I appreciate this so much. Thank you -- both the analysis and the call-in for people to welcome masses of people into our movement who want to take action instead of shaming and critiquing them until they leave.
Yes to every single word of this! Each person who participated in the Feb 28 action thought about it, had a conversation with somebody, maybe even posted about it. A lot of these folks have never been interested in resistance before, much less participated in it. Those are all signs of readiness to engage that we haven't seen here in a while. As organizers, it's up to us to encourage them and create entry points to our longer-term work, not demoralize them for being beginners.
Highly recommend everybody check out the General Strike, sign the stike card there, and get involved with more local organizing groups too. https://generalstrikeus.com/
As a French person I highly recommend a general strike. The US is much bigger and decentralized so I’m not sure how it would work there. But what I love about the French is that whenever there’s a general strike, even though it’s uncomfortable, it’s impossible to fill your gas tank or protesters marching are hindering access restaurants and small businesses, they still support the strike. They’ll say it’s difficult but necessary and so what if they take one for the team? The money they raised should go towards helping people go on strike.
It’s easy for me to cut my spending— not just easy but routine because I don’t have a lot of discretionary income anyway. But asking us to risk our jobs is another matter. How can we put our families at real risk of homelessness and death? Because that’s what will happen if we lose our jobs, and many of us WILL lose our jobs if we withhold our labor.
Any real vision for a long-term general strike isn’t asking people to withhold labor before being unionized. The UAW vision aims for 2028 and aims to align contract expiration dates for 5/1/28 so that people are engaged in legally protected withholding of labor. That’s the short answer, and I know now everyone will be unionized in this country by then, but it’s one goal (of many) to aim for. I hope this is helpful!
As a full-time caregiver, I’m more time-poor than anything. I need extremely explicit calls to action that are linked to time-tested and well organized campaigns. The boycott checked one of those boxes by being an extremely clear call to action. I think a lot can be learned from that. What we need more of is pieces like this that say, “Hey, if you were down for X, why not join us in doing Y? It’ll be even more effective.” (We also need to be warned if X is a straight up scam.) We definitely don’t need the endless Monday morning quarterbacking around whether harmless action X was the most perfect action possible, and we don’t need to be shamed into Y. We just need clarity and compassion. If things aren’t going well as folks organize Y, it’s probably worth asking if one of those ingredients is missing.
Some valid criticisms, but I also want to point out that the main idea starting with the current short, viral resistance efforts is to get people engaged in the first place. To show them that we CAN move from rhetoric to action.
That’s the idea behind the current push for a may 1st thru 3rd general strike. That it’s for us more than anything, to prove that we are able yo work together. It takes time to organize and build momentum and right now people are stuck in doomerism or else the denial of believing the democrats will actually save us.
A one-day boycott is a symbolic gesture, but without sustained, structured efforts, it risks being absorbed into the cycle of performative resistance that corporations and oligarchs already know how to navigate. The problem isn’t just that consumer activism is weak compared to labor action—it’s that the U.S. political system is not structurally capable of sustaining internal reform efforts anymore. Community organizing and workplace action are essential, but without additional supports, they may not be enough.
This is where the conversation has to shift. If the U.S. is sliding into kleptocracy, then the same tools used to counteract state capture elsewhere must be applied here. That means:
Targeted sanctions against the CEOs, executives, and board members who sustain the system.
Restrictions on major political donors and media figures who function as enablers.
Opening up ICC whistleblower protections for Americans who recognize what is happening and want to turn away from the choices they’ve made.
The U.S. has spent decades intervening abroad under the justification of defending democracy—but what happens when its own institutions fail? If Americans are serious about resisting oligarchy, they have to be willing to treat their country as it is: a failing state. That means bringing in external accountability where internal reform is structurally impossible.
Boycotts, unionization, and direct action all matter—but without international counterpressure, the same bad actors will continue consolidating control over the economy, the media, and the legal system. The work is bigger than consumer choices. It’s about shifting power in a way that oligarchs can’t ignore.
In the future think that calls for inclusivity and not bashing disabled people need to be at the front of all movements. Many disabled people were attacked online for not being able to participate. Even if it’s not the organizers doing the ableism, I think they should recognize publicly the importance of not shaming those who cannot.
So many people got downright angry with me when I said “hey this isn’t accessible for everyone, how can we spread the message better so people have more time to prepare?”
Yep! Well stated. To get the bastards out we need everyone doing whatever they can. As i said to some friends the other day, if all you can do is walk your dog by the office of your do-nothing senator and make sure he defecates right in front of the door, its SOMETHING. Endless suspicion and critiquing of new tactics makes it sound like we know what will being change. If we really knew would we be in this situation to begin with?
