American democracy is only as strong as the ability and commitment of Americans to exercise their right to vote. Pretty straightforward. Everyone knows that. A ballot and a ballot box. That's it.
No, it isn't. A vote is more than just a printed sheet of paper with tiny circles to fill in. It is more than that. A vote is a voice raised, a letter sent, a debate engaged. And this vote is also decisive. It can be cast, changed, and withdrawn at the voter's will.
In these strange times, when things are getting curiouser and curiouser, as Alice would say in her Wonderland, Americans need to exercise these not-so-subtle versions of the vote.
This vote resides in American wallets, and in the choices they make with what is in their wallets.
A business acts in a manner that is likely to damage American democratic culture and institutions? Let Americans vote with their wallets to determine what they buy, what they subscribe to, what they can cancel, and what they can shun. Let enough Americans do that to win the "election."
Pretty simple. The trick is to get enough voters to use the "wallet" vote, even when only a minority of Americans vote in traditional elections.
Remember Ralph Nader, celebrated in the Automotive Hall of Fame? He made Americans conscious of the relationship between a business and its products and the consumers' ability and willingness to support or not that product or company.
Voting via the wallet, right?
No comments:
Post a Comment