Protest this

[kmusser]

On the stupid Not a Dime protest - my thoughts are very close to those posted by Snopes.

Want to protest? Get out there and do so. At least with the Turn Your Back protest someone might be able to tell that you're protesting. Want to protest with your wallet? Fine, avoid businesses that support Republicans, but it's going take more than one day to have any impact.

Comments

[squire-liz.livejournal.com]

*nods* that type of protest never quite works. Its impossible to get enough people to join ot really make an impact, and its made up the day before and after by people who buy what they would have bought on the day of protest. You want to protest or boycott? Awsome, like you said protest certain businesses with practices you dissagree with. And do it permanently. One day won't do jack. Join marches, letter writing campaigns. Get involved in grass roots organizations. But don't be fooled into thinking one of the 'not a dime' type protests will work. </rant

[citabria]

A lot -- and I mean a *lot* -- of protesting is about doing something that makes you feel like you've done something. The thing about Not a Dime is that *anyone* can participate, whether they're in/near DC or in Peoria. It's something that requires nothing more than some good planning, but will actually require conscious thought for most people (especially working people, who are used to grabbing that coffee or whatever on the way to work). (Don't underrate the power of conscious thought in effecting change, either.)

Whether or not it has any economic effect, it will make people feel like they've done something -- or tried to do something -- to make their voices heard. Once they've taken that first step, for some at least, the next step -- working on something more effective -- will be easier, or at least more likely to happen.

But you know what? Even if that doesn't happen? I'd rather be surrounded by a bunch of people who feel like they're doing something, or at least trying to, than a bunch of angry, resentful people who feel completely powerless. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Boycott businesses PERMANENTLY

[zammis.livejournal.com]

or at least as much as you can. Anything that'll make an impact needs to be everyday, not just one day.

All those folks in Peoria would do a lot more good boycotting Walmart for the whole year than any business for a day.

thanks to your link, i learned a new word. :)

[dawntreader]

slacktivism (SLAK.tuh.viz.um) n. Activism that seeks projects and causes that require the least amount of effort. —slacktivist n.

[kmusser]

Doing something to make yourself feel that you've done something, when in fact you haven't actually done anything seems kind of counter-productive to me. I think it encourages complacency rather than more activism. Folks do this little protest which no one except themselves will ever know they've done and then feel that they've done their part.

I do believe in the power of conscious thought, but think it would be much better applied more directly. i.e. Directing your will towards the change that that want to see happen rather than at trying to remember not to give Starbucks their $2 today.

I also agree that it good for folks to do something so they don't feel powerless, I just think it should be something that at least has a chance of having an impact. I think real boycotts, writing letters, donating money, physical protests, volunteering, rituals, even just talking to people all help, while I don't see how putting off your purchases for a day does.

[divalion.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad others are irritated by this stupid protest idea! I keep seeing it on all the lists I'm on and no one really questions it.

I could sort of see a deliberate boycott of businesses that contribute money to BushCo (although one day probably would not be very convincing) but even then it would only really make sense if the idea was to convince businesses not to contribute to BushCo, and then only if there were, say, letters going to the businesses in question saying, "This is why I'm not patronizing your business."

But I fail to see how the powers-that-be will care if a handful of Gen X neohippies doesn't hit up the Wal-Mart for snacky cakes. At best you might see a slow sales day (considering that the millions of people who voted FOR Bush are still gonna be out shopping) and there is hardly a chance of "shutting down the retail economy" for a day, and at worst it will do real damage to small business owners, probably the very ones whose customer base is made up of said misguided GXNH's, business owners who have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WAR. Besides which, even if it did work, the economy's butterfly effect is such that those same protesters could end up feeling it bite them in the ass instead of doing any good.

Argh.

[divalion.livejournal.com]

I don't think "laziness" really counts as "doing something" whether one feels like one is or not.

If those potential protesters are THAT angry and resentful, there are any number of organizations working hard to effect the changes that these potential protesters probably want to see, and they might consider going out and looking for some...or even just Googling for some and clicking the "PayPal" button to contribute to those causes.

And if even that's too much work, then perhaps they should shut the hell up and quit their bitching. =) No one is completely powerless unless they give away their power (or just don't bother to use it).

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

I concur with most folks- this makes about as much sense as "National Buy Nothing Day" (fostered by AdBusters). They make the further mistake of scheduling theirs on the day after Thanksgiving- the beginning of the great Xmas buying frenzy- ensuring that whatever effect they have will be buried under the avalanche of consumerism.

Why not: buy nothing from objectionable businesses. Write to tell them that you're avoiding them and why. Donate any savings to progressive organizations. Do this all the time, not just on an arbitrary day.

Oh, that's right. That takes work. ;-)

[sporksoma.livejournal.com]

How many times have you written to your congressman?

I have contacted my congressmen several times since the election. I have contacted the senators from my state. I have distributed pamphlets, designed and posted signs/posters, and been more active in the past several months in regards to politics than I ever have before.

Unlike other people, I hold the belief that each little thing helps. This may be a little thing, but it may at the same time help.

