When poor people stop spending money, the economy goes into recession. We have buying power. Collectively we have enough money to make waves. We aren’t organised and part of that has to do with the fact that we aren’t all on the same page. Because we don’t all understand what’s going on. I know it takes more than just one or two of those things. But we had power and regulations once.
Worst case scenario is we burn it all to the ground. Because that’s an ultimate equaliser. But it will absolutely have a detrimental effect both on the number of people dedicated to change, and their lives. Doing so has to be a last resort because it will cannibalize any movement that attempts it. Poor people will fight not to make their lot in life worse if push comes to shove.
When poor people stop spending money, the economy goes into recession. We have buying power.
Poor peoples’ spending is less optional…you cannot exactly just stop buying groceries or clothing in hopes that the system changes. “Vote with your dollars” is essentially meaningless…especially when the very same billionaires we’re talking about have conglomerated the goods in the essential economies. The food systems and the medical systems are practically cartels at this point. (i.e. Boycott Goya all you want, are you really sure that they aren’t still producing your beans anyway under the store brand?)
I also think that the above is a gross oversimplification of what a recession is. The poor have been mostly buying only essentials for a while now (because it’s all they can afford with the recent inflation) and we still aren’t technically in a recession.
EDIT: I personally think a better means to protest monetarily for the non-well off is actually debt strikes. Most people don’t have a lot of spare cash, but they sure do have a lot of debt. Unfortunately, it’s another one of those things that only works if a whole lot of people do it at once.
When poor people stop spending money, the economy goes into recession. We have buying power. Collectively we have enough money to make waves. We aren’t organised and part of that has to do with the fact that we aren’t all on the same page. Because we don’t all understand what’s going on. I know it takes more than just one or two of those things. But we had power and regulations once.
Worst case scenario is we burn it all to the ground. Because that’s an ultimate equaliser. But it will absolutely have a detrimental effect both on the number of people dedicated to change, and their lives. Doing so has to be a last resort because it will cannibalize any movement that attempts it. Poor people will fight not to make their lot in life worse if push comes to shove.
Poor peoples’ spending is less optional…you cannot exactly just stop buying groceries or clothing in hopes that the system changes. “Vote with your dollars” is essentially meaningless…especially when the very same billionaires we’re talking about have conglomerated the goods in the essential economies. The food systems and the medical systems are practically cartels at this point. (i.e. Boycott Goya all you want, are you really sure that they aren’t still producing your beans anyway under the store brand?)
I also think that the above is a gross oversimplification of what a recession is. The poor have been mostly buying only essentials for a while now (because it’s all they can afford with the recent inflation) and we still aren’t technically in a recession.
EDIT: I personally think a better means to protest monetarily for the non-well off is actually debt strikes. Most people don’t have a lot of spare cash, but they sure do have a lot of debt. Unfortunately, it’s another one of those things that only works if a whole lot of people do it at once.