Let me tell you about what I did on February 28, 2025, a day designated as an "economic blackout" throughout the United States. John Schwarz is credited with coming up with the idea of a blackout as well as helping to found the organization supposedly backing the whole attempt, The People's Union. I participated in the blackout. I had my doubts about whether it would work after seeing similar boycotts start and fail around companies like Starbucks to protest Israel annihilating all civilization contained within the Gaza strip. Still, I find it counter-productive to declare failure before trying. I am also, as it happens, poor. It's not particularly difficult for me to do a no-spend day because I'm often watching my credit card statement tick up while payday remains perpetually a week away. Such serendipity.
So here's how I spent it. I took the train to work. I spent the whole day in my workplace, refusing to leave and tempt myself with the idea of buying lunch and spending too much money. I finished work, I tapped back into the train, walked home from the train station, and parked my ass on my couch for the rest of the evening. Total money spent: zero dollars. Oh shit. Actually, that's what I did yesterday, except I rode my bike to work instead of taking the train. I did that today too, except I admit I did buy a bottle of unsweetened ice tea and candy to bribe some truly hellacious students from a grocery store during my lunch. I also paid to get my bike tuned up at a local bike shop. Okay, today wasn't a good example.
The results appear to be in about the economic blackout appear to be in and were published in the venerable...USA Today. Turns out it's kind of difficult to measure economic impact over just a single day. But we do know that Amazon, founded by a soulless cryptid billionaire that cosplays as Bruce Willis, had about one percent higher sales on Feb. 28. Is that statistically significant? Probably not. Some have pointed out that Feb. 28 was a payday, so that may have played a role in the slightly higher sales. Another lovely human joked about having a "guilt-free DoorDash order" following the economic blackout that defeated fascism. That's less relevant, but much funnier.
One failure does not a collapse in one of the last remaining tools in the proletariat's belt make. But there are two things I've been thinking about a lot since "participating" in the blackout. The first is whether social media can ever actually be the digital town square that was once envisioned and/or sold to us. Does sharing what is effectively a digital flyer to your Instagram story have any effect whatsoever? What percentage of users are in a mindset that allows them to consider, digest, and make plans based on a call-to-action posted in one of 100 stories glowing at the top of their Insta feed? God forbid more than two or three people in those glowing circles posted that flyer because then it might become annoying. And there is no greater sin on social media than being annoying. People (I'm people) open Instagram on compulsion; there's not even an intention behind it. Opening Instagram is like reaching for the remote when you sit down in front of the TV. It's a response to seeing millions of pixels spray color and light at you every time you check your phone. That lack of intentionality, that lack of reason doesn't create a mind that's willing to take action. Social media, outside of increasingly uncommon eruptions of outrage, is really only effective at activating people who are already engaged. And even then, the algorithm shovels more and more in the faces of even the most engaged until they too start succumbing to numbness. Social media isn't a church. It's not a union. It's not even a bar or coffee shop. It's a farce of social interaction, where you feel better when you see a little heart next to my name for liking your story and I feel better for clicking the little heart. It's instant and vapid and can never lend itself to the serious commitment of organizing a fucking boycott or economic blackout or whatever.
There's still the other thing. Remember how I mentioned earlier that my activities today weren't a good example of boycotting? I said that because it's true, I did not participate in a general boycott today at all. But according to The People's Union? My activities today were entirely okay within the framework of the boycott. Buying groceries was permitted. It was recommended to not spend any money, but if you did, spend money at a local business. The locally owned and operated bike shop that adjusted my bike's brakes fits that bill. Was getting my bike serviced absolutely necessary? Debatable, but Jesus it felt necessary. On the day of the blackout, one of my friends posted a picture of herself working from home on her Insta story. A plastic cup of iced coffee was clearly visible, so she made a little note addressing it: "don't worry, i bought this from a local coffee shop." I love my friend to death, but this is insane. Getting my bike fixed felt necessary today. I am sure she thought getting a coffee treat to celebrate making it through the week felt necessary. During the boycott, tea shop near my neighborhood urged us to come by and spend our dollars locally, "use cash!" they exhorted. An economic blackout became a reason to spend money.
"Are you saying we should boycott local businesses too?? They're not the enemy!"
Yes. And debatable. But even if you are of the mind that local businesses are infallible and don't frequently exploit workers and support conservative politicians, here's a deeply uncomfortable reality you still have to contend with: an economic blackout should be painful. Activism and fighting back against a horrible government isn't fun. It isn't a reason to support your local cafe. It should cause panic and stress, including for small and local businesses. And yes, even for you. I've wondered what a comment section would look like if social media existed during the bus boycotts to protest Jim Crowe laws. "You mean, I have to walk to work?" "What about people who can't walk?" "I live far away from work!" "Typical elitists telling working class people to walk!" "My bus driver is nice to Black people!"
Friends, those boycotters/protesters would walk up to eight miles a day to work. They organized carpools. Churchs asked for volunteers to create a de facto taxi service. None of this was easy. It was inconvenient and put a lot of stress on not just the bus lines, but also the protesters. I worry about the misappropriation of equity language that has made it difficult to do anything to fight back against the problems of our time because it might unintentionally negatively impact someone. We don't organize volunteer taxi services for folks who can't walk. We just argue. Meanwhile, Elon Musk gives himself another $400 million contract, Donald Trump sends innocent Latino boys to Guantanamo Bay, and Republicans in Congress try to strip away Medicaid from millions of Americans already struggling.
I'm not blameless. I haven't been to a single protest yet. I need to be better. And I hope the rest of center, center-left, and leftist America are willing to make some sacrifices to fight back against this administration.