Forum Post: Stop the Consumerism
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 18, 2011, 5:22 p.m. EST by Duke75147
(1)
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Protests against corporate greed by occupying various parks around the country is small time stuff. You need to think global like a corporation. Stop the Consumerism. (a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts). Stop buying all that crap you don't need to live. Buy only what you need not what you want. After a week of ANTI-CONSUMERISM, you could take down a corporation, maybe a country. You will need to get all of your 99% to participate. Are you ready for that kind of sacrifice or would you rather just sit in a park and hold a sign that no one will ever see.
I have given in much thought and I do believe that boycotting corporations should be done. However, we need to be careful how we do it. I think that it should be done to show our muscle (consumer power) and how we can if we decide to never do business with a company/corporation again and can totally bring down a corporation.
Now, the ramifications of an all out boycott of a number of our corporations could really make our economy tank and send thousands of people to the unemployment line. Believe me, It has crossed my mind about doing a Black Friday boycott and not buy from any of the big stores to show support for the OWS movement. I think that we need to select our target(s) to boycott very carefully and give them demands. For example, Bank of America should drop these insane fees; especially their most recent slap in the face to all Americans--debit card fees. We could also boycott any other bank following suit (I know that Wells Fargo is one of those banks). Of course, we can make other demands as well. For this to work, we need thousands upon thousands of people terminating their accounts and especially people who have large accounts with these banks.. It is a numbers game after all. When they lose too much money and customers, they will know that the people still have power and they can't get away with their crap anymore.
Above all we should start buying American. Their needs to be a demand made for American-made products, so we can create jobs here. Yes, it is a bit more expensive, but we need to do this. If you want to send a message about this then maybe boycotting Walmart (the worst offender of selling us cheap foreign goods) is in order. Anyway, just throwing some ideas out there. Let's build up the small businesses in our communities as well pull away from buying from the big stores.
Power to the People!!!
"Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product ... if we should judge America by that - counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.
"Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."
Robert F. Kennedy Address, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, March 18, 1968
I buy food, and pay my housing bills...that's all i have had money for for a long time.
You're better off than me. I've fallen 2 months behind on my rent. I am scared to death.
You have my sympathies i was in the same position a few years ago, and had to move my family in with my father to make ends meet. We have been here for the last 5 years. It hasn't been ideal but there have been some advantages like the fact that my kids get to see grandpa any time they want.
But that will hurt our T Shirt sales and they are BOOMING!
Nationwide mass boycotts. I've already begun.
http://transitionus.org/
Join the Transition Towns movement - there's a Transition Town in your neighbourhood, or you can start one yourself. This is the way of the future.
"take down a corporation"
I wouldn't do that you know.
The employees are going to hate you.
More harm than good, bringing the company down just to get at the executives.
True, but do you really think a CEO will let his company fall? if this went off and suddenly income stopped these people would back peddle 90 miles an hour and do everything we asked for to get us back as customers. The reason this doesn't happen we someone normally has a dispute is because it is just that one person.....get a thousand...ten thousand...a hundred thousand people, and they will bend over backwards to do anything you ask.
I agree, but you have the power of the wallet to make a change. I don't advocate the taking down of anything, just commenting on the power that people have.
Amen. We don't need Iphones or the latest gadgets. We don't need designer clothes and accessories.
Amen. We don't need Iphones or the latest gadgets. We don't need designer clothes and accessories.