I have boycotted companies that contribute the majority of their profits to BushCo. I have worked to convince others that the war in Iraq is immoral and is doing nothing but killing our soldiers. I have done absolutely everything I can. If that isn't work, I don't know what is, but I'm not going to stop there and I would think others who hold the same belief, while they may look at something and scoff, would at least respect the feeling behind it.

[sporksoma.livejournal.com]

I am participating in the protest tomorrow.

I have contacted my governmental representatives, by email AND snail mail, several times.

I have distributed literature and information to as many people as I've been able.

I've joined and donated to organizations who oppose Bush&Co and oppose the war in Iraq while boycotting those who DO support the status quo.

Every little bit helps. Don't belittle the efforts....for some, it may be a step in the right direction. If you can't go one day without buying something in order to express your beliefs, even if you're only expressing them to yourself, your beliefs simply are not strong enough.

[sporksoma.livejournal.com]

As I said below, if you can't put off buying stuff for one day in order to show the strength of your beliefs, perhaps you don't have enough faith in your beliefs.

Anybody who does this protest and this one alone isn't helping much in general, no, but what about the people for whom this is a stepping stone in the right direction? Sort of a baby protest? It will do more good than harm, in the long run, if nothing else for our morale.

[kmusser]

If it helps your morale go for it, but it doesn't do anything towards its stated goal - the other stuff you do does.

[kmusser]

If it actually involved any effort I wouldn't belittle it. For me it would require more effort to go out and buy something tomorrow than it would not to do so - so I suppose I'll be participating by default, but it's by expending absolutely zero effort or energy on my part and sitting on my lazy butt - how does that help? I suppose I could see the morale benefit, but that seems pretty marginal. I'm not annoyed at you or others that are doing it in addition to other efforts, but rather those that this is all they'll do thinking its actually accomplishing something.

[hexar-le-saipe.livejournal.com]

I am going to be very interested to see if Turn Your Back actually has any effect or if all of the protesters end up behind the bleachers (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N18268160.htm") installed to give the party faithful an unobstructed view of Our Fearless Leader. Gotta love the Patriot Act.

<a href="http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/1395>See also.</a>

[kmusser]

*nods* that I find a much more interesting protest. Not a very pleasant one to do - involves waking up at the crack of dawn and then standing around for several hours in the cold until Dubya shows up. I am tempted to go down and join them, but I think laziness will win this one. I admire any folks that actually go through with it.

[hexar-le-saipe.livejournal.com]

[shrug] I just get the feeling that White House Incorporated will once again stage manage things so that the protesters are practicing their constitutional right to free speech at a safe distance... somewhere in Pennsylvania possibly, so that the world gets to see the True Face of America (tm).

Or at least the 51% of the 50% that got out and voted.

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

1. Many times.

2. I agree with kmusser and many others- I think this by itself will do nada. I don't belittle the efforts of yourself and others who're doing this and other (more effective) actions. I just think there'll be a lot of people who think doing this and nothing else counts as taking action.

[divalion.livejournal.com]

Well, you are clearly *doing something*, then, aren't you? So you aren't among the people I was referring to, nor am I referring to anyone else who hands out literature and writes letters and chooses their boycotts with care.

I'm sorry but I don't see this particular idea as "passive resistance" (although I *would* put "Turn Your Back on Bush" in that category). I also don't agree that it will do more good than harm, or perhaps more specifically I think that the "collateral damage" isn't worth it-- in other words, I fail to see how deliberately trying to hurt private businesses across the board (even for a day) is a positive form of protest when it doesn't even have anything to do with the thing being protested-- the government's handling of foreign politics. I could almost see it if it were a protest only of dealers of petroleum products, like gas stations. At least then the statement being made would be "We are willing to make sacrifices to lower our dependence on oil so that we won't be so beholden to Middle Eastern oil kingdoms". But the protest as it is, at best, is the equivalent of sending a kid to his room for something his cousin did, and at worst is encouraging people to sit on their asses and think they're accomplishing something.

I could sit on my ass too and claim I was hard at work on solving the world's problems with the power of my deep thoughts, but you know what, I'd still just be sitting on my ass doing nothing. I just don't think it's a positive thing to tell people that doing nothing, and calling it a protest, accomplishes anything. I think it's just putting a nice face on laziness. I'd be surprised if this made even a blip on the radar, which means it's not exactly doing what it's supposed to do, which is send a message to the administration. Why waste time on a "protest" that targets the wrong people and has next to no chance of accomplishing its purpose? So that people who can't be bothered to make a real effort can feel better about their apathy and tell themselves they're making a difference? Please.

In any case, it would be difficult for me to belittle an effort that, by its very nature, is already very little.

[sporksoma.livejournal.com]

You make excellent points and I appreciate you sharing them with me. I can see where your points are valid, but I also feel that mine are valid.

I do agree with you on your points about hurting private businesses. I'm sure that the majority of private business contributions (by private business I'm referring to locally owned businesses...I'm not sure if you're referring to the same thing) go to local charities and to help local families rather than fueling the huge corporate masses, and not giving them business is, in the long run, a way to hurt yourself.

In my opinion, the key component this protest lacked in its publicity was contacting the managers of local stores (like your friendly neighborhood wal mart) and specifically telling them about the protest and explaining the point.

Now that this is over, let us work together to create newer, more effective ways, of protesting and/or contacting people who can make a difference.