Why Do We Boycott?
Boycotts: protesting with your dollar.
Boycotts have been around for a very long time, and you've probably learned about them in history class. We’ve cycled through calls for boycotts for all different kinds of reasons. There are boycotts when certain unions are on strike, when we learn about certain labor practices, or, like, currently, when we learn that funding is going towards a genocide. Now, we know that there's no ethical consumption under capitalism. But boycotts can enact change when they're done right. That's when boycotts are organized, planned, and resourced.
There is a difference between not spending money on a company that you don't find ethical and participating in a boycott. I am a person who is historically not much of a consumer. In my early 20s I barely spent money outside of food, rent, and transportation. As I have become more of a consumer, I have tried to stay conscious of how I'm using my money. In the current boycott that I'm participating in to support folks in Gaza, I'm following the list of targeted boycotts BDS has called for. This is a list of companies and brands that are being targeted by this boycott. There are also other brands and other companies that other people might decide to not give their money to because of ties to Israel or donations and things like that.
There are also reasons that people might not be able to participate in those boycotts. That’s why often in these calls for those boycotts you’ll see messaging saying, “when there is a reasonable replacement available.” Because we know and we acknowledge that not everybody has easy alternatives. Larger corporations can charge less for products than independent companies can. Some towns and neighborhoods don’t have local stores or options of where to shop at all. Sometimes your time is too limited to make these substitutions.
Speaking for myself , there's also been general strikes called for on top of the boycotting. And I can't strike. I'm self-employed. Who am I striking against? And I know that the people in Gaza don't benefit from me not working. There are other ways that I can be involved. I can post information for other people. Not everybody has access to alternatives, and also, not everybody has access to the information.
The point is that boycotts are effective when they are targeted and specific. Following the list of guidelines from an organization that has the resources to widely spread that information is the way to go. Anything else you don't want to support, you're obviously welcome to not spend your money and/or spend it in the places that you know will go towards things you do care about. But boycotts are only effective when they're targeted, organized, and sustainable. Just as with any social justice work, you don't have to do it perfectly in order to participate. Boycotts don’t have to be all or nothing. You can mess up, you can forget, and you can start again. You can buy essentials and not over consume. Any participation is better than no participation, and information can be very powerful.
