Don't Feed the Fascists

A quick thing about the day of boycotting ahead: I’m participating, and if you feel at all moved, you should do so, too.

The idea is to abstain from shopping at big retail chains: Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Amazon, etc. There’s no need to starve your local independent stores of business, but deliberately turning away from billionaire-led enterprises that are helping to support this kakistocracy we’re all being subjected to would be great.

A digital blackout also makes a lot of sense. Give yourself a break from social media, or any media that is allowing itself to be wrangled to legitimize or sane-wash this intense, awful political moment we’re in. Other creative answers could be to unsubscribe from email advertisements, or to leave things hanging in the carts of places you might normally shop that are your targets in this boycott.

One day makes an impact, and if you can do more, even better! In a world of increasing speed where we are inundated with advertisements and enticed into a lot of convenience spending, it’s easy to lose track of where we’re flinging our money and what it’s supporting. Even a day of boycotting can be an excellent reset as we think through how we want to participate in this capitalist mess we’re all stewing in. And, of course, if you keep it up, that sends an even bigger message.

Collectively, protests and boycotts can shift cultural tides. Already, boycotts have triggered shareholder conversations about how corporations have bent the knee to the orange oaf on their policies. Your wallet isn’t the only place to flex muscle right now, but it’s certainly worth doing to the best of your ability.

Don’t go hungry. Don’t miss out on medications you need or essential items. If you forget, just reset. Treat it like a meditation; if your attention drifts, just let yourself come back to the practice at hand. Focus your frustrations outward and back to action, rather than wasting energy on self-talk that demands perfection.

A friend of mine years ago said, while we were protesting against the impending invasion of Iraq, that she hoped that people acquired a taste for protest, that they learned to find that solidarity and strength in demanding better. Overwhelm is understandable, but all actions start small. Start where you are.