Like Trying to Make a Mirror Out of a Brick: You Cannot Stop White Supremacy by Heckling Shoppers & Blocking Traffic!
No Effect on White Supremacy. Raul Hilberberg notes that prior to the Nazi extermination of the Jews, the Jews made various "alleviation attempts" in their failed resistance to white supremacy. Under the heading of alleviation are included petitions, protection payments, ransom arrangements, anticipatory compliance, relief, rescue, salvage, reconstruction-- in short, all those activities which are designed to avert danger, or, in the event that force has already been used, to diminish its effects.
The Jewish posture in the face of destruction [during the Holocaust] was not shaped on the spur of the moment. The Jews of Europe had been confronted by force many times in their history, and during these encounters they had evolved a set of reactions that were to remain remarkably constant over the centuries. "Preventive attack, armed resistance, and revenge were almost completely absent in Jewish exilic history." [MORE]
Sound familar - reminding you of Blacks and Latinos in the U.S.? In a state of complete attachment to the racial stupidity of whites, Black people are victims of their own emotions and socially created anxiety [MORE]. Blocking traffic, yelling at shoppers or praying, burning candles, posting up teddy bears and other alleviation efforts do not fight the power of white supremacy. [MORE]
If you rub a brick long enough will it become a mirror?
What Kind of Boycott is This? There were multiple competing boycotts going on yesterday [MORE]. The efforts were general - that is, the "boycotts" were not against any specific businesses. Despite those efforts shoppers spent a record $3 billion - just online [MORE] and while people spent less there were more shoppers. [MORE] and [MORE] Any measurable impact of the spread out boycott was not noticeable - it was just bark. Thus, Black people's century long losing streak continued.
Billionaires Off of Black Despair. In order to effectively use the great power of withdrawal a boycott must be an actual organized campaign that directly communicates to Black consumers, mobilizes their particpation and then targets specific businesses (think the NOI Million Man March) [MORE]. Otherwise any impact will simply be an individual consumer choice and have only a minimal, symbolic affect. One thing to learn from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson was their ability to inspire a business shakedown or shutdown.
African Americans' collective purchasing power is an estimated 1.3 trillion dollars. [MORE] A real boycott could have a substantial impact on a strategically targeted business; Black Dollars Matter. In theory, a successful boycott can empower Blacks and simultaneously disempower elite whites and change the relations and structure of social power." However, it must be executed to be more than a media stunt or another beggar politics episode to flatter whites. If you are still attempting moral suasion on racists then you have missed the point. As Neely Fuller explains, "if you don't understand racism/white supremacy, everything else that you think you understand will only confuse you." White supremacy/racism is a two way master servant system of vast unequal power that primarily relies on deception, violence and your cooperation and submission. In what ways do Blacks and Latinos participate in the system of white supremacy? [MORE]