They say the President doesn’t make policy – crowds of angry people march and chant slogans. And at one time, when America was a fully functioning democracy, this may have been true. I no longer believe that this is so.
Not only is this brand of protest now a waste of time, it may actually be the exact incentive sought by the Trump administration so it can label “blue” cities as war zones, then deploy troops, As it is done in Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and maybe soon, a city near you.
Next Nationwide no king The rally is scheduled for tomorrow. I have already received text messages requesting me to attend. I’ve also received some requests for pizza. Some of my closest friends and dearest colleagues will be attending. A friend said, “I don’t usually do things like this, but I can’t keep quiet.” Another told me, “I have to be there.”
Although I have great respect for any citizen willing to work against Trump, I have decided not to participate in No Kings. I’m a practical person, and standing on a busy street and waving a sign is not the most practical approach at this point.
In my opinion, mass protests will not change anyone’s mind. Rather, it is going to irritate people who are trying to go about their weekend routine. Right or wrong, this is the truth. Social media gives that irritation a platform, and soon, protesters are understood to be the problem, adding fuel to Trump’s fire.
When ABC capitulated to the Trump administration and suspended Jimmy Kimmel in September, people started They’re pausing their Hulu and Disney+ subscriptionsDisney (ABC’s parent company) is like any other corporation. It cares about the almighty dollar and nothing else.
You may remember, after the riot at the US Capitol building on January 6, many American companies (wal-mart, home depot, AT&TJust to name a few) announced that they would no longer support Trump or give money to his associates for ethical reasons. then they start again their Help and their GrantThere is no benefit in morality.
On September 22, Howard Sterntold his radio listeners“This may sound stupid, but what I did this morning is I’m canceling my Disney+. I’m trying to say with Pocketbook that I don’t support what they’re doing with Jimmy.”
Less than 24 hours later, Kimmel was back.
Going forward, when Trump pressures media outlets to compromise their journalistic principles, and they acquiesce, I encourage every respectful American to shut down such outlets. If colleges and universities bow to the White House, I say stop earmarked charitable gifts to those institutions.
Stop eating at Cracker Barrel. Stop shopping at Target and Walmart. Expose Home Depot’s hypocrisy. Cancel Amazon Prime. Sign out of Meta. Pull your money out of JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. Ditch AT&T.
Would such a boycott be easy? no way. But what option do we have? The America for which generations of men and women have fought and died is hanging by a thread.
Protesting with our money should be the battle plan – the blueprint for victory. We have to agree with the inconvenience. If we think what is happening here is wrong then we will have to do without Instagram and “House of David”.
Now the good news: We only have to make the sacrifice for a short period of time. As corporate America feels its bottom line threatened, millionaires and billionaires will pressure the Republican-led Congress to rein in Trump. And when that happens, we will resume our relationships with retailers and media outlets and technology firms.
If you believe Trump is a dictator, or wants to be a dictator, then you must be ready and willing to cut off his resources, because any dictator is powerless without them. And Trump has only one reliable resource: money. From that one entity derives all its power, all its influence, all its obedience, like North Korea.
Money talks, protesters walk.
brian huba is an essayist and 12th grade English teacher in Upstate New York.
