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.

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.

  • SerotoninSwells@lemmy.world
    31·
    5 hours ago

    Uncalled for, don’t be like that, you know that’s not what I said at all

    I should not have directed that to you. Your response was not naysaying in the way I pointed out in my post. I’m frustrated but that’s not a reason to be rude. I’m truly sorry.

    So you agree the expected outcome of this particular venture is to not have any tangible impact. Are you concerned at all about people seeing that it had no impact, and as a result feeling deterred from future involvement?

    I’m not sure I implied that but it’s not what I think about today’s protest. I believe people coming together is powerful. It’s about sending a message.

    Are you concerned at all about people seeing that it had no impact, and as a result feeling deterred from future involvement?

    At the end of the day, I’m more concerned with people not doing anything.

    Over the past 20 years, I’ve read so many similar sentiments on social media that “X won’t work.” At this point, I just want people to try. I desperately want people to try. I want people to get involved. My biggest concern is that people won’t do anything because no one is coming up with the idea.

    I just think this sounds like an idea that some privileged person came up with, assuming that everyone is out there being irresponsible with their money every day.

    I see where you’re coming from with this point. I think there are a spectrum of people from various economic backgrounds that aren’t super rich that can contribute. All I’m saying is that if someone acts today it could be their first step towards long term changes on their part. I wasn’t well off when I made the change seven years ago but I’m glad I didn’t give into the notion that my change wasn’t meaningful.

    Again, I’m sorry for the harsh rhetoric towards you with my last response.

    • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
      2·
      5 hours ago

      I get wanting to see people do *anything *. I can’t disagree at all with that.

      Something I hadn’t shared is that, the way I found out about this “blackout” was when my partner came home and said “make sure to get any supplies you need tonight, we’re doing an economic blackout tomorrow in protest”, to which my first response was “if we’re just buying everything today that we would buy tomorrow, what is the point?”

      Meanwhile, today during the blackout, i assume everyone is getting on social platforms owned by these corporations to conspire about how they’re not going to patronize their services today…

      It just wreaks of slacktivism to me, which could be seen as either “better than nothing” or “a psyop deliberately orchestrated BY the corporations to make social groups feel like they’re doing something, when they’re really just spinning their wheels/tiring themselves out”.

      IMHO if we’re going to take group action, it’s vital that the desired outcome is clearly defined, and we don’t stop until that is accomplished. The strategy of “let’s shoot our shot, then go back to our lives, and cross our fingers that there’s some latent impact” should be widely regarded as what not to do. That’s why unions have strikes the way they do. You can picket all day, but in order to force change you have to draw a line and all agree to cross it (or not cross it, whatever the metaphor calls for, idk).