The key is 100% boycotting all services provided by a company. Wikipedia’s list of Amazon product/services as reference (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Amazon_products_and_services).

Incidentally, I know entire neighborhoods that don’t have other grocery stores besides Target/Whole Foods, not to mention that AWS is the cloud computing industry standard… As a personal example, my vet-prescribed cat foods are manufactured by Purina, a subsidary of Nestlé (needless to say, a separate but also extremely evil large corporation)

  • Ferrous@lemmy.mlEnglish
    7·
    3 days ago

    From the DSA instagram 6 days ago:

    Why didn’t the “economic blackout” change anything?

    Stocks rose Friday instead of falling, and there was no sign that the “economic boycott” that spread across social media had any impact whatsoever, other than maybe being a promotional tool for smaller businesses.

    Why didn’t it work and what would work instead?

    We don’t have power as “consumers”.

    Working people are always going to need to buy things. And even if a large portion of workers stopped buying everyday goods from Target or Starbucks, we’d still need to pay rent, pay the mortgage, pay utilities, and ultimately depend on a larger supply chain. You can’t “opt-out” of capitalism.

    Boycotts that work are focused on a clear target and have with a specific demand, and are built on long-term, deep organizing. But even then, as a tactic, a boycott isn’t going to be what brings the economy to a halt to stop the Trump agenda.

    We have power as workers.

    In January 2019, a 35 day shutdown of the federal government came to an end after the flight attendants union announced their intention to strike. Such a strike would have grounded a large percentage of air travel, which even if just for a short period of time would have had a devastating impact on the US economy.

    If we want to hit the ruling class where it hurts we need to organize as workers, not as consumers. Our power is in collectively withholding our labor, not withholding our dollars (which we only have in the first place by selling our labor).

    Strikes are organized, not mobilized.

    Strikes don’t happen because someone made an Instagram post calling for it and then everyone thought it was a good idea.

    Strikes are the result of long-term organizing that builds tightly structured organization through a series of escalating actions that show the level of support for the union, which if successful leave workers confident and the boss afraid.

    A strike can’t work if only a minority of workers walk out either. Strikes require a supermajority of workers to be effective.

    So what can you do?

    Join an organization like DSA that is working to build the kind working class power necessary not just to beat back Trump’s attacks but to win a better world.

    Join the labor movement. Organize at work, in your union if you have one, and get trained on the secrets of successful organizing through organizations like Labor Notes. Looking for a new job? Consider taking a job in a “strategic sector” like healthcare, education, or logistics.

    Stop scrolling and start talking to your coworkers, your neighbors, friends, and family. The revolution will not be posted. Revolutions are made through organizing.

    • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      61·
      3 days ago

      We don’t have power as “consumers”.

      If even 10% of consumers “bought” like I do the economy would suffer greatly. Almost everything I acquire was trash, recycled, repurposed, used, etc. I could show someone around my house and property for 2 solid hours showing off all the deals I got or created.

      Just in the last week I’ve found in my hood:

      • Nice dryer - repaired and selling now
      • 3 vacuum cleaners, 2 of which are also carpet cleaners and are brand new, cleaning for sale
      • Leaky, portable ice maker, probably just needs unclogged
      • 3 kid’s scooters, fixing up the best for my daughter
      • 1 girl’s bike, fixing for my daughter
      • More that I’m forgetting. Had to stop and get this stuff fixed and/or sold.

      I was building stuff yesterday with culled lumber from the hardware store, $50 for $1,400 worth. When I got home I helped my wife with a sweet curio cabinet she got for $35. LOL, it’s huge!

      tl;dr: I find it weird that people just go out and buy stuff new when there’s so much free/cheap/used goods to be had.

      • Azzu@lemm.ee
        1·
        3 days ago

        I’m sorry, but it’s likely literally impossible for this to be the leading paradigm for 10% of people. Maybe 10% would work but I think it’d already be problematic.

        You have to remember that the only reason you got these things was because other people didn’t need them anymore. Why didn’t they need it anymore? Because they bought new stuff.

        And you surely didn’t get all these things from a single household. Many different households had to get new stuff so their old stuff became available. It’s likely that more than 10 households are necessary to sustain 1 person that gets everything used, because not everyone buys new things all the time, and stuff often breaks instead of still being fine to use.

        I personally would eyeball 1-5% of people could do this like you, but this is just a complete unsubstantiated feeling, a guess.