Thanks for this — you keep coming back to the point that how we talk to each other matters. This is so true and will be even more important the longer this goes. There are things I can’t do today (health limits) that I totally engaged with when younger, so I’ve got context, but so many people are shocked and don’t know where to turn. Being dismissive of a small action, or saying, well, you voted for this, doesn’t help. Solidarity doesn’t just mean everyone who thinks like me.
I would argue that the failure of the blackout day (it had no measurable decrease) is a bad look.
It's a ridiculous idea that we can get daily products, like pads, at a normal price.
We are asking people to pay double the price for typical items. and buying Proctor and Gamble Always pads at a small store... you're still supporting a giant, greedy corporation.
I think the message has to be "this didn't work, let's try something else." But to lie to ourselves and say "for 2 weeks, no one can go to a nearby store" - that's an even more ludicrous idea.
Me personally, I stocked up and purchased from Amazon the day before and the day after. I used my card on that day to buy airline tickets.
And these companies know this. They know that there were extra purchases the day before and the day after.
And to be frightened of the truth - that all activism isn't effective - that's coddling. That's the participation award.
We trans people are getting fucking clobbered. This is not the time for me to be sensitive and butthurt because I'm not making change. It's my time to double down and keep fighting.
I take it back. BOYCOTT Tesla by selling your stock! Boycott Tesla - everyone who has mutual funds - call your broker. Call client services. Tell then to check every mutual fund and make sure it doesn't have Tesla.
Vanguard alone has 60 million shares. If 100 people call customer service, they'll panic.
Join the GENERAL CONSUMER STRIKE. We need to hold the American economy hostage until basic demands are met.
1) The president must respect the rule of law
2) The president must acknowledge free speech and the power of the Judiciary
If we don't spend, the economy slows...and more people don't spend.
Voters care about $$$s.
Tech Bro’s understand only the language of $$$
I
--Please buy only necessities. Food, utilities, medicine.
--Sell American stocks if you can.
--Postpone travel and renovations if you can (or drive and spend $$s in Canada!)
Right now, Trump is defying the Judiciary and flirting with a constitutional crisis. But, we are not powerless....we have the power of the purse.
We regularly boycott countries that will not respect our values. America has become one of those countries...threatening our neighbor's sovereignty, extorting from those under attack, showing no respect for the rule of law or basic civil rights. Engage in this potent legal form of protest.
Will this hurt everyone? Yes. Trump has declared war on our legal system and constitution. War hurts.
HOW WILL WE SURVIVE AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN?
--Give what you can to neighbors and food banks
--Join the gift economy through local sites like Buy Nothing and Nextdoor.
--Ask neighbors and friends for what you need.
Please post, share, spread the word any way you can and stop the shredding of our Democracy.
Thanks, stay strong and keep fighting. We are in this together.
Hi Josh, I love you and your writing. It's one of the things that drew me to Substack. But I'm starting to understand that Substack isn't so great after all for multiple reasons. This is the second article I've seen saying as much. (The first one I saw pointed out how they were platforming literal Nazis.) Your thoughts? TIA: https://www.joanwestenberg.com/why-i-wont-write-on-substack/
'Sports entertainment is Americans largest export. American athletes and owners should know better and speak up in defence of the laws of national sovereignty. Otherwise they are passive Imperialists themselves, spoken for by their President. We expect sports journalist to ask the tough questions to American athletes so Canadians know whether or not to turn the channel, for the greater good.' https://trkingston.substack.com/p/russia-plays-usa-the-no-nation-cup
i love what you're saying here! i also was very on-board with the criticisms i was seeing of this boycott, because idk the whole thing just made me think of the black boxes on instagram during BLM. people love an excuse to feel like they're helping without actually doing anything, and it strikes me more as a self-soothing ritual than anything that'll actually help (it's all love, i don't think less of anyone for falling into it, no need to jump in my responses and get defensive).
i would be curious to see if anyone was truly brought into the fold of organizing through this moment, especially considering the organizer didn't seem to be involved in anything larger (also i didn't know about the paid-members-only thing they're doing -- does that strike you as grifting or am i just coming into it with a negative read?).
that said, worth reiterating after my tirade that the way we talk to people is important, and criticism should always be just that, and ideally delivered with patience and not dunking lol.
I appreciate this so much. Thank you -- both the analysis and the call-in for people to welcome masses of people into our movement who want to take action instead of shaming and critiquing them until they leave.
