave. We need to unite and stand up for our rights, it’s not left and right, it’s up and down.
Nah I know, the comment just pissed me off. I actually have my own company and do fairly well, but it’s still a fucking struggle and the wage slave bit certainly still applies.
Fucking thank you, I wish more people understood this. I’ll admit, I definitely have some conservative views in regards to finance and government spending, but damn I wish more people would realize that we everyday folk are not each other’s enemies (except for Nazis and fascist, they can fuck right off).