This commentary was in response to a call for a mass boycott of La Michoacana chain and for a
broader boycott of all those that are profiting from our community or the repression its facing. It
was posted on the “La Red” email list back in Jan of 25.
BOYCOTT “TARGETED APPROACH”, REALLY?
We have at our fingertips the ability to determine EXACTLY what corporations are benefiting from the suffering of our people.
I think that the talk of mass boycotts, etc. are on the right track. Targeted approach is even better. However maybe what I consider a “targeted approach” is different than what is circulating around. I’m thinking PRECISION targeting. We have at our fingertips literally the ability to determine EXACTLY what corporations in general and EXACTLY which individuals are not only benefiting from the suffering of our people but where their other investments and interests are as well.
WHERE ARE OUR ACADEMICIANS?
I ask myself, what are our academicians up to these days? They are tied to institutions that have
research capabilities on par with how a satellite can spy from space and make out a face in a crowd.
Why aren’t they stepping up to the plate and doing the REAL homework to arm us with the necessary
information needed to pull this off? Where are our academicians skilled in marketing that are tied to
these institutions? Our sociologists? Our political scientists? We have not only the tools but the
PEOPLE that can do this. Why have we not heard from them? What this speaks to is something I’ve
posted about many times, namely the fact that our struggle for social justice collectively operates in such a reactive way. What’s the plan? Let’s hunt a rabbit so we have food. Good idea, let’s use a shotgun. Surely one of the shots will bring it down. We just have to continue firing until it does. Does that sound like someone who’s going to eat that day? Not in my book.
Academicians are tied to institutions that have research capabilities.
But let’s go further. I had a friend comment to me that the accumulated wealth of those have aligned themselves with the MAGA agenda have the resources to withstand a mass boycott. They could lose billions and it would glance off them. I had never considered this a reality, but is seems plausible. Does that make boycotts a useless weapon? It is but only if we fail to be PRECISE. Those that have lined up against us have formed a united front behind the MAGA agenda but they are not all equal. Some are powerful players and others not as powerful. We must be able to locate their weak links, those that economic sanctions on our part WILL affect, WILL make them sweat and WILL lead to cracks in their alliance. We MUST think strategically in EVERYTHING we do from now on. We cannot continue the same old formulas because they are NOT WORKING! We MUST stop being reactive and spontaneous.
We KNEW this was coming but failed to act, to plan. The very fact that Trump won out over his opponents, over a year ago and became the candidate for the Republicans and SEIZED control of their party should have been enough for us to conclude that we NEEDED to have a plan “B” just in case the M*#&! won as we already knew his agenda. We put our blind faith in that couldn’t happen. For all intents and purposes, WE, those that are fighting for our communities and our people LET this “crisis” happen and NOW we are running around like chickens without heads wanting to strike out doing this and doing that as surely it will make a difference if we just keep at it. Is THIS the plan? No plan?
IN CONCLUSION
The very fact that Trump became the candidate for the Republicans and SEIZED control of their party should have been enough for us to conclude that we NEEDED to have a plan “B.”
We need to put our academicians and those connected to our higher learning institutions TO WORK, to design our strategy for a REAL targeted approach. A PRECISION approach. WHAT corporations and WHAT stock holders and WHAT investments do they have? WHICH banks and financial institutions are bankrolling them and WHO are their shareholders and WHAT other investments do they have in WHAT companies and WHAT products or services do they provide?
From there, HOW are these sanctions on our part to be implemented? WHAT will it take, WHAT types of messaging is required and HOW is this to be built? We need to have the ability to make our messages go viral and reach every man, women and child. WHO is working on this? Again, our academicians are tied to departments that specialize in solving this type of problem. Where are they? Instead of endless discussions and presentations, let’s get down to the REAL work of organizing our defenses and preparing ourselves for battle. THESE are the topics that should consume our precious meeting time so that we work with intelligence and cunning but most of all united around the task of putting our heads together to SOLVE these problems here, now, in the real world. THIS is what I meant when I spoke and wrote on many occasions on our need to have our THINK TANK organized and ready to march. Not a think tank that does analysis and recommends policy changes, etc. but a FIGHTING think tank. I know that some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. So, what are you waiting for? Every day counts, there is NO time to lose. Please stop behaving as if there is.
In total solidarity,
Tony Herrera
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Copyright 2025 by Tony Herrera. Photo of boycott copyrighted by Barrio Dog Productions, Inc. All other images in the public domain.