Forum Post: Boycott Everything

Evening,

It seems to me that the Occupy Movement is heading towards "occupy everything", as some have termed it. It is great to see the movement and I hope it may continue long into the future. However, I have always been a critic of protest as it is just a further display of people's belief that they are without the power to change a landscape that is sloped against them. Indeed, large-scale systems are hard to change and can seem daunting to the isolated individual. But the reality is that we need not ask anyone in "power" to change anything, we need only ask ourselves collectively.

As a case in point, there was protest against apartheid in South Africa for many years, which had little influence on changing the system. It was only when the system faced boycott in the form of exports that it fell. All it took was non-cooperation. The same is true of the system that the occupy movement seeks to end/modify - it's only there because we are holding it up. As such, I would ask that the occupy movement move towards not just "occupying everything", but also and with more impetus "boycotting everything"; in the form of a ceaseless boycott against a selection of the worst offending corporations as well as national elections. Such an arm to the movement would take it from one that has a scope limited to those who are able to occupy XYZ to one that is open to anyone with money and/or the right to vote, living anywhere in the world. Such a tactic would also prove very difficult to circumvent, while directing money into the real economy of small businesses. Further, I have seen reports of occupiers being lampooned by the target of their protests, such as having McDonalds applications dropped on them in Chicago. By moving from occupy to boycott, such people will be more worried about their losing investments than dumping McDonalds applications on people. The tables will have turned.

What I am asking is that the movement move from talking & protest to the promotion of individual power & action through boycott. I have been doing this for years in my own life: no mobile phone, no car, no big food, reducing energy dependence etc. and no doubt others here have too. However, others know the issues and chose not to vote with their currency because they are bewildered in self-disbelief and lack of will to change from dependence on corporate systems. I feel that the occupy movement has the momentum to inspire people to make changes in their economic voting (purchases) that may otherwise feel it will make no difference. All that is required is the direction. This system is so easy to change, it won't even take that many of us...