Fight Fascism and Corruption: Boycotts kick off new phase of resistance
Charlie Cooper
BOYCOTT!!!
The definition of fascism includes regimenting all industry and commerce to operate in accord with the ruling political power. We see this alignment happening in the US with Trump intimidating and romancing tech companies, media corporations, law firms, and more. In addition to enriching himself, Trump has pushed through big tax cuts and deregulation that will further concentrate wealth and power in a few corporate oligarchs. Now, progressive and pro-democracy forces are coordinating national responses designed to put pressure on corporations to stop propping up Trump. Three major corporations have been targeted in the most prominent version of this strategy.
How to Participate in We Ain’t Buying it
Full Black Out: Don’t buy anything from Target, Amazon or Home Depot stores during this week. Use the time and money to connect with those you love, and rediscover what matters.
Redirect Spending: Skip the companies undermining democracy. Shop small, local, or with businesses affirming our humanity.
Join the Movement: Pledge to be a conscious consumer.
Amplify: Spread the word. Share the message in conversation and online.
Use and SHARE Our Toolkit: Get the word out about this economic action so we can hit the billionaire’s pockets where it hurts! Share now!
Read news coverage by Fast Company.
Another coalition of organizations, Mass Blackout, has added the idea of work stoppage to the consumer boycott.
Texas gerrymandering case twists and turns
A federal appeals panel overturned the newly-gerrymandered Texas Congressional districts on the basis that they are unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. David Dayen in The American Prospect explains the extraordinarily twisted logic the Supreme Court has established and highlights incompetence among the MAGA forces.
Then Texas appealed to the Supreme Court, and Scalia put the lower court finding on a temporary hold. That means Texas can move forward to plan its election based on the gerrymandered districts. But it looks as though the Supreme Court will take the case on an expedited basis.
The Supreme Court might affirm the lower court, but it also could resuscitate the Texas map by determining that it is actually a partisan gerrymander that is “nonjusticiable.” (Rucho v. Common Cause, 2019) Or, it could simply rule that it is too close in time to the election (primary is set for March 3, 2026) to change the districts even if the districts are unconstitutional.
In a separate case, Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court seems set to gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). In 1982 both political parties supported an amendment that allowed “voters to challenge electoral maps and at-large election systems that, whether by design or not, diluted the votes of communities of color by locking them out of any reasonable chance of winning power.” This led to the use of the VRA to challenge districting maps at local, state, and Congressional levels. Several of the right-wing “Justices” have already suggested that any consideration of race in establishing districts is unconstitutional discrimination – presumably against White people. This is why the federal appeals panel that blocked the Texas map cited the Constitution itself rather than the VRA.
No complacency
Trump has had a very bad month. Prices are up. We even witnessed the spectacle of him fawning over Zohran Mamdani because even he sees the power of the affordability issue. Please don’t be tempted to think that this fascist regime will go away on its own.
We must remember that defeating Trump is not the goal. Our task is to activate our friends and neighbors to build a strong and durable coalition for peace, sustainability, and equality. We have to stop wasting trillions on health care administrative costs and profits and futile foreign military adventures. We have to tax the rich and control monopoly power – especially in the era of AI. We must replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. It’s a gargantuan agenda, and the Democrats will not implement it unless we force them to.
Here is a guide to a wide range of non-violent actions designed to thwart authoritarian regimes.
Technical explanation of impoundment crisis
Nathan Tankus is widely recognized as the nation’s foremost writer on money creation, the Federal Reserve system, and payment systems. In a recent newsletter, he discussed the illegality of Trump’s impoundment of appropriated funds. “Republican unity, including at the Supreme Court, means that refusing to cooperate with appropriations legislation was the only meaningful form of opposition to the ongoing impoundment crisis. Yet, Democratic party leadership never really framed it as such. Their preferred framing—over healthcare subsidies—has resonated with the public, but didn’t lead to legislative success.”
The Democrats decided not to make Trump’s violation of the Constitution an issue – perhaps because they think the public would not be interested in such a procedural issue. In my opinion, they missed an opportunity to say that Trump is cutting your benefits and doing it in violation of the Constitution.