Forum Post: Occupy Black Friday Official Web Site
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 1:22 a.m. EST by TheScreamingHead
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Congregate here to share ideas about how to Occupy Black Friday. This is definitely the time to send a message to the 1% about our economic power, especially as elections are coming up.
Use cash... or a credit union debit card...take scissors to your credit cards and for profit bank debit cards. Support freedom, not the shackles of debt that big banks promote.
Absolutely.
I think we should pass out fliers and protest at big shopping centers to make people realize that Black Friday abuses it's workers by forcing them to cut short their own holiday, for the benefit for the company who gets to stay open later, make the biggest profit of the year for this day, and many of these retailers don't even pay overtime and many only pay minimum wage. If we could spread this message in signs or fliers, I think it would at least send a message to people that this is morally not right. The wealthy should not be the only ones to enjoy the holiday. Many retail workers have no protection for their rights and that needs to change in this country. Spread the word to your neighbors, your friends, to not encourage this treatment of workers, by not shopping on Black Friday. If people don't show up for midnight madness sales and it hurts sales rather then help sales for a company, they may reconsider changing their plan for next year.
If that's what you want to protest. Shouldn't you be out protesting on Thanksgiving too? A lot of places are now open on Thanksgiving and have extended there hours to the point where workers will miss any kind of family gathering. Just look at Kroger. They will be open from 6am to 5pm Thanksgiving day.
i like this plan. And @mandodod -- dude, u get btr deals on Cyber Monday! Just don't order from Amazon and you're fine!
Exercise of power simply to display power is meaningless. You'll just cost some of the poorest of the 99% to lose their jobs. How about we use our power to focus the American consumer on buying according to total SOCIAL cost rather than mere "sticker price" as is the norm ?
Avoid on-line shopping wherever possible. Avoiding taxes this way makes us just as bad as the 1% , and it has terrible cost on employment in the "brick-and-mortar" stores.
Press "O" when a computer answers the phone, and skip those automated self-check lanes. Yes, they're convenient, but they cost jobs, and if our values MEAN anything to us, then we can wait a little longer.
Stop using credit cards for minor purchases. At a minimum, you are giving the banks a "cut" of every transaction and, at worst, you're actually paying them interest. Use cash or your ATM card.
Buy American wherever possible. We lost our jobs because we kept buying based on sticker price alone, and American manufacturers either had to off-shore to compete with Chinese imports, or they faced closure. Again, buying American may cost you a bit more at the check-out lane, but the SOCIAL COST will be much less. Once manufacturers see we are willing to pay a bit more at check-out to buy an American product, they will make DARNED sure to put more on the shelves.
This post provides an overview of the SOCIALLY AWARE consumer : http://occupywallst.org/forum/the-power-of-the-people/ .
This post extends the prior to discuss on-line shopping and avoidance of local taxes: http://occupywallst.org/forum/we-99-also-skip-out-on-our-taxes/
This post summarizes an idea to Occupy MALL Street : http://occupywallst.org/forum/occupy-mall-street-and-change-corporate-america/
Stop using credit cards is the best and most sensible message for this season and for any purchase going forward in our lives. It's just plain stupid economically to pay higher interest on something you can get for much less paying cash. If you don't have the cash, you can't afford the stuff you want anyway.
I strongly disagree! I use my credit card for EVERYTHING that i can use i for. Why not? I get cash back on every purchase. It's basically free money. As far as interest, I pay 0% interest because I pay the card off in full every month. There's nothing wrong with credit cards as long as you are responsible with them.
Why use credit cards then? Just pay frickin cash or use a debut card. If you are using a credit card and paying them off in full every month, then you should be using cash. Obvious lie...you are typical of the type of people OWS is trying to dismantle. BTW...nothing is free...except a non for profit credit union that will pay me back every time I use a competing ATM. Will your bank do that?
Whatever, you can use your ATM card and cash, meanwhile, I'll wait for my cash-back deposit to hit my savings account from the credit card company every month :)
banks are not in business to give you money. You are paying...you are just too damn stupid to know it. You are the type of idiot that these banks love.
