I’m dreading Bush’s inauguration as much as the next guy, but I’m afraid this doesn’t make any sense.
It’s called “Not One Damn Dime Day,” and it means just that. Proponents urge Americans not to spend any money on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, to protest President Bush’s policies in Iraq and the estimated $30 million to $40 million cost of the inauguration.
You might already have received the plea in your morning e-mails. If so, it probably was sent to you by friends or family, because the e-mail encourages everyone to share the contents with as many people as possible. And people have.
The message is simple: “Those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending.”
The idea seems to be making the rounds. USA Today noted that no one knows its origins, but ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. A dumb idea is a dumb idea, no matter who came up with it.
I’m all for effective protests, marches, and boycotts. Sometimes they’re effective, sometimes they’re not, but if it’s a worthy cause, go for it.
But the “Not One Damn Dime Day” project, while probably well-intentioned, doesn’t actually do anything. The logic, if I’m following the point here, is that we’re mad about the war in Iraq and the exorbitant costs associated with Bush’s second inaugural. To express our displeasure, we’ll stop spending money, for one day, with all businesses, most of whom have literally nothing to do with Bush, the war, or the inaugural. Huh?
Seems like Bush critics would have far more success steering clear of businesses that support Republicans in general, instead of all businesses on just one specific day. But that’s just me.