We frame economic power as a contest between capital and labor, but the real star of the American economy is consumer spending, which accounts for 68% of GDP. The Great Recession saw a 3.4% drop in consumer spending — at the time, the most severe year-over-year decline since World War II. The U.S. economy registered a 9.8% drop in consumer spending during the second quarter of 2020, when Covid shut down the world as we knew it. In both instances the U.S. government responded aggressively, spending hundreds of billions, primarily on bailouts, to pull us out of the Great Recession, and trillions, primarily in direct aid, to get us through the pandemic. The lesson? When consumers stop spending, American leaders start listening. As Geo Hussar explained to his YouTube followers at the end of September, “this is not seizing the means of production, but seizing the means of consumption,” adding that if every American dropped their consumption, on average, by 2%, “that would be the most loud and potent form of protest.”
We are in the middle of a five alarm fire, and while most of the country remains oblivious, too many in the resistance are wasting time discussing how to organize and implement a fire department. What’s needed from the general public is total non cooperation and a general Spending Strike. NOW!
During the Vietnam/Nixon/Civil Rights Era, targeted boycotts were a hot topic on the left. Almost all failed because it was too complicated. Too many corporations to keep track of. Much the same today.
The Montgomery bus boycott worked because of its simplicity, but it took a year, after fifteen years of organizing, and those folks were highly motivated and had very charismatic leaders. People now talk about Tesla and Target boycotts working, but they haven’t. Neither company has changed their behavior. Losing stock value is not success.
Disney boycott:
Hurrah! A targeted boycott that worked. (Or did it? Some argue that Kimmel’s contract was the motivating factor.) A good first step. But if you start boycotting all the corporations that are enabling the fascist takeover of the country, soon you’re at a general spending strike, which is a good thing. Let’s do it!
We, the People, can’t easily or safely withhold our tax dollars that are allowing this corrupt government to function. Our tax dollars fund the fascist takeover.
But as consumers we can indirectly withhold our tax dollars. Consumer spending is about 70% of the economy. That spending ends up as tax dollars. Stop unnecessary spending and the money funding the fascist takeover will disappear.
Why targeted boycotts are ineffective:
Boycotts often fail because they require massive, sustained participation to create meaningful financial pressure, lack clear alternatives for consumers, generate insufficient negative media attention, and are easily weathered by companies waiting for the protest to fade. Additionally, the complex nature of modern capitalism and the proliferation of corporate conglomerates can make it difficult for boycotters to effectively target and impact a company's bottom line or reputation, especially when companies have multiple revenue streams, like real estate, that aren't affected by consumer boycotts.
In 2020, Goya Foods praised President Donald Trump on social media, which caused those in opposition to Trump to boycott their products. Trump loyalists simultaneously initated a counter-boycott, where consumers bought mass quantities of their products, in response. The boycott caused Goya profits to increase dramatically because Trump supporters started an opposing campaign.
Targeted boycotts are used to change the behavior of a corporation. We are trying to change the behavior of a fascist regime, an entire government. We must attack the entire economy.
“It’s the economy, stupid” as James Carville famously told Bill Clinton. It was then, and still is, in politics. The reelection of His Royal Heinous is largely attributed to the misperceived state of the economy. That’s what must be attacked, not individual corporations. The overall economy must suffer before the oligarchs (Greedy Bastards) will pay attention.
HRH will not destroy the economy on his own (TACO). He will find a way to prop it up (like lower interest rates) because the economy and stock market are his report card and key to keeping power. The key to keeping power, as it is in Russia, China, Hungary, Turkey. They give the people a somewhat decent standard of living, and in exchange, the people have no political power. Only the autocrat has that. Unlimited.
It will be up to the people to effect the economic pressure necessary to stop and reverse the fascist takeover of America.
Spending Strike. Stop spending except on essentials. We, the People, are funding the fascist takeover of America. Please help us Spread the Word!, far, wide, and quickly, before the fascists takedown our means of communication.