What am I paying on my no fees credit card exactly?
I agree 100%. My parents taught me "You can save before you buy, or you can save after. Either way you're still going to have to save. If you elect to save after you buy, you pay quite a bit more, so why not save before ?"
There's more we can do this Christmas than just putting away our credit cards. See my Christmas shopping guidelines at http://occupywallst.org/forum/ows-please-support-the-american-worker/ . If you agree, please post a comment "I Agree !" (so the post stays active), then spread the world as widely as you can using your social networks ! Thanks in advance !
I agree!
I am definitely for not using credit cards. Remember that Small Business Saturday is sponsored by a credit card company. Give em the slip by shopping at small businesses, but not using your credit card.
Did you see my new guidelines for Christmas shopping at http://occupywallst.org/forum/ows-please-support-the-american-worker/ ? I'm trying to get EVERYONE to post a "yahoo!" and commit to spreading the word as widely as possible on Twitter, Facebook, etc. I'm trying to start an American consumer revolution !
umm...yahoo?
" I agree! " would be fine ;o) The real purpose is just to get the word out... So far I KNOW it's out to at least 1,000 people by my twitter/facebook networks alone. Posting the " I Agree ! " just helps keep the post up on the forum list where folks can see it.
I intend to occupy walmart, neiman marcus, saks and tiffany.
Tell me if you see Newt at Tiffany's!!
I just saw Newt at Ben Bridge!
http://purplefastballs.com
There's nothing wrong with shopping at Tiffany. He has the money. By the way have you seen the new 2011-2012 catalogue? The Blue Book? Wonderful things in it.
Whatevz, man. He got that money by consulting for Freddie Mac and giving some bogus advice. But hell yeah I'm getting my mom a charm from that book
When he "consulted" he told them they were wrong. They didn't listen, beside Newts money is not from fannie or freddi. The cheapest item in the Blue Book is 6 figues. I like the $75,00 bracelet. You must mean the monthly catalogue. I buy baby, wedding and birthday gifts from it. You can buy the charms on line from their site.
Well yeah, I'm sure his millions are from a number of sources. Yeah...you caught me I don't know shit about the Blue Book. I'm just talkin shit when it comes to that.
But at least I can admit when I lied...unlike NEWT XD
http://stopblackfriday.com
lol at occupying tiffany
4 more days until credit card freedom. This is a cash only holiday this year. But within your means people. Reduce your personal debt first...You have an obligation to yourselves and your future...not the banks.
The banks have designed it to make you subliminally think you have an obligation to them first and foremost by promoting that material wealth will make you into someone important...when they know first hand that the accumulation of money is what makes them important. Turn the tables. It's the 99%'s turn to acccumulate money and take back control of the corruption in America..
cash only!
http://stopblackfriday.com
Occupy Christmas: http://churchofatheism.webs.com
up!
go to a homeless shelter, sponsor a family, work with poor kids on black friday or cook meals for all those that have been swallowed by the greed of big banks and wall street. That' is what the holiday spirit is all about. Buying material things makes us just as greeedy as teh bastards that run this country
I thought the point was to not use credit or debit cards issued by large banks? what sense does it make to not shop what you need on black-friday and buy the same thing expensive on another day? Isn't the point to transfer your money to credit union and spend it cash/or debit. How does it matter if you buy your clothes or food on black-friday day verses another.
What we should support is shopping local so small-business can benefit, however in this economy whoever gives best deal and quality matters more than anything else.
I do support this however in the interest of OWS.
The point is to perform this act of economic solidarity at a time which the eyes of the entire nation are on the retail sector. This will give the OWS movement more political power in the upcoming elections.
I will not go to malls. I will only shop local at my own convenience. I will only pay cash wherever I shop.
yes!
Don't let this movement die
absolutely not
boycott Wal-Mart
occupy Black Friday!!!!
