Why We Do It
Wondering why we think this boycott is worthwhile is a worthwhile thing to wonder. Coca-Cola is but one of a myriad of multinational corporations running communities into the ground and doing their best to cover our eyes with their logo. Will changing one company really make a difference? Obviously, I think it will.
Coca-Cola isn't any more or less offensive in its practices than many other companies, but money beyond most people's comprehension has been invested to make Coca-Cola well-known. Because they've been around for so long, they've become both powerful and iconic. They're a major player in our lives and they want everyone to know it, unlike those producing goods whose names aren't widely broadcast. These are the subsidiaries, the ones that so often run the worst kind of wild. Generating enough momentum is what it takes to let the corporations know we're watching is more than a huge part of this: it's the goal. Not only because Coca-Cola will be woken up to its accountability for the action and inaction taken but because this will have an effect on other corporations as well. For every person who has suffered or died in adverse circumstances, as well as those whose futures are in danger because of the way these corporate machines are allowed to work, and for the sake of equality- that's why we do it. We want the world to know we're watching these corporations that try to hold sway over our minds. In fact, we want the world to join us.
One other thing: for every person who participates in this or any effort, no matter their success, there has begun another growing process. Each consumer who takes even a passing interest in efforts to amend the crimes committed against other communities will be better prepared to care for their own. For those who have already been aware of some fraction of 'the bigger picture' these efforts provide a simple, structured way to step outside of the intellectual box so many of us have spent too long stewing in. It places each and every participant in a position to test their ideas and their rhetoric. Collaboration and expansion are key.
Coca-Cola isn't any more or less offensive in its practices than many other companies, but money beyond most people's comprehension has been invested to make Coca-Cola well-known. Because they've been around for so long, they've become both powerful and iconic. They're a major player in our lives and they want everyone to know it, unlike those producing goods whose names aren't widely broadcast. These are the subsidiaries, the ones that so often run the worst kind of wild. Generating enough momentum is what it takes to let the corporations know we're watching is more than a huge part of this: it's the goal. Not only because Coca-Cola will be woken up to its accountability for the action and inaction taken but because this will have an effect on other corporations as well. For every person who has suffered or died in adverse circumstances, as well as those whose futures are in danger because of the way these corporate machines are allowed to work, and for the sake of equality- that's why we do it. We want the world to know we're watching these corporations that try to hold sway over our minds. In fact, we want the world to join us.
One other thing: for every person who participates in this or any effort, no matter their success, there has begun another growing process. Each consumer who takes even a passing interest in efforts to amend the crimes committed against other communities will be better prepared to care for their own. For those who have already been aware of some fraction of 'the bigger picture' these efforts provide a simple, structured way to step outside of the intellectual box so many of us have spent too long stewing in. It places each and every participant in a position to test their ideas and their rhetoric. Collaboration and expansion are key.