All of the arrows can do damage in the quiver of Resistance. There is no one solution. Do what you can, where you can, when you can, with what you have (or can do without).
If the Clintons are agreeing to testify, they should be given all of the un-redacted files. They have a right to know about any incriminating documents.
Good Lord! I had no idea the folks from 50501 were so old. These songs are ancient. There are new songs out there, some of them already viral. BTW, while a great song, Fortunate Son tells a story from the Viet Nam era when the USA still had a military draft. Decidedly out-of-date.
ICE - Fuck You! by scaredketchup
Shit City - Carsie Blanton
Keep The Little Flame Alive - Carsie Blanton
We're From Minnesota - Michael Shynes
Streets of Minnesota - Bruce Springsteen
Join Ice - Jesse Welles
Get the ICE Out - John D. Cundle
The Folks From Minnesota - Penka Jane
Three Shots - The Midnight Republic
Bad News - Zack Bryan
City of Heroes - Billy Bragg
I'll throw in one from the past because it is incredibly apropos.
Know Your Rights - The Clash
You can find all these songs on You Tube. Check out more Carsie Blanton, too. I only included two of her songs but there's so many protest songs by her on You Tube, all of them brilliant. She's the real thing.
This powerful tribute song was written in honor of Martin Luther King shortly after his assassination in 1968 during the Civil Rights Movement. Sadly we are still dreaming of a better land where all our brothers walk hand in hand.
If I Can Dream
Song by Elvis Presley ‧ 1968
There must be lights burning brighter somewhere
Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue
If I can dream of a better land
Where all my brothers walk hand in hand
Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true
Oh why
There must be peace and understanding sometime
Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear
If I can dream of a warmer sun
Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear
We're lost in a cloud
With too much rain
We're trapped in a world
That's troubled with pain
But as long as a man
Has the strength to dream
He can redeem his soul and fly
Deep in my heart there's a trembling question
Still I am sure that the answer, answer's gonna come somehow
Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle, yeah
Exactly the method to topple The Donald from his perch of power, constant pressure for complete Epstein files. No more trickle down releasing, EVERYTHING. Protection for the victims, of course. But shielding the perpetrators, NO. I, for one, am fed up with this country becoming nothing more than a feeding frenzy for the rich and powerful. The most undeserving have beaten down the most vulnerable among us in their unrelenting quest for more, more, more of whatever they want. They are never satisfied. And they never will be, you can bet on it.
Jesse Wells has many amazing protest songs and keeps adding. Jordan Smart and Carsie Blanton. The thing about social unrest is that it drives a surge in musical creativity.
From No mercy/No malice
By Professor Scott Galloway
We frame economic power as a contest between capital and labor, but the real star of the American economy is consumer spending, which accounts for 68% of GDP. The Great Recession saw a 3.4% drop in consumer spending — at the time, the most severe year-over-year decline since World War II. The U.S. economy registered a 9.8% drop in consumer spending during the second quarter of 2020, when Covid shut down the world as we knew it. In both instances the U.S. government responded aggressively, spending hundreds of billions, primarily on bailouts, to pull us out of the Great Recession, and trillions, primarily in direct aid, to get us through the pandemic. The lesson? When consumers stop spending, American leaders start listening. As Geo Hussar explained to his YouTube followers at the end of September, “this is not seizing the means of production, but seizing the means of consumption,” adding that if every American dropped their consumption, on average, by 2%, “that would be the most loud and potent form of protest.”
Here’s Galloway’s quick how-to guide on unsubscribing which is excellent. Please spread it far and wide:
https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/
His unsubscribe is a good first step but:
Targeted Boycotts are Ineffective
We are in the middle of a five alarm fire, and while most of the country remains oblivious, too many in the resistance are wasting time discussing how to organize and implement a fire department. What’s needed from the general public is total non cooperation and a general Spending Strike. NOW!
