Not One Damn Dime on January 20th

[Zan_of_Texas]

A friend sent me this. It's one way for people to protest -- hey, it's a baby step!

Not One Damn Dime -- Spread the word!

This might be the closest we could come to a general strike in this country and could be powerful symbolically if it were wide spread...

Not One Damn Dime Day - Jan 20, 2005

Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Dime Day" in America.

On "Not One Dime Day" is for those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending.

During "Not One Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one dime for gasoline. Not one dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one dime for anything for 24 hours.

On "Not One Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target etc...

Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter).

For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down.

The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it.

"Not One Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics.

"Not One Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The politicians put the troops in harm's way.

Now 1,200 brave young Americans and 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan -- a way to come home.

There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda. On "Not One Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing.

You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed.

For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.

Please share this email with as many people as possible.

[NMDemDist2]

1. great idea, and post this in the activism threads and I'll do it for the

Economic/Progressive Living thread :)

[Sporadicus]

2. This is a War of Attrition

that we can't lose. Even if the freepers and allied neocon apologists mobilize to counter this effort by spending like there's no tomorrow on January 20th, it's a gesture that can't be sustained indefinitely.

[HughBeaumont]

3. I guess I'll have to get the farecard for the Metro the day before

When I do the about-face flip-off to Lancelot Chimp as he whizzes by on his rotten tomato and egg-pasted limo, I gots to take the Metro up there. Driving in that shit will be horrendous.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. I never do things like this...

But I passed this on, to my email friends.

[Arianrhod]

5. I'm in. I also promise not to "stock up" the day before

on things I might normally have bought then. If I don't have it on the 20th, I don't need it. :)

I'm a fervent advocate of reducing consumption, so this kind of protest is right up my alley. :D

[Zan_of_Texas]

6. Yeah, I know.

I wish I didn't have to buy anything EVERY day from now until the last day the Pretender is squatting in the White House.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Calvinist Basset]

8. I posted this same message yesterday.

And all I got was a bunch of folks telling me how worthless this exercise is. Mostly, they said that people would stock up the day before or make up for things the next day.

My response to the naysayers is:

Has no one ever heard of fasting? How about reading a book instead of going to the movies? Can you walk to work instead of driving or taking the bus? Simply put, there are many ways to do the boycott without having to do the "make up" the day before or after.

Do what you want. I'm committed to the "Not One Damn Dime" Day.

[Arianrhod]

9. Actually, their argument misses the point.

Not buying anything on the day of the inauguration is a symbolic act, a way of saying we don't accept the premises this administration is built on.

In that respect, it's an effective protest, regardless of what one does any other day.

BTW, I like your thoughts on fasting, reading, etc. And to further the protest, how about checking that book out of a government library? :)

[xerenthar]

10. but I like capitalism :(