Why can't Americans do consumption strikes?

[ChpBstrd]

U.S. politicians' popularity and ability to enact an agenda is based on how well the economy is perceived to be doing. If consumption is rising, unemployment falling, and stocks are expensive, some segment of the population will support the status quo political party, and that support tends to keep them in power until the economic tide changes - at which time we often blame the politicians and throw the bums out.

So for all the people wringing their hands and complaining to the internet about the state of politics, why are you still buying things you don't need? Every restaurant meal, bigger TV, new car, data subscription, household decorative object, gas for optional trips, new clothes, yada yada supports the economy that supports your political opponents. Plus, don't you need more savings for the bad times ahead?

Every glance at social media puts a few extra cents into the pockets of the billionaires who own the sites and their users. So the double irony is that if you are complaining about Trump on FB, Insta, X, or whatever, you are actually paying Trump's supporters, and some of that money goes to the politics you despise. And for what? To type in an ephemeral comment that almost nobody will see and that will be buried in 3 days, never to be seen again? Which will happen first? Will your content make a difference or will Trump's allies get even richer?

In other countries, they have a concept called a "general strike".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_strike

In a general strike, people cease all economic activity, engage in civil disobedience, protest, stop working, stop shopping, and basically make it untenable for their rulers to maintain the support of the sort of people who will support them if the economy is strong.

I've always wondered why we don't hear of at least a consumption strike in the U.S. Certainly there are the statistics about how many Americans are one paycheck away from missing debt payments on their houses, cars, and credit cards - but in the case of a consumption strike these individuals would actually benefit from saving a little money.

As I think about it more, the reasons we don't have a consumption strike are the reasons the U.S. is in this position in the first place:

1) Most people think the purpose of their government is to maximize the amount of consumption they can do, so a consumption strike is at odds with the whole point.

2) For most people, the perceived benefits of consumption outweigh the importance of their other political values. So they'll complain on the internet, but not do anything in the real world.

3) A party that successfully engaged in a consumption strike and caused a recession might make themselves a target for blame by the majority of the electorate. Because so many people in the U.S. care more about the economy and stock market than any set of political values, this backlash could be devastating.

4) Americans lack a form of communication that is not ad-supported, algorithmic, and self-interested. If a call for a consumption strike was spreading across a social media site, for example, that site could determine that demoting that content would be in their interest of selling more ads, and of the ads selling more stuff. Or the billionaires in charge of that site could decide to suppress it for political reasons. So if, for example, March was selected as the month of no extra spending, you'd have a very hard time getting that message out on X or YouTube. Activists actually had better communications systems in the era when political groups printed newspapers and pamphlets.

As I think through these reasons, it seems we're cooked as a civilization. Regardless of your personal politics, it can be observed that forms of political activism as basic as a consumption strike have been extinguished by consumerism and media concentration. Your thoughts?

[GilesMM]

Why deprive ourselves?

[sixwings]

Americans are addicted to cheap consumption. The entire american culture is about consumption, the giant trucks, the big houses in suburbia, the huge portions of low quality food. It's very hard to change that culture and I don't really think americans want to change it. Americans voted very clearly that even just the concept of cheaper food and more consumption was far more important than freedoms. Unfortunately they won't get the cheaper part.

America has largely evolved and grown in an environment of plenty, with small historical blips such as the depression, they have no wanted for food or land and have always hungered for consuming more. In contrast to places like Europe where resources have always been more tightly constrained.

[anotherAlias]

There are a number of boycotts in the works that are circulating on social media.  Feb 28 is a general buy nothing day.  There are others targeting specific businesses on other days.  There is also a General Strike movement starting with no specific date planned as of yet.  The organizers of that are trying to drum up enough people that will sign up before they start hashing out the details.  It seems that people are slowly starting to acknowledge the scope of what is happening.

[Poundwise]

There are a number of boycotts in the works that are circulating on social media.  Feb 28 is a general buy nothing day.  There are others targeting specific businesses on other days.  There is also a General Strike movement starting with no specific date planned as of yet.  The organizers of that are trying to drum up enough people that will sign up before they start hashing out the details.  It seems that people are slowly starting to acknowledge the scope of what is happening.

