Over half a century ago, as protests were gathering steam across India to make the British colonialists leave, the latter had put in place laws to deny Indians the right to make indigenous salt. Instead, they had decreed that only British-made salt would be sold across the country.
Salt is a basic ingredient in Indian food and this decree was yet another violation of the country's basic rights. Besides of course offering further proof of the British need to make money by clawing the skin off the poor.
However, Indians did not resort to standing outside British outposts and chanting slogans. Instead, 80,000 Indians led by Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) decided to walk for 23 days from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi, a little sea-side town to harness salt from the sea.
Flash forward to the streets of Chicago, where protestors shout slogans about corporate greed. Some say that very soon the poor will have nothing to eat but the rich while others call for the suits to grow a heart. But the protestors continue to drink soda sold by the two giant corporations that compete across the world. They continue to consume chips and other snacks sold by other mega-corporations.
I am not one who will advocate that 20% of society's population owning 80% of society's wealth is a good thing. In fact, I am all for a more equitable distribution of resources, globally. But I think protestors who continue to fuel the growth of the corporate empires that they protest would do well to reflect upon their course of action. Because when Indians broke British colonial law and harvested salt at Dandi, they sent out a clear message to the British. We are against you and we will show our displeasure in a way that will hurt you the most. By not buying from you.
So, while you are beating your drum against Wall Street, try saying no to that can of soda. Because to Wall Street, nothing speaks louder and more clearly than when their products don't sell.
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