During the Vietnam/Nixon/Civil Rights Era, targeted boycotts were a hot topic on the left. Almost all failed because it was too complicated. Too many corporations to keep track of. Much the same today.
The Montgomery bus boycott worked because of its simplicity, but it took a year, after fifteen years of organizing, and those folks were highly motivated and had very charismatic leaders. People now talk about Tesla and Target boycotts working, but they haven’t. Neither company has changed their behavior. Losing stock value is not success.
Disney boycott:
Hurrah! A targeted boycott that worked. (Or did it? Some argue that Kimmel’s contract was the motivating factor.) A good first step. But if you start boycotting all the corporations that are enabling the fascist takeover of the country, soon you’re at a general spending strike, which is a good thing. Let’s do it!
We, the People, can’t easily or safely withhold our tax dollars that are allowing this corrupt government to function. Our tax dollars fund the fascist takeover.
But as consumers we can indirectly withhold our tax dollars. Consumer spending is about 70% of the economy. That spending ends up as tax dollars. Stop unnecessary spending and the money funding the fascist takeover will disappear.
Why targeted boycotts are ineffective:
Boycotts often fail because they require massive, sustained participation to create meaningful financial pressure, lack clear alternatives for consumers, generate insufficient negative media attention, and are easily weathered by companies waiting for the protest to fade. Additionally, the complex nature of modern capitalism and the proliferation of corporate conglomerates can make it difficult for boycotters to effectively target and impact a company's bottom line or reputation, especially when companies have multiple revenue streams, like real estate, that aren't affected by consumer boycotts.
In 2020, Goya Foods praised President Donald Trump on social media, which caused those in opposition to Trump to boycott their products. Trump loyalists simultaneously initated a counter-boycott, where consumers bought mass quantities of their products, in response. The boycott caused Goya profits to increase dramatically because Trump supporters started an opposing campaign.
Targeted boycotts are used to change the behavior of a corporation. We are trying to change the behavior of a fascist regime, an entire government. We must attack the entire economy.
“It’s the economy, stupid” as James Carville famously told Bill Clinton. It was then, and still is, in politics. The reelection of His Royal Heinous is largely attributed to the misperceived state of the economy. That’s what must be attacked, not individual corporations. The overall economy must suffer before the oligarchs (Greedy Bastards) will pay attention.
HRH will not destroy the economy on his own (TACO). He will find a way to prop it up (like lower interest rates) because the economy and stock market are his report card and key to keeping power. The key to keeping power, as it is in Russia, China, Hungary, Turkey. They give the people a somewhat decent standard of living, and in exchange, the people have no political power. Only the autocrat has that. Unlimited.
It will be up to the people to effect the economic pressure necessary to stop and reverse the fascist takeover of America.
Spending Strike. Stop spending except on essentials. We, the People, are funding the fascist takeover of America. Please help us Spread the Word!, far, wide, and quickly, before the fascists takedown our means of communication.
All of the arrows can do damage in the quiver of Resistance. There is no one solution. Do what you can, where you can, when you can, with what you have (or can do without).
Springsteen’s new Streets of Minneapolis!!
If the Clintons are agreeing to testify, they should be given all of the un-redacted files. They have a right to know about any incriminating documents.
Do discovery rules apply in testifying before a Congressional committee?
If they do, could Hillary be the hero and release them?
F*ck Ice by Chrissa Sparkles it’s straight to the point and clear as day
I know, right!
Good Lord! I had no idea the folks from 50501 were so old. These songs are ancient. There are new songs out there, some of them already viral. BTW, while a great song, Fortunate Son tells a story from the Viet Nam era when the USA still had a military draft. Decidedly out-of-date.
