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Economic Blackout: What to know about the February 28 boycott taking off on social media
(www.fastcompany.com)
this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2025
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politics
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You're right, but it's a start to get more people involved and comfortable with taking action. One day is easy and manageable for anyone, but longer periods seem scary. Starting with just one day gives people a foot in the door to try more acts of resistance. When the next call comes for a longer period, it will be easier to get people on board because how much worse is seven days from one?
So, you're right. One day won't save us. One day won't solve the problem. This is not the end, but a beginning, just a first step.
I think that's very optimistic.
IMO it will be more difficult to enlist people in future because they will be disheartened by the complete lack of results from this effort.
I lifted weights one day and I’m not ripped! May as well become a slug instead.
That's not really analogous.
But one day protests happen all the time and nothing happens. If the world isn’t comfortable taking action by now, void help us all.
The sad fact of the matter is most Americans aren't. So, we have to meet them where they are and start small and low-threat to get them comfortable.
Personally, I find a one day blackout super easy. I don't buy a lot as is, and when I do, I go out of my way to not engage with big companies. I know companies don't feel my actions, and I know they wouldn't feel my actions if there were 100 of me doing this. So, we need to use this as an opportunity to get people on board as "baby's first social action." Get people comfortable with doing something so that bigger, more impactful actions can be taken down the line.
After the 28th, we need to then organize the next one and make it longer, say 3 days and ask that people get their friends to do it, too. It will take successive action with the awareness that this is all connected.
I really just want to find a group with more action. Bit of vandalism here and there, or more… too bad any amount of that is considered wrong, while they bleed us dry and leave us to literally die homeless in the street.
It's not a first step. This stuff happens all the time and it fades away in a couple weeks and everyone goes back to complaining but still participating in their problems. Social media is notorious for soft trends, a short attention span, and minimal effort.
It only fades away if we let it. So, don't let it fade away but rather ratchet up and start attaching specific demands to it like "Elon out of government, DOGE disbanded, and all dismissed federal workers reinstated."
People don't do that, though. That's the point. It's wasted effort, proven to never work, but people keep bashing their head on the wall expecting a different result "this time" rather than trying something else.
Their enemies certainly aren't concerned. "It's just another social media thing. It'll be over before dinner." Hell, sometimes they go more brazen just for laughs