I've seen Feb 28 and March 15 both circulating as buy nothing days. We can do both!

[Tasse]

I'm happy to buy nothing on the days I'm told to. For me it's not going to be much different than any other day--I'll just make sure that grocery shopping falls before or after.

I would line up to participate in a strike if I thought it would help, but as an employee of an NIH-funded nonprofit, I'm not sure it's appropriate for me. I'm allied with my employer as far as political outcomes go.

[GuitarStv]

For decades now Americans seem to have cliff dived head first into individualism, costs of the shallow waters be damned.  Collective action may well be the solution, but it requires that a large number of people put long term collective good over short term individual gratification.  This type of thinking has been decaying and attacked for so long that it's not even viewed as a valid path forward any more.

[RetiredAt63]

Lots of Canadians are doing this.  We are sorry for the people who voted against Trump who may be hurt, but the more we can hurt the American economy the faster this will come to a head.

By the way, it may be different there, but a lot of us are commenting on how easy it is to not buy American.  We are just buying more from Canada*, or Mexico, or South America, or Europe.  And of course we have always been buying from China.

People here are also boycotting the worst American companies (i.e. Walmart) while still supporting good American companies (i.e. Costco).


*We even have new apps where a phone can look at the code on a product and tell if it is produced/made in Canada ("produced" means 98%+ Canadian, "made in" is 50% or more).

[RetiredAt63]

For decades now Americans seem to have cliff dived head first into individualism, costs of the shallow waters be damned.  Collective action may well be the solution, but it requires that a large number of people put long term collective good over short term individual gratification.  This type of thinking has been decaying and attacked for so long that it's not even viewed as a valid path forward any more.

Does it have to be organized?  Organized is good but not necessary.  Look at the Canadian boycotts, they started with tariff threats but accelerated with the 51st state garage.  No-one organized it, government didn't call for it, we just individually did it.

[ChpBstrd]

There are a number of boycotts in the works that are circulating on social media.  Feb 28 is a general buy nothing day.  There are others targeting specific businesses on other days.  There is also a General Strike movement starting with no specific date planned as of yet.  The organizers of that are trying to drum up enough people that will sign up before they start hashing out the details.  It seems that people are slowly starting to acknowledge the scope of what is happening.

I saw a Feb 28 meme this morning, which prompted these thoughts.

First, it is highly unlikely this is going to persuade even the most ardent supporters of Trump to reduce their consumption, if it even reaches them all, which it won't.

Second, what is one day going to do? A month of no discretionary purchases might make a tenth of a percent difference to GDP growth if 10% of the population took part, and it would take six months to really move the needle. One day is just virtue signalling.

Third, who are the organizers? It does not appear to be the Democratic Party. Is it merely a meme? Why can't Trump's opponents get more organized?

Essentially, this effort seems doomed to fail and I wanted to explore the reasons why, to get a better understanding of the position we are in.

For decades now Americans seem to have cliff dived head first into individualism, costs of the shallow waters be damned.  Collective action may well be the solution, but it requires that a large number of people put long term collective good over short term individual gratification.  This type of thinking has been decaying and attacked for so long that it's not even viewed as a valid path forward any more.

I think you're onto something so big most people can't comprehend it. The downside of an "everyone for themselves" mentality is that as soon as some billionaire figures out how to make choice A a little bit more rewarding or convenient than choice B, they can leverage that to control the population*. Thus individualism paradoxically leads to serfdom.

*Examples: the convenience of getting news from social media rather than subscribing to a newspaper, the gratification of getting entertainment on your phone from a video app, next-day delivery on products from slave-labor countries, the ease of liking a post instead of participating in politics...

[GuitarStv]

Nothing divides more than individualism.  Divided you fall.

For decades now Americans seem to have cliff dived head first into individualism, costs of the shallow waters be damned.  Collective action may well be the solution, but it requires that a large number of people put long term collective good over short term individual gratification.  This type of thinking has been decaying and attacked for so long that it's not even viewed as a valid path forward any more.

Does it have to be organized?  Organized is good but not necessary.  Look at the Canadian boycotts, they started with tariff threats but accelerated with the 51st state garage.  No-one organized it, government didn't call for it, we just individually did it.

