Today is economic boycott day
28 February 2025
I have reposted yesterday’s essay by Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, followed by my comments.
A grassroots movement is calling on all Americans to abstain from shopping with major retailers — including Amazon — tomorrow, February 28, as part of an “economic blackout.”
The purpose is to send a clear message: We have the power. We don’t have to accept corporate monopolies. We don’t have to live with corporate money corrupting our politics.
We don’t have to accept more tax cuts for billionaires. We don’t have to pay more of our hard-earned cash to Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg or the other billionaire oligarchs.
We don’t have to reward corporations that have abandoned their DEI policies to align themselves with Trump’s racist, homophobic, misogynistic agenda.
We have choices.
Most Americans are struggling to keep up. Most live from paycheck to paycheck. Most can barely afford housing costs, food prices, and pharmaceuticals — kept high by monopolies, and fueled by private equity.
If politicians won’t hear the voices of average Americans who are being shafted by corporate America, we have to deliver our message to corporate America directly.
From midnight tonight to midnight Friday night, please: No Amazon, no Walmart, no Best Buy, no Target, no Disney, no Google, no Facebook. Don’t spend on fast food, major retailers, or gas.
Avoid using credit or debit cards to make nonessential purchases.
Buy essentials such as medicine, food, and emergency supplies, of course, but make those purchases at small, local businesses.
Consider this a test run. If lots of people participate, I’m sure a longer one will be organized.
If we want a more equitable society, we must change our habits and make some sacrifices. We should shift our spending to smaller businesses that lack the power to rig the system as Trump, Musk, Murdoch, Bezos and other wealthy people have done.
What have I done? My business has stopped using Twitter, even though we had many followers. It will take time to move these followers to other platforms. We are phasing out Amazon, although we made money by directing visitors to its site to buy medical books. Instead, we will link books directly to the publishers and ask them to advertise with us.
We may endure small sacrifices in moving from megastores (Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, Lowes) to smaller bookstores, grocery stores or hardware stores). I am willing to pay a little more and spend a little more time, knowing it will create a better society, with fewer CEOs getting exorbitant pay packages due to higher prices or lower pay to their employees. For example:
In 2023, Marvin R. Ellison, the CEO of Lowe's Companies, Inc., received a salary of $1,450,000. His total compensation for the year was $18,162,272. This included bonuses, stock options, stock awards, and other compensation.
In 2023, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen's total compensation was $15.7 million, which was an 18% decrease from 2022. This included a base salary of about $1.42 million, stock awards of about $10 million, and incentive compensation of about $670,000.
I am also avoiding fast food stores and big chains UNLESS they are known for treating employees well and are charitable, such as Costco.
I am using cash for smaller purchases because credit cards are owned by major banks. I also am using credit unions and smaller banks instead of the major banks.
I am trying to think carefully about alternatives before giving money to ANY big business, particularly if their CEO makes over $2 million per year. To determine that, search CEO salary “name of company”. Alternatively, review Company pay ratios.
We may not be able to remove Trump as soon as we would like but there are many things we can and should do, starting today, to make our society stronger and more fair.
The index to my prior essays (mostly post 5 November 2024) is here.
I have another blog on Cancer and Medicine.
You can also follow me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nat-pernick-8967765/ (LinkedIn), npernickmich (Threads and Instagram), natpernick.bsky.social (Bluesky) or @nat385440b (Tribel).
Email me at Nat@PathologyOutlines.com.
I also publish Notes at https://substack.com/note. Subscribers will automatically see my notes.
Thanks Nat. Time for phase 2!
Feeling helpless? Join the GENERAL CONSUMER STRIKE. We need to hold the American economy hostage until basic demands are met.
1) The president must respect the rule of law
2) The president must acknowledge free speech and the power of the Judiciary
If we don't spend, the economy slows...and more people don't spend.
Voters care about $$$s.
Tech Bro’s understand only the language of $$$
I
--Please buy only necessities. Food, utilities, medicine.
--Sell American stocks if you can.
--Postpone travel and renovations if you can (or drive and spend $$s in Canada!)
Right now, Trump is defying the Judiciary and flirting with a constitutional crisis. But, we are not powerless....we have the power of the purse.
We regularly boycott countries that will not respect our values. America has become one of those countries...threatening our neighbor's sovereignty, extorting from those under attack, showing no respect for the rule of law or basic civil rights. Engage in this potent legal form of protest.
Will this hurt everyone? Yes. Trump has declared war on our legal system and constitution. War hurts.
HOW WILL WE SURVIVE AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN?
--Give what you can to neighbors and food banks
--Join the gift economy through local sites like Buy Nothing and Nextdoor.
--Ask neighbors and friends for what you need.
Please post, share, spread the word any way you can and stop the shredding of our Democracy.
Thanks, stay strong and keep fighting. We are in this together.