Yes to every single word of this! Each person who participated in the Feb 28 action thought about it, had a conversation with somebody, maybe even posted about it. A lot of these folks have never been interested in resistance before, much less participated in it. Those are all signs of readiness to engage that we haven't seen here in a while. As organizers, it's up to us to encourage them and create entry points to our longer-term work, not demoralize them for being beginners.
Highly recommend everybody check out the General Strike, sign the stike card there, and get involved with more local organizing groups too. https://generalstrikeus.com/
As a French person I highly recommend a general strike. The US is much bigger and decentralized so I’m not sure how it would work there. But what I love about the French is that whenever there’s a general strike, even though it’s uncomfortable, it’s impossible to fill your gas tank or protesters marching are hindering access restaurants and small businesses, they still support the strike. They’ll say it’s difficult but necessary and so what if they take one for the team? The money they raised should go towards helping people go on strike.
It’s easy for me to cut my spending— not just easy but routine because I don’t have a lot of discretionary income anyway. But asking us to risk our jobs is another matter. How can we put our families at real risk of homelessness and death? Because that’s what will happen if we lose our jobs, and many of us WILL lose our jobs if we withhold our labor.
Any real vision for a long-term general strike isn’t asking people to withhold labor before being unionized. The UAW vision aims for 2028 and aims to align contract expiration dates for 5/1/28 so that people are engaged in legally protected withholding of labor. That’s the short answer, and I know now everyone will be unionized in this country by then, but it’s one goal (of many) to aim for. I hope this is helpful!
That's why we must not only unionize our workplaces but also build mutual aid support networks outside our places of employment.
100%!
As a full-time caregiver, I’m more time-poor than anything. I need extremely explicit calls to action that are linked to time-tested and well organized campaigns. The boycott checked one of those boxes by being an extremely clear call to action. I think a lot can be learned from that. What we need more of is pieces like this that say, “Hey, if you were down for X, why not join us in doing Y? It’ll be even more effective.” (We also need to be warned if X is a straight up scam.) We definitely don’t need the endless Monday morning quarterbacking around whether harmless action X was the most perfect action possible, and we don’t need to be shamed into Y. We just need clarity and compassion. If things aren’t going well as folks organize Y, it’s probably worth asking if one of those ingredients is missing.
Some valid criticisms, but I also want to point out that the main idea starting with the current short, viral resistance efforts is to get people engaged in the first place. To show them that we CAN move from rhetoric to action.
That’s the idea behind the current push for a may 1st thru 3rd general strike. That it’s for us more than anything, to prove that we are able yo work together. It takes time to organize and build momentum and right now people are stuck in doomerism or else the denial of believing the democrats will actually save us.
A one-day boycott is a symbolic gesture, but without sustained, structured efforts, it risks being absorbed into the cycle of performative resistance that corporations and oligarchs already know how to navigate. The problem isn’t just that consumer activism is weak compared to labor action—it’s that the U.S. political system is not structurally capable of sustaining internal reform efforts anymore. Community organizing and workplace action are essential, but without additional supports, they may not be enough.
This is where the conversation has to shift. If the U.S. is sliding into kleptocracy, then the same tools used to counteract state capture elsewhere must be applied here. That means:
Targeted sanctions against the CEOs, executives, and board members who sustain the system.
Restrictions on major political donors and media figures who function as enablers.
Opening up ICC whistleblower protections for Americans who recognize what is happening and want to turn away from the choices they’ve made.
The U.S. has spent decades intervening abroad under the justification of defending democracy—but what happens when its own institutions fail? If Americans are serious about resisting oligarchy, they have to be willing to treat their country as it is: a failing state. That means bringing in external accountability where internal reform is structurally impossible.
Boycotts, unionization, and direct action all matter—but without international counterpressure, the same bad actors will continue consolidating control over the economy, the media, and the legal system. The work is bigger than consumer choices. It’s about shifting power in a way that oligarchs can’t ignore.
Well said!
In the future think that calls for inclusivity and not bashing disabled people need to be at the front of all movements. Many disabled people were attacked online for not being able to participate. Even if it’s not the organizers doing the ableism, I think they should recognize publicly the importance of not shaming those who cannot.
So many people got downright angry with me when I said “hey this isn’t accessible for everyone, how can we spread the message better so people have more time to prepare?”