Individual choices done for a common good is the same as a collective action.  But you can't make individual choices for a common good without giving up on the concept of hyper-individualism (I got mine, so fuck everyone else).  It costs me more to avoid buying from the US.  The small hit is worth it for the collective good.

[Tasse]

Second, what is one day going to do? A month of no discretionary purchases might make a tenth of a percent difference to GDP growth if 10% of the population took part, and it would take six months to really move the needle. One day is just virtue signalling.

One day builds momentum. The most counterproductive thing grassroots organizers can do is call for a big event and have it flop. That ruins their credibility and is seen by those in power as permission to continue, since apparently people don't care after all. Big events have to be built up to via successive smaller events, as each gets more attention and more people join the next one.

I don't know if that will happen with this effort. But I heard that logic directly from the founders of Indivisible, in one of their "What's the plan?" webinars.

[PeteD01]

Consumption (demand) collapse will come with or without a consumer strike.

The billions pulled out of the economy with the gutting of the federal workforce and the transfer payment cuts assure that demand will decrease.

Putting the money into billionaires and corporate pockets will not change the decrease in the velocity of money (a measure of economic activity) that hurts private citizens and small businesses because billionaires and corporations are reluctant to invest in the face of a demand crisis.

Of course this is called a recession if the condition persists for more than two quarters.

Unfortunately, it does not end there. The massive amount of wealth redistributed to billionaires and corporations, although not invested in productive assets, does not sit completely idle but will contribute to inflation by causing asset price inflation.

Other policies, like tariffs, hollowing out the construction and farming workforce, or hostility up to threats of war, increase uncertainty further undermining the willingness of businesses to invest and increase the cost of doing business. That is seriously inflationary.

So we have a situation where business activity is suppressed by a manufactured demand crisis and political and fiscal uncertainty and serious inflation all but guaranteed, which in turn is going to affect future returns, thus putting pressure on the stock market further reducing velocity of money.

The last piece is the reaction of the central bank to inflation, which means higher interest rates putting more pressure on individual consumption and investment.

The combination of depressed economic activity, high inflation and high interest rates create a situation where economic stimulus will not work because of the inflationary effect overshadowing any impact on economic activity.

The scenario we are heading to is known as stagflation and is as bad as it sounds.

So no matter what, we are headed for a consumption crisis and consumption strikes are certainly not a bad idea - good practice for what is likely to come and a big thumbs down for consumer confidence.

[Just Joe]

I'm happy to buy nothing on the days I'm told to. For me it's not going to be much different than any other day--I'll just make sure that grocery shopping falls before or after.\

Same. Can't protest too visibly b/c my employer...

We are playing a "long game" of MMM choices, buying fewer fossil fuels (~95% of our miles in an EV, heat pumps), staying closer to home and eating home cooked food, etc. That's our family SOP.

Not sure that the average American who hasn't considered the benefits of frugality and anti-consumerism before now would strike. Long term changes > one day strikes

[Cassie]

In November after the election I bought a year’s supply of cleaning products, paper products, etc and 6 months of coffee, over the counter medication and cosmetics so I wouldn’t have to participate as much in trump’s economy. I’m buying as little as possible and putting more money in savings. Many of my friends are doing the same. A nationwide strike would be the best option.

[LifeHappens]

There is absolutely planning going on across labor unions for a general strike in 2028. https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/general-strike-2028-unions-labor-movement/

In the meantime, several groups are organizing boycotts of specific retailers in March and April as well as total economic blackouts on February 28, March 28 and April 18.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/22/boycott-over-dei-rollback-against-target-walmart-amazon-2025/79075610007/

I have also seen some calls in activist groups to begin "spending like you are already on strike" ie, restricting purchases to the bare essentials, but that is more anecdotal.

[ChpBstrd]

Second, what is one day going to do? A month of no discretionary purchases might make a tenth of a percent difference to GDP growth if 10% of the population took part, and it would take six months to really move the needle. One day is just virtue signalling.

One day builds momentum. The most counterproductive thing grassroots organizers can do is call for a big event and have it flop. That ruins their credibility and is seen by those in power as permission to continue, since apparently people don't care after all. Big events have to be built up to via successive smaller events, as each gets more attention and more people join the next one.

