My post yesterday about Chick-fil-A reminded me of this video from the Story of Stuff Project:
Last summer, many of us progressive boycotted Chick-fil-A (here is a related post) after their president and COO, Dan Cathy, spouted off against homogamy and after the extent of the corporation's "charitable" arm's funding of anti-gay causes was widely reported. In reaction, conservatives held a "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day." These were parallel attempts at economic protest. Both are problematic. "Voting with our dollars" or "consumer activism" only makes sense if we admit that capitalism has radically undermined the democratic process. The way to fight breast cancer is to buy things that companies have painted pink, we are told. The way to save the environment is to buy things that companies box in recycled packaging. They way to fight for workers' rights is to shop anywhere but Walmart. The way to fight for same-sex marriage is to eat anywhere but Chick-fil-A. We are taught to consume our way to utopia. Tony Benn famously said, "...from the wallet to the ballot." Voting with one's dollars is a sign that she has given up on the ballot and that capitalism is vanquishing democracy.
Last summer, many of us progressive boycotted Chick-fil-A (here is a related post) after their president and COO, Dan Cathy, spouted off against homogamy and after the extent of the corporation's "charitable" arm's funding of anti-gay causes was widely reported. In reaction, conservatives held a "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day." These were parallel attempts at economic protest. Both are problematic. "Voting with our dollars" or "consumer activism" only makes sense if we admit that capitalism has radically undermined the democratic process. The way to fight breast cancer is to buy things that companies have painted pink, we are told. The way to save the environment is to buy things that companies box in recycled packaging. They way to fight for workers' rights is to shop anywhere but Walmart. The way to fight for same-sex marriage is to eat anywhere but Chick-fil-A. We are taught to consume our way to utopia. Tony Benn famously said, "...from the wallet to the ballot." Voting with one's dollars is a sign that she has given up on the ballot and that capitalism is vanquishing democracy.
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