Yep! Well stated. To get the bastards out we need everyone doing whatever they can. As i said to some friends the other day, if all you can do is walk your dog by the office of your do-nothing senator and make sure he defecates right in front of the door, its SOMETHING. Endless suspicion and critiquing of new tactics makes it sound like we know what will being change. If we really knew would we be in this situation to begin with?
Thanks for this — you keep coming back to the point that how we talk to each other matters. This is so true and will be even more important the longer this goes. There are things I can’t do today (health limits) that I totally engaged with when younger, so I’ve got context, but so many people are shocked and don’t know where to turn. Being dismissive of a small action, or saying, well, you voted for this, doesn’t help. Solidarity doesn’t just mean everyone who thinks like me.
I would argue that the failure of the blackout day (it had no measurable decrease) is a bad look.
It's a ridiculous idea that we can get daily products, like pads, at a normal price.
We are asking people to pay double the price for typical items. and buying Proctor and Gamble Always pads at a small store... you're still supporting a giant, greedy corporation.
I think the message has to be "this didn't work, let's try something else." But to lie to ourselves and say "for 2 weeks, no one can go to a nearby store" - that's an even more ludicrous idea.
Me personally, I stocked up and purchased from Amazon the day before and the day after. I used my card on that day to buy airline tickets.
And these companies know this. They know that there were extra purchases the day before and the day after.
And to be frightened of the truth - that all activism isn't effective - that's coddling. That's the participation award.
We trans people are getting fucking clobbered. This is not the time for me to be sensitive and butthurt because I'm not making change. It's my time to double down and keep fighting.
#find your fire
I take it back. BOYCOTT Tesla by selling your stock! Boycott Tesla - everyone who has mutual funds - call your broker. Call client services. Tell then to check every mutual fund and make sure it doesn't have Tesla.
Vanguard alone has 60 million shares. If 100 people call customer service, they'll panic.
Thanks J. P. Let's take it further!
Join the GENERAL CONSUMER STRIKE. We need to hold the American economy hostage until basic demands are met.
1) The president must respect the rule of law
2) The president must acknowledge free speech and the power of the Judiciary
If we don't spend, the economy slows...and more people don't spend.
Voters care about $$$s.
Tech Bro’s understand only the language of $$$
I
--Please buy only necessities. Food, utilities, medicine.
--Sell American stocks if you can.
--Postpone travel and renovations if you can (or drive and spend $$s in Canada!)
Right now, Trump is defying the Judiciary and flirting with a constitutional crisis. But, we are not powerless....we have the power of the purse.
We regularly boycott countries that will not respect our values. America has become one of those countries...threatening our neighbor's sovereignty, extorting from those under attack, showing no respect for the rule of law or basic civil rights. Engage in this potent legal form of protest.
Will this hurt everyone? Yes. Trump has declared war on our legal system and constitution. War hurts.
HOW WILL WE SURVIVE AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN?
--Give what you can to neighbors and food banks
--Join the gift economy through local sites like Buy Nothing and Nextdoor.
--Ask neighbors and friends for what you need.
Please post, share, spread the word any way you can and stop the shredding of our Democracy.
Thanks, stay strong and keep fighting. We are in this together.
Hi Josh, I love you and your writing. It's one of the things that drew me to Substack. But I'm starting to understand that Substack isn't so great after all for multiple reasons. This is the second article I've seen saying as much. (The first one I saw pointed out how they were platforming literal Nazis.) Your thoughts? TIA: https://www.joanwestenberg.com/why-i-wont-write-on-substack/
Loved this.
'Sports entertainment is Americans largest export. American athletes and owners should know better and speak up in defence of the laws of national sovereignty. Otherwise they are passive Imperialists themselves, spoken for by their President. We expect sports journalist to ask the tough questions to American athletes so Canadians know whether or not to turn the channel, for the greater good.' https://trkingston.substack.com/p/russia-plays-usa-the-no-nation-cup
i love what you're saying here! i also was very on-board with the criticisms i was seeing of this boycott, because idk the whole thing just made me think of the black boxes on instagram during BLM. people love an excuse to feel like they're helping without actually doing anything, and it strikes me more as a self-soothing ritual than anything that'll actually help (it's all love, i don't think less of anyone for falling into it, no need to jump in my responses and get defensive).
i would be curious to see if anyone was truly brought into the fold of organizing through this moment, especially considering the organizer didn't seem to be involved in anything larger (also i didn't know about the paid-members-only thing they're doing -- does that strike you as grifting or am i just coming into it with a negative read?).
that said, worth reiterating after my tirade that the way we talk to people is important, and criticism should always be just that, and ideally delivered with patience and not dunking lol.