I don't know if that will happen with this effort. But I heard that logic directly from the founders of Indivisible, in one of their "What's the plan?" webinars.

Very solid point. I can agree with that. Movements are not built overnight.

I suppose though, that it raises the question of why there isn't already a strong-enough grassroots movement to launch a national strike. That maybe branches into a lot of antecedent topics that together flow into an answer to the original question. I.e. maybe Americans could do large-scale, long-duration consumption strikes IF they changed their political behavior.

[Fru-Gal]

My kids have been talking about a national strike since day one. Young people may not vote as much as old people but I think our young people are way more resourceful than anyone gives them credit for.

Old people may be good at rules, collecting compound interest, voting and filling out paperwork. Young are good at parsing social media and using it effectively, online safety, taking physical action, meeting up with friends, malleable identity, protesting.

Young people understand: They’re the pigs and we’re the chickens at Trump’s breakfast table.

[41_swish]

Online communities would make you think that everyone is on board with a consumption strike, but in all actuality, the average person could care less and will go swipe that credit card whenever they need or want something.

I know plenty of people who have no budget and simply just go spend money when they want something.

[Poundwise]

Online communities would make you think that everyone is on board with a consumption strike, but in all actuality, the average person could care less and will go swipe that credit card whenever they need or want something.

I know plenty of people who have no budget and simply just go spend money when they want something.

I agree, all it will take is a 20% off sale to break most people down.  But we'll try anyway.  I don't expect much from the first time but we'll keep at it and maybe after a few repeats we'll get a good strike going.

[Telecaster]

I've seen Feb 28 and March 15 both circulating as buy nothing days. We can do both!

I hate to be that guy, but buy nothing days will accomplish exactly two things:  Jack and shit.   And this is why:

 

I'm happy to buy nothing on the days I'm told to. For me it's not going to be much different than any other day--I'll just make sure that grocery shopping falls before or after.

So the best case outcome is nothing.   

Instead of doing something that means absolutely nothing, I humbly suggest doing things that mean something.    Easy starting places are deleting Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook apps. Cancel your AirBnB account.   

If you own a Tesla sell it.  Yes, someone will still own that Tesla, but if lots (even a few percent of owners) sell, that drives down the price of used cars, which drives down the price of new Teslas. Maybe spend a few minutes and join the Tesla protest at your local showroom this weekend.    Call your representatives and scream bloody blue murder about the federal job cuts.   JTry to be specific, for example cuts to our National Parks and science.   

Make donations to the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and other organizations who are trying to defend our rights.  If you've ever done fund raising, you'll know that even small donations add up quickly.  Even ten or 20 bucks makes a difference.    Election season isn't that far off, you can phone bank for pro-freedom candidates.   Grass roots is still a thing.  Supporting non-MAGA, local candidates helps the pro-democracy candidates up the ticket.   Last cycle I held a fund raiser for a city council candidate (she lost).   But had a lovely talking with the neighbors about local issues.   

My point is lots of small things can add up to big things.   Instead of doing something that means nothing, consider something doing small that collectively can add up to something big.   

[CNM]

While everyone would be better off consuming less, I agree that a "no spend" day will achieve nothing. 

[Morning Glory]

I've seen Feb 28 and March 15 both circulating as buy nothing days. We can do both!

I hate to be that guy, but buy nothing days will accomplish exactly two things:  Jack and shit.   And this is why:

 

I'm happy to buy nothing on the days I'm told to. For me it's not going to be much different than any other day--I'll just make sure that grocery shopping falls before or after.

So the best case outcome is nothing.   

Instead of doing something that means absolutely nothing, I humbly suggest doing things that mean something.    Easy starting places are deleting Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook apps. Cancel your AirBnB account.   

If you own a Tesla sell it.  Yes, someone will still own that Tesla, but if lots (even a few percent of owners) sell, that drives down the price of used cars, which drives down the price of new Teslas. Maybe spend a few minutes and join the Tesla protest at your local showroom this weekend.    Call your representatives and scream bloody blue murder about the federal job cuts.   JTry to be specific, for example cuts to our National Parks and science.   

