Tomorrow, February 28, marks the planned Economic Blackout originally mentioned in this post, wherein we – the people and the consumers – show what is left of our power. The idea is to not buy anything for 24 hours (or if you absolutely must to do so only from local businesses) in an effort to show the corporations in charge that we still have a voice, and the power of the purchase, to rebel against corporate greed and the rolling back of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts (DEI) such as the ones Target recently eliminated (and are currently paying the price for).
It’s simple enough: plan today so you don’t have to buy anything tomorrow – whether online, at the gas pump, or some fast food joint – and let the big corporations feel what it’s like when we act as a unified community. As I’ve said before, I don’t know what, if any, real impact this will have, but I myself am guilty of over-consuming and spending, and having a day of not letting anything leave my wallet or bank account is helpful on more than one level. My Amazon orders alone are embarrassingly unnecessary, and it no longer feels good to spend at places like Target or Amazon when their CEOs are clearly supporting Trump’s tax breaks for them while slashing vital programs like Medicaid. Look it all up, as this is what the American people voted for, whether they knew or cared at the time. Too late now.
In the meantime, I’m selfishly taking tomorrow off from all spending, and I’m going to see how long I can go. The truth is that one day of not buying won’t make much of a dent, it’s up to us to revise and modify our daily spending practices. Focus on what is locally available, and make use of what you already have on hand. I’d rather keep it in my own pocket, or spread it around locally, than send it off to the billionaires who already have enough. Here’s a list of upcoming dates and boycotts that may send a message to the people in power.