Put it in motion ScreamingHead. Good web site...great cause.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w
I have noted that while some profess that the 17th was a great success, some occupiers see the whole day as a big defeat or fiasco, using up all good intentions and focus. Perhaps a joyous spirited thanksgiving, that is, a giving back, giving thanks to all the support that New Yorkers have given the movement, is in order. Perhaps 'Black Friday' could be joyously recolored to a 'celebrate engagement/social action friday.' Music, puppets, theatre, teach-ins for/at mall parking lots or Herald Square. It is an opportunity to engage and educate all the visiting tourists and unenlisted NYC families. That is, if if if OWS still has the heart, the belief, the spirit of generosity so evident across the city these past 2 months.
But now you are hurting folks who want to get great deals on computers and stuff. Why do you want to ruin our fun? We must give thanks for black friday!
It's all a big lie. There are better deals AFTER Christmas or the days before Christmas...especially if it is a lousy retail season. You WILL get a better deal if Black Friday is a bust. Retailers will panic and start slashing prices to make up for the lack of sales and traffic. While there are Black Friday lost leaders, the other products they really want you to buy are marked UP. If you must buy something...it's actually smarter to play the waiting game.
you can get better deals on Cyber Monday!
A campaign to buy local (no imported, and ideally non big business) would be my best suggestion.
Buying local and American IS also very sensible.
Did you see my new guidelines for Christmas shopping at http://occupywallst.org/forum/ows-please-support-the-american-worker/ ? I'm trying to get EVERYONE to post a "yahoo!" and commit to spreading the word as widely as possible on Twitter, Facebook, etc. I'm trying to start an American consumer revolution !
Way ahead of ya, pal. Now the ?ion is - Are you just suggesting this or are you gonna actually do it?
Are thrift stores and dumpsters considered local? That's about all the Christmas I can afford.
up!
do NOT shop at wal-mart NOV 25!!
http://stopblackfriday.com
please keep in mind you are not there to harass the workers, who probably don't have a choice but to work that day or lose their jobs. Frankly I'd like to see occupiers do random acts of kindness for these workers...show solidarity. I would only protest businesses opening at ridiculous hours (again, because of the workers).
follow the site on Facebook and Twitter and Digg it
dumm diddi dumm diddi dum dum dum
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Maybe we can start out with a much simpler statement and move on from there:
http://occupywallst.org/forum/ows-black-friday-wear-all-black-show-solidarity-fo/
I am so against that. It's lazy. I think ppl are against Occupy Black Friday because it actually involves denying yourself for a change. It won't get anybody fired. Geez. WTF the Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 385 days. This is a one day protest.
This worries me because you aren't actually going to GET anything, you're just shutting down a good part of the economy and the related jobs to make a point that "We are Powerful." So what? You haven't even figured out what you want to DO with whatever power you accumulate, and you're going to alienate many of the 99% we claim to represent.
How about something a bit less extreme ? http://occupywallst.org/forum/occupy-mall-street-and-change-corporate-america/
You get power to change the debate. People listen to the dollar dollar. No one's shutting down the economy, dude. It's a one day boycott.
You are hurting the American worker at the worst possible time. This move will kill the OWS faster than the pooping on police cars.
Nope, not if you actually read it. Occupying large stores, not small ones.
http://www.stopblackfriday.com/
ridiculous. It will achieve nothing. You can only call the intelligent people "trolls" for so long. Listen to what people are trying to tell you. People are trying to tell you what works and what doesn't.
Now it has just become a bruised ego issue with OWS.
RexDiamond, did you see my new guidelines for Christmas shopping at http://occupywallst.org/forum/ows-please-support-the-american-worker/ ? I'm trying to get EVERYONE to post a "yahoo!" and commit to spreading the word as widely as possible on Twitter, Facebook, etc. I'm trying to start an American consumer revolution !
?? My ego's not bruised.
Another shameful display this past Thanksgiving.
A holiday that was built on a lie, turning into the epitome of mindless materialism. Ironic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xL8rE9DT4g