Make donations to the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and other organizations who are trying to defend our rights.  If you've ever done fund raising, you'll know that even small donations add up quickly.  Even ten or 20 bucks makes a difference.    Election season isn't that far off, you can phone bank for pro-freedom candidates.   Grass roots is still a thing.  Supporting non-MAGA, local candidates helps the pro-democracy candidates up the ticket.   Last cycle I held a fund raiser for a city council candidate (she lost).   But had a lovely talking with the neighbors about local issues.   

My point is lots of small things can add up to big things.   Instead of doing something that means nothing, consider something doing small that collectively can add up to something big.

Not shopping would free up time to do the other things  you listed :)
I agree for most of us Mustachians it would be like any other day but if a bunch of consumers get on board it could actually get some media attention. 

[Poundwise]

While everyone would be better off consuming less, I agree that a "no spend" day will achieve nothing.

"I'm just one person, said 7 billion people."

Frankly, this action is very easy, completely risk free, and I'm seeing even the more sluggish, inactive friends share it.  It won't do any harm to give it a shot. Plus you'll save money.

[dcheesi]

I think part of it is that, during the Cold War, undermining the economy was seen as tantamount to treason. Being a good worker bee was everyone's patriotic duty, so we could show them commies what for!

[Morning Glory]

I think part of it is that, during the Cold War, undermining the economy was seen as tantamount to treason. Being a good worker bee was everyone's patriotic duty, so we could show them commies what for!

I remember similar messaging  more recently,  after 9/11 or into the 2008 recession maybe,  to just keep shopping and prop up "the economy".   It seems to have evolved over time into just supporting local businesses now.

[Kris]

Yes. This, plus we have been socialized since birth to believe freedom = purchasing power.

[Telecaster]

"I'm just one person, said 7 billion people."

Frankly, this action is very easy, completely risk free, and I'm seeing even the more sluggish, inactive friends share it.  It won't do any harm to give it a shot. Plus you'll save money.

Risk free, but also reward free.   

[RetiredAt63]

Strategic shopping can be a thing.  Shop at stores that have values you like.  Avoid as much as possible stores whose values you don't like.  Buy goods made in blue states, avoid red.  Buy foreign - if it is Canadian we will appreciate it, but there are lots of countries exporting to the US.

That is a lot of what is happening with the grass-roots Canadian boycotts.  Shop at Rona or Canadian Tire instead of Lowes.  Shop at Costco (good guys) not Walmart (booo).  Alcohol from anyplace but the US.  Tesla just no - but that is an easy one because the vehicles seem to be iffy for Canadian winters (except maybe coastal BC).

[NorCal]

Most consumption strikes in the modern era are dumb.

What does avoiding Amazon on February 28th accomplish?  Does Amazon really care if people click "Buy Now" on March 3rd instead of Feb 28th?  Not in the slightest. 

They can be effective if narrowly targeted.  They have to be targeted at a narrow corporate target and sustained by a very broad group of people.  Social media is too fragmented to organize a large enough group of people without additional outside forces.  The newly global avoidance of Tesla products may be a rare example of a successful boycott.  It's too early to tell for sure.

Most people will never associate Amazon or Facebook with enough of a political connection to make boycotts there worthwhile. 

I am still a believe in avoiding the purchase of any new product powered by hydrocarbons.  The ongoing revenue streams those generate for the oil & gas industry are just too big to ignore.  It's a significant part of most household's budget, where even a 10% change in consumption can make a big difference if 10% of the population are making similar changes every year.   

[aasdfadsf]

There are a number of boycotts in the works that are circulating on social media.  Feb 28 is a general buy nothing day.  There are others targeting specific businesses on other days.  There is also a General Strike movement starting with no specific date planned as of yet.  The organizers of that are trying to drum up enough people that will sign up before they start hashing out the details.  It seems that people are slowly starting to acknowledge the scope of what is happening.

I've seen Feb 28 and March 15 both circulating as buy nothing days. We can do both!

That reminds me of, back in the day, there was this idea of having everyone not buy gasoline on certain days in order to show the oil companies what for.

This can't work. You either reduce your overall consumption, or your just put it off for a day and then you have to make up for it by buying even more on the days when you're not doing your performative protest. The powers that be won't give a shit, because their bottom line isn't affected at all.   

