The Great American Boycott! – CleanTechnica

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“The times are out of joint,” Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet. That line is often interpreted to mean the speaker is witnessing deep social disruptions and a world where the natural order of things has been overturned — a description that many may feel is appropriate for the present day in the United States.

Just in the past few weeks, two citizens have been murdered in cold blood on the streets of Minneapolis by jackbooted thugs employed by the administration. Meanwhile, the Supreme Leader has made a mockery of the country by parading his paranoia and puerile fits of pique on the world stage in Davos.

As the noted Nazi hunter Elie Wiesel once observed, “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but we must never fail to protest.” Today, thousands of American citizens have put their lives on hold to protest the illegal actions of their government and they are to be applauded for doing so. The right to petition the government for redress of grievances is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Spineless Republicans In Congress

Throughout the first year of this administration, the Republicans in Congress have steadfastly refused to do their duty and stand up for America. They have trampled on their oath of office, in which they swore to protect and defend the Constitution. They have put their scruples in a vault and handed the keys to the Dicktator in Chief. Such a shameful display of weakness and lack of moral courage will be a stain the Republican party will carry forward for generations to come.

In an editorial published on January 25, 2026, the New York Times said, “The Trump Administration Is Lying to Our Faces. Congress Must Act.” Both statements are undoubtedly true, and while they are necessary, they are not sufficient to address Hamlet’s lament about the times being out of joint.

A Republic Under Siege

When the members of the constitutional convention concluded their labors in Philadelphia in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked, “What sort of government have you given us?” He replied, “A republic…..if you can keep it.” A republic is a state in which political power rests with the people, who elect representatives to carry out their wishes. The opposite of a republic is a monarchy led by those who accede to positions of power by virtue of birth rather than qualifications

The difference between a democracy and a republic is that in a democracy, all eligible voters meet to decide policy. In parts of New England, the traditional town meeting still persists. However, gathering 340 million Americans in one place to hash out policies would be unwieldy. Instead, representatives are elected, and they gather to establish those policies, leaving the people free to pursue their livelihoods.

In theory, those representatives are sworn to reflect the will of those who elected them. In practice, once ensconced in Washington, DC, far from their home states, they are free to do pretty much as they please. The analogy to the husband who becomes promiscuous while away on business is appropriate.

In a 1992 book entitled Who Will Tell The People?, Washington correspondent William Greider wrote about what he called the hollowing out of government. That is a facade maintained in which members of Congress appear to represent the folks back home, but behind the scenes, they craft their own agendas. Greider suggested that many of our elected representatives would rather have a root canal without anesthesia than meet with their constituents, who they hold in something approaching contempt.

Instead, they are visited on a regular basis by lobbyists whose main function is to sell stuff — including ideas — to the members of Congress. Some of those ideas are special tax breaks or laws that favor one business or another. Today, Republicans in Congress are actively promoting the idea that fossil fuel companies should be shielded from any legal liability for their decades of lies about climate science.

Corporations United

The point where the notion of a republic breaks down is when those representatives stop obeying the will of the people and start doing the bidding of donors instead. As satirist YIP Harburg said when asked if writing letters to Congress was a good idea, “Each Congressman has two ends — a sitting and a thinking end. And since his whole career depends upon his seat….why bother, friend?”

When the Supreme Court handed down its Citizens United decision in 2010, it should have been called “Corporations United,” because it opened the floodgates to corporate cash for members of Congress, and overwhelmed any remaining vestige of concern for their constituents. Members of Congress no longer had to pretend to care about the voters. As long as they took care of their corporate sponsors, those corporations would take care of them. It was the culmination of the corporatization of America begun by the Lewis Powell memo in 1971.

It’s a pretty good deal for everyone — except the people. The members of Congress get to keep their seat and corporate America gets everything it wants. For the sake of a few million dollars here and a few million dollars there, the corporate kleptocracy pockets tens of billions of dollars in profits. That’s a pretty sweet deal — for them.

Pundits like Robert Reich are urging people to contact their elected representatives today to demand an end to the invasion of America by armed thugs — not immigrant gang members from Venezuela but goons hired by the administration of deliver a dose of shock and awe to the American people.

I am a fan of Robert Reich and people like Paul Krugman, Heather Cox Richardson, Margaret Sullivan, and Rebecca Solnit. I read their stuff every day and it makes my blood boil. What also enrages me is the refusal of Congressional Republicans to lift a finger to oppose the assault on American democracy engineered by the current administration. But calling my senator or representative is not on my to do list. Here’s what I recommend instead.

The Great American Boycott!

Face it. Members of Congress don’t give a flying fig leaf about what you want. All they care about is getting elected. To do that they have to suck up to their corporate sponsors. If we want to change the way America works, we need to influence those corporations.

How to do that? Stop doing business with them. Don’t buy their products. I know that is unrealistic for some things. No one is going to cancel an oil delivery so their house goes cold this winter. But there are lots of things you can do. Don’t buy a new or used car — the old family bus will last a month or two longer. Tell Jeff Bezos and Amazon to stuff it — at least for a little while. Put off any discretionary purchase that isn’t absolutely necessary.

I’m sure there are creative people out there who could design bumper stickers or start internet campaigns to support a boycott. Please use your skills to help spread the word. Once corporations start to feel the pain, the will respond like a child touching a hot stove.

Let’s not put energy into things that don’t work, like Occupy Wall Street. The leverage we have as consumers is enormous. Let’s hear the sound of wallets and pocketbooks slapping shut all across America. Our congressional representatives may be beyond our command, but they are in thrall to their corporate sponsors.

It is sad to think that the notion of a republic has become so distorted by greed and corporate power, but that is the reality. If we want changes to our government, we are powerless to make that happen by traditional means. The reality is that corporations are now the masters of America and if we can’t influence our elected representatives, we need to influence those who can.

For the month of February, buy nothing that is not essential. No airplane trips, no ski trips, no cars, no new clothes, no home improvements, no appliances, no TVs or computers, and no video games. We have the power. Let’s use it!