How does one achieve one’s goal of protest without incurring violence? The simplest way to answer this question is to start a boycott. Boycott is the abstension of purchasing, consuming or dealing with an entity that is against one’s integrity. Essentially, it provides an economic sanction against the entity, in which if the boycott is effective, it will force the entity to cease their current mode of operation or allow them to adopt new ideas.
Ayn Rand was a big opponent of racism in any forms, regarding how to fight against racism, she wrote:
No man, neither Negro nor white, has any claim to the property of another man. A man’s rights are not violated by a private individual’s refusal to deal with him. Racism is an evil, irrational and morally contemptible doctrine—but doctrines cannot be forbidden or prescribed by law. Just as we have to protect a communist’s freedom of speech, even though his doctrines are evil, so we have to protect a racist’s right to the use and disposal of his own property. Private racism is not a legal, but a moral issue—and can be fought only by private means, such as economic boycott or social ostracism. – Virtue of Selfishness, p134.
There are so many ways one can use boycott to convey a point, for instance the Target bathroom controversy has now caused their stock to crash. Similar incidents occured in the during the United Airlines controversy.
In other incidents, corporations may actually start their own political push, but often it would backfire on them leading to actual boycott of them. Such as
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and even the most commonly boycotted Starbucks were boycotted for different reasons such as open border and same-sex marriage.
Boycott can also be against individuals. This is our best strategy to stop their nonsense, especially against celebrities who thrive on getting attention. Milo did a good job here making a list of the people whose careers are dying if not for the puppeteering of the media. However, it goes beyond these “well known” celebs. It comes down down 2 things: integrity and freedom. Why would one support the evil that is fundamentally against one’s principles? How would any person find value in movies, tv shows, video games or songs which is emboiled in collectivism? Without having a concrete idea of one’s integrity, one is simply a mindless brute relying one’s whims and even goes as far as supporting the oppressor trying to destory him.
We also have a the freedom of choice under a relatively freer market in developed countries. There is no reason for us not to make better choices in our lives whenever we can. For instance, why would any free thinking individual not find House of Cards a complete failure of a propaganda with bad acting, ridiculous dialogues and terrible plot? Rand put it nicely regarding our choices:
That which you call your soul or spirit is your consciousness, and that which you call “free will” is your mind’s freedom to think or not, the only will you have, your only freedom, the choice that controls all the choices you make and determines your life and your character. –For the New Intellectual, p.127
Boycott reflects your character, it’s not always easy but it is ethical and moral to do so. Stop the mindless brainwashing of Hollywood, stop sponsoring terrorism and start living for yourself.
Kuo's Gulch 