I'm in favor of using the power of consumers to bring bad things to heel, but people have to be smarter about it than this. It requires people to make actual sacrifices and not consume things they would otherwise consume, not to designate a "day" when you just put off things you're going to consume anyway.

[Telecaster]

Most consumption strikes in the modern era are dumb.

What does avoiding Amazon on February 28th accomplish?  Does Amazon really care if people click "Buy Now" on March 3rd instead of Feb 28th?  Not in the slightest. 

They can be effective if narrowly targeted.  They have to be targeted at a narrow corporate target and sustained by a very broad group of people.  Social media is too fragmented to organize a large enough group of people without additional outside forces.  The newly global avoidance of Tesla products may be a rare example of a successful boycott.  It's too early to tell for sure.

^ All of this.  If Amazon see sales fall by say, 5% over a quarter or half year, yes they will be concerned.   A tiny one day fall that is made up the next day is lost in the noise.  They won't even notice.   I admire the passion, but you must direct your passion to things that make a difference, even if small. 

What is happening with Tesla might be a bit more serious because there is some serious damage to the brand going on.   Tesla is already losing sales (a bit) and market share (a lot).    It will be interesting to see what this quarter's sales results will be.   Not good, I predict.

[LaineyAZ]

One positive outcome of the Buy Nothing day is as a morale booster.  If there's a noticeable dip, it signals to those of us who are protesting that there are many others like us. 

Will it ultimately hurt a company's bottom line if we buy the day before or the day after?  No, but it says, We're here and this is just Step one.

[Poundwise]

It's also important to inform a business WHY you are not shopping there.  Otherwise, a dip in sales may lead them to think that their prices are not low enough, or their selection not broad enough.

It was quite difficult to wean myself from Amazon because of subscriptions, and the need to plan ahead without 1-day shipping. But it is done. I do need to tell people to stop giving our kids Amazon gift cards.

[ChpBstrd]

It's also important to inform a business WHY you are not shopping there.  Otherwise, a dip in sales may lead them to think that their prices are not low enough, or their selection not broad enough.

It was quite difficult to wean myself from Amazon because of subscriptions, and the need to plan ahead without 1-day shipping. But it is done. I do need to tell people to stop giving our kids Amazon gift cards.

This illustrates the importance of having an actual organization or community behind the effort. A massive strike organized by memes would offer only a vague signal amid all the other noise that influences corporate revenue.

[RetiredAt63]

It's also important to inform a business WHY you are not shopping there.  Otherwise, a dip in sales may lead them to think that their prices are not low enough, or their selection not broad enough.

It was quite difficult to wean myself from Amazon because of subscriptions, and the need to plan ahead without 1-day shipping. But it is done. I do need to tell people to stop giving our kids Amazon gift cards.

This illustrates the importance of having an actual organization or community behind the effort. A massive strike organized by memes would offer only a vague signal amid all the other noise that influences corporate revenue.

You can usually contact them directly.  I've done that for 2 red state products I am no longer buying.   One I can easily do without,  the other hurts because so far I have no acceptable substitute.

[Just Joe]

Contacting a company is easily done by social media. If you're lucky, maybe the explanation would remain publicly visible to other customers visiting their page on social media.

[YttriumNitrate]

A fundamental problem with most boycotts is that it's a lot easier to convince 1,000 people to do something significant than it is to convince 100,000 people to do something small. Take for example, the Chick-Fil-A boycott, even if a bunch of people stopped eating there, there were enough people willing to wait 2-hours for a chicken sandwich that the boycott backfired.

Also, let's not forget that there were 77 million people who voted for Trump that can pick up the slack generated by a boycott.

[Poundwise]

One can't reduce the sales of a company to zero, but making a substantial dent can influence their behavior. Companies always want growth, not decreases.

[Poundwise]

A fundamental problem with most boycotts is that it's a lot easier to convince 1,000 people to do something significant than it is to convince 100,000 people to do something small.

Maybe what this means is that after Tesla is shrunk down to size, pickets of Amazon warehouses, etc. should be next.

