So yeah...2018 seems a long way off. There's lots of hubbub about Jon Ossoff running in the special election for Georgia's 6th district, but that's really little more than a shot across the bow politically. What can we do NOW???
There is one way that we vote every day, and that's with our money. When you go online or to the store, you are choosing where to put your dollars. And honestly, while they might clamor for political power, what these oligarchs and kleptocrats are really after is money. "Follow the money," said Deep Throat (**brief pause while I call on the ghost of Mark Felt to come haunt the halls of the FBI and inspire someone there to blow the whistle**). We may not be able to negotiate shady international oil drilling contracts in Siberia, but we CAN refuse to purchase gasoline from Exxon. As individuals we can't do much, but collectively we can make a huge difference.
Today's Yopp! is to rethink your spending habits and strive to divest yourself as much as possible from Trump and his associates. Here are ten ways you can vote with your dollar TODAY!
There is one way that we vote every day, and that's with our money. When you go online or to the store, you are choosing where to put your dollars. And honestly, while they might clamor for political power, what these oligarchs and kleptocrats are really after is money. "Follow the money," said Deep Throat (**brief pause while I call on the ghost of Mark Felt to come haunt the halls of the FBI and inspire someone there to blow the whistle**). We may not be able to negotiate shady international oil drilling contracts in Siberia, but we CAN refuse to purchase gasoline from Exxon. As individuals we can't do much, but collectively we can make a huge difference.
Today's Yopp! is to rethink your spending habits and strive to divest yourself as much as possible from Trump and his associates. Here are ten ways you can vote with your dollar TODAY!
1. NEVER Buy, Use, or Support Trump Products: This includes Trump Hotels, Trump Winery, Trump golf courses, Scion Hotels, Ivanka Trump clothing line, 555 California Street in San Francisco, 1290 Avenue of the Americas in New York City, Sentient Jets, and the Donald J. Trump Signature Collection. Investopedia has more details on these companies.
2. Vote at the mall: Grab Your Wallet has selected 10 retailers (both brick and mortar and online) to boycott on account of them selling Trump family products or supporting Trump's election. They are Macy's, LL Bean, Bloomingdale's, Zappos, Amazon, Hudson's Bay, TJ Maxx, Lord & Taylor, Dillard's, and DSW.
3. Stop or Limit Using Amazon: This is a tough one, trust me. Amazon continues to sell Trump products and advertise on Breitbart. On the flip side, CEO Jeff Bezos has been a vocal critic of Trump. As I see it, Amazon is like Switzerland during World War 2. Unwilling to take a firm stand politically, but always there when there's money to be made. I'm also going to admit that I am an Amazon Prime member and regularly use it for convenience. But whenever I can, I buy local instead.
4. Monitor Your Online Shopping: There's a lot to watch out for, so folks have made tools to warn you before you buy a Trump or Trump-supporter product. If you do a lot of online shopping, the #GrabYourWallet Chrome plugin will monitor your shopping and alert you. If you'd prefer an application over a plug-in (so you can choose when you are being monitored), consider downloading the free app BoycottTrump.
5. Boycott ExxonMobil: Let's get real. You can't drive a gasoline-powered car without being somewhat complicit in the horrors inflicted on this planet and its people by gas companies. The worst of the worst is ExxonMobil, which used to be run by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Terrible environmental record. Very shady political dealings. Your best bets for gas are BP, Sunoco, and Shell in that order...but don't kid yourself that you're making a good choice. Get rid of your car and get a bicycle if you really want to have a clean conscience.
6. Change banks/financial institutions: Another tough one. It's easy to not buy Ivanka Trump's ugly clothes, but pulling your money out of institutions like Goldman-Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup and putting it into credit unions and banks like Amalgamated Bank would start hurting them where it counts. Again, easy to say, hard to do.
7. Change the channel: The following TV shows and films fill the pockets of Trump and his supporters. Don't watch them. Miss Universe/Miss USA/Miss Teen USA pageants, "The Apprentice," "Celebrity Apprentice," "Pageant Place," "The Ultimate Merger," WWE wrestling, and "Seinfeld" reruns. And while you are changing the channel, don't watch FoxNews either.
8. Give the gift of charity: Next time you have a birthday or wedding gift to give, consider making a donation to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, the Environmental Defense Fund, or any of the organizations listed on the Operation Gift List spreadsheet. As a bonus, you'll get a lot of deductions come tax time.
9. Donate to progressive campaigns: While the 2018 elections are a ways off, there are a lot of groups laying the groundwork for progressive campaigns. Consider donating to Justice Democrats, She Should Run, and Brand New Congress.
10. Invest in the Fourth Estate: Fake news had an impact, but mainstream news has fallen down on the job. It's time to start supporting quality investigative journalism via organizations like NPR and ProPublica. Donating to these groups will go a long way in ensuring that the truth is revealed. And while they can be biased and a bit tunnel-visioned, The Young Turks has a point of view that needs to get amplified. They are running a fundraising campaign through the first 100 days of the Trump presidency. The Washington Post and New York Times, while mainstream, tend to be the last bastions of old-school quality journalism, so consider subscribing.
That's what I've got for you today. I'm planning/hoping to do a series of health care related Yopps! over the next week. Stay tuned!
As always, share the heck out of this.
Yours in solidarity.
8. Give the gift of charity: Next time you have a birthday or wedding gift to give, consider making a donation to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, the Environmental Defense Fund, or any of the organizations listed on the Operation Gift List spreadsheet. As a bonus, you'll get a lot of deductions come tax time.
9. Donate to progressive campaigns: While the 2018 elections are a ways off, there are a lot of groups laying the groundwork for progressive campaigns. Consider donating to Justice Democrats, She Should Run, and Brand New Congress.
10. Invest in the Fourth Estate: Fake news had an impact, but mainstream news has fallen down on the job. It's time to start supporting quality investigative journalism via organizations like NPR and ProPublica. Donating to these groups will go a long way in ensuring that the truth is revealed. And while they can be biased and a bit tunnel-visioned, The Young Turks has a point of view that needs to get amplified. They are running a fundraising campaign through the first 100 days of the Trump presidency. The Washington Post and New York Times, while mainstream, tend to be the last bastions of old-school quality journalism, so consider subscribing.
That's what I've got for you today. I'm planning/hoping to do a series of health care related Yopps! over the next week. Stay tuned!
As always, share the heck out of this.
Yours in solidarity.
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