ICE - Fuck You! by scaredketchup
Shit City - Carsie Blanton
Keep The Little Flame Alive - Carsie Blanton
We're From Minnesota - Michael Shynes
Streets of Minnesota - Bruce Springsteen
Join Ice - Jesse Welles
Get the ICE Out - John D. Cundle
The Folks From Minnesota - Penka Jane
Three Shots - The Midnight Republic
Bad News - Zack Bryan
City of Heroes - Billy Bragg
I'll throw in one from the past because it is incredibly apropos.
Know Your Rights - The Clash
You can find all these songs on You Tube. Check out more Carsie Blanton, too. I only included two of her songs but there's so many protest songs by her on You Tube, all of them brilliant. She's the real thing.
We have been protesting for a long time.
Truthfully, I can't believe I'm still protesting over the same stuff and now it's worse than ever.
At one time, we were so close. I feel devastated and desparately sad
I agree. I'm 72. The protesting has never stopped for me but the stakes have never been so high. Please listen to "Little Flame" by Carsie Blanton. It's a balm for folks like us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azTuRNb500k&list=RDazTuRNb500k&start_radio=1
Resilient by Rising Appalachia.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tx17RvPMaQ8
Words of Inspiration for the Resistant.
This powerful tribute song was written in honor of Martin Luther King shortly after his assassination in 1968 during the Civil Rights Movement. Sadly we are still dreaming of a better land where all our brothers walk hand in hand.
If I Can Dream
Song by Elvis Presley ‧ 1968
There must be lights burning brighter somewhere
Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue
If I can dream of a better land
Where all my brothers walk hand in hand
Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true
Oh why
There must be peace and understanding sometime
Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear
If I can dream of a warmer sun
Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear
We're lost in a cloud
With too much rain
We're trapped in a world
That's troubled with pain
But as long as a man
Has the strength to dream
He can redeem his soul and fly
Deep in my heart there's a trembling question
Still I am sure that the answer, answer's gonna come somehow
Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle, yeah
And while I can think, while I can talk
While I can stand, while I can walk
While I can dream
Oh, please let my dream
Come true
Right now
Let it come true right now
Oh yeah
_____________________
If I Can Dream
Song by Elvis Presley ‧ 1968
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Walter Earl Brown
If I Can Dream lyrics © Raleigh Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
https://youtube.com/watch?v=xA142IsjQiE&si=uDeTYz09-w83YrpF https://substack.com/profile/62316123-everybodys-mama/note/c-119295643?r=113nff
Great song recs from folks! I'm digging the mix of classics and new artists. 🎉
I would add to the list:
🎵 "Na$ty" by KIRBY
🎵 "Chosen Family" duet between Rina Sawayama and Elton John
🎵 "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
🎵 "Threat Level Orange" by Earth to Eve
🎵 "Heavy Foot" by Mon Rovia
🎵 "Independent Girls & Nasty Evil Gays" by Jeangu Macrooy
🎵 "No Kings" by Earth to Eve
We got this. 🤟🏻
Exactly the method to topple The Donald from his perch of power, constant pressure for complete Epstein files. No more trickle down releasing, EVERYTHING. Protection for the victims, of course. But shielding the perpetrators, NO. I, for one, am fed up with this country becoming nothing more than a feeding frenzy for the rich and powerful. The most undeserving have beaten down the most vulnerable among us in their unrelenting quest for more, more, more of whatever they want. They are never satisfied. And they never will be, you can bet on it.
The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel.
We got a car magnet saying "RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES NOW!" that is constantly on our car.
Uprising by Muse is a good protest song
“Hey oh, we won’t be silent while our friends are gunned down”
video, "youtube hey oh we won't be silent while our friends are gunned down"
Don’t forget “Imagine” by John Lennon. Visualize your version of that!
Jesse Wells has many amazing protest songs and keeps adding. Jordan Smart and Carsie Blanton. The thing about social unrest is that it drives a surge in musical creativity.
Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around
Masters of War
We shall overcome
There but for fortune
Mississippi Goddamn
Strange Fruit