[Fru-Gal]

It’s the height of entitlement and a testament to the effectiveness of marketing that makes us think that boycotts won’t be effective, when boycotts have made huge changes in history.

Right now we have Europeans making lists of American items in every category that they can boycott. Software companies are suddenly reevaluating American cloud hosting and considering using their local alternatives. More importantly, Canadians are very upset and many again are avoiding American products. We had the buy American movement in the 70s and 80s that changed how auto makers interacted with the United States and ultimately brought many of their factories to the United States.

Of course, the civil rights movement and Gandhi are other examples of boycott. And then the boycott Tesla movement has all the hallmarks of success: It is concentrated and the people doing it are very emotionally motivated due to Musk’s worship of hateful authoritarianism. People taking these small actions because of their anger is effective. Pooled together it is massively effective.

[41_swish]

The consumer ultimately votes with their dollars, so if enough people boycott companies should feel it. It takes time, but if enough people change their spending habits, companies can change how they do things.

[LifeHappens]

It’s the height of entitlement and a testament to the effectiveness of marketing that makes us think that boycotts won’t be effective, when boycotts have made huge changes in history.

Absolutely. I am having a hard time understanding the "this won't work, so we might as well do nothing" sentiment underlying this thread. Maybe I move in different circles than the average MMMer, but this boycott is spreading like wildfire among my communities.

[RetiredAt63]

And we can't know how CEOs of other companies are reacting to the Tesla boycott.  If people get mad enough at Tesla to do that, what will they do to another company if they get mad enough*? 

And what of CEOs who get messages hat their efforts for DEI/fair wages/working conditions are appreciated?  That helps them keep strong about continuing to be "good" companies - it is gaining them business.

Similarly, I see news bits on YouTube of various American news stations worrying about tourism.  Apparently our grass-roots boycott is working (and also other countries doing the same, thank you!).  It doesn't take a 100% boycott to have an effect.

Actually, I think it applies to voting as well.  This riding is solid whateverParty so why should I go vote for some other party, it is pointless.  Then we get <50% turnout and maybe if there had been 80-90% turnout the results would have been different.


*Or insulted enough - for many Canadians, the tariffs started it but then the subsidy idiocy/lies and 51st state crap got us really riled up.  You don't need our stuff?  Fine, we don't need yours and we don't need to give you our tourist dollars.  I am really interested in what will happen on March 4 when the tariffs are supposed to come in.  Someone in the White House (surely?) must be sane enough to see what will happen when Canadian gas and oil and LNG starts going to other markets instead of the US? 

[YttriumNitrate]

A fundamental problem with most boycotts is that it's a lot easier to convince 1,000 people to do something significant than it is to convince 100,000 people to do something small.

Maybe what this means is that after Tesla is shrunk down to size, pickets of Amazon warehouses, etc. should be next.

Pickets? No, think bigger. Unionization should be the goal.

[Fru-Gal]

As to the effectiveness of a single day of lower consumption, the term Black Friday comes from the phenomenon of a single day of holiday spending when sales make up for a year’s worth of being in the red. Furthermore, the Amazon Cloud business came from Amazon trying to make up for the cost of their cloud infrastructure being an expense for most of the year.

[RetiredAt63]

A fundamental problem with most boycotts is that it's a lot easier to convince 1,000 people to do something significant than it is to convince 100,000 people to do something small.

Maybe what this means is that after Tesla is shrunk down to size, pickets of Amazon warehouses, etc. should be next.

Pickets? No, think bigger. Unionization should be the goal.

They closed their Quebec warehouses because of unionization.  They gave other reasons but it is pretty clear it was the unionization.

Picketing is a good start.  Not the end goal.

[Fru-Gal]

If boycotts don't work, why is Home Depot testing pro-Canadian marketing messages?

[RetiredAt63]

^^^  Maybe because we are all going to Rona or Beaver Lumber and Canadian Tire and Home Hardware (or local equivalents)?    ;-)

[GuitarStv]

^^^  Maybe because we are all going to Rona or Beaver Lumber and Canadian Tire and Home Hardware (or local equivalents)?    ;-)

I hear that the bloodshed at the grocery store is even more significant.  Our family has certainly dropped 90+% of the stuff we get from the US out of our cart since the tariffs.