If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. – Thomas Jefferson

For years, culturejammers have been warning that the logic of capitalism is unsustainable and that sooner or later a system based on limitless, ever expanding consumption will fail. Not content to merely whine, we embarked on social campaigns, such as Buy Nothing Day and TV Turnoff Week, to demonstrate that a decrease in consumption means an increase in the enjoyment of life. And we witnessed, with growing satisfaction, that each year our movement grew — until even the mass media could no longer ignore our advances.

Taking the lessons of Buy Nothing Day one step further, many culturejammers began advocating a General Consumption Strike as the appropriate tool for reshaping the basis of our economies. Two years ago, Paul Ariès wrote the Manifesto For General Consumption Strike. In his manifesto, Paul called for a collective refusal to be consumers that would contrast the “bulimic economic logic with the goal of living with less goods but with more relationships”. He then went on to say:

We’ll go on strike to get free public transportation, to get free social housing, to get different pricing depending on consumption levels, to give everyone a universal existence income so all can live in dignity, we’ll go on strike to have those who ruin the planet pay more, to have advertisements limited to a few spaces, to redistribute wealth according to a maximum permitted income, etc. Thinking this strike would be a hunger strike is understanding nothing about what is consumption. A consumption strike means refusing to be a consumer, the kind of human being who belongs to the system. The goal is not to threaten our lives, our hyper-consumption society does that very well without us. On the contrary the goal is to learn how to fully exist, to live as a user in control of his use and no longer as a labor and a consumption convict, no longer as a capitalist market slave.

Let’s trust collective intelligence to rediscover long-forgotten use. Let’s think right now of our consumption and try to consume much less adopting a minimalist way of life. However we must watch out for purists who could turn this citizen action into a religious, moralizing, or authoritarian posture. Let’s trust the collective sensitivity to allow this action to grow in size and consistency.

Of course this general strike will require the boycott of some products vital for the hyper-capitalist system (not only economic products but also ideological products like TV news or most newspapers). A consumption strike wouldn’t make much sense if the strikers keep shopping (even for necessities) in those capitalist temples (supermarkets).

The manifesto circulated widely: it was printed in the pages of Adbusters, emailed to friends and discussed in cafes. And now, at the brink of an economic collapse, increasing numbers are joining the Consumption Strike. Already our actions are having profound consequences. The New York Times reports that consumer spending is down sharply, the first quarterly decline in two decades link and that consumer borrowing fell for the first time in a decade. And according to the Wall Street Journal our general decrease in consumption is putting retailers out of business and pushing mall vacancy rates to their highest level in seven years.

The mass media would like to write off the widespread decrease in consumer spending as uncoordinated fear and irrational behavior, but the truth is that there is a growing movement behind this conscious consumption decrease, and we won’t stop saving our money until the whole system is rethought.

Ours is not a purely nihilistic campaign, we do not revel in economic collapse out of spite but instead because we believe that only after an economic decline will it be possible to bring about the necessary changes to capitalism that will assure a sustainable future. We are also taking steps to insure that the money we save by decreasing our consumption goes to organizing mutual aid societies that will provide services to our needy compatriots.

To join the General Consumption Strike is easy: spend less, live more. Consider doing without your high-speed internet, cell phone service, beer or wine, restaurants, gasoline, new clothes, fancy electronics and tourism. Think of the money you will save, the fewer hours you’ll need to work, and the more time you’ll have to live. Tell your friends that you are consciously taking part in the General Consumption Strike and prepare yourself for the moment of truth: when the corporations will fall and the local communities will thrive. But beware, as Paul Ariès warns, “the system will react. It will use blackmail with employment, it will threaten with firing; the shopkeepers will cut prices and manipulate consumers.” Stay strong, this is a once in a hundred year opportunity!

Daniel and Lauren are representing Blackspot at the London Edge New York
tradeshow in New York City. They’ll be spreading the word about our
open-source brand and talking shop with other small business owners
from across North America. Keep an eye out for live updates as they are
posted on Twitter.

As of this morning, the Blackspot V1:R is officially available for order! We’ve been waiting for weeks to let everyone know what’s going on, and we decided to hold off until we had the shoes in our hands. Quite a few people contacted us for more information, and we thank you all for your patience.

The red edition is available for order online, and will also be carried by select retailers. Only 1,000 pairs were produced, so get them while you can!

Pricing and sizes will be the same as the classic V1 sneaker

Consumer columnist Rob Walker of the New York Times shares how one company is trying to keep small businesses alive:

Destee Nation is not selling nostalgia or hipster kitsch but romance — the romance of the American small business, the neighborhood diner, the old bar, the mom-and-pop shop that has managed to linger into the era of big-box chains. Morgan celebrates little-guy capitalism with an agenda: “Let’s keep it,” he says, noting that every time Destee Nation sells a T-shirt, the business it advertises gets a cut. Founded in 2004, the company now has 21 employees and sales approaching 10,000 T-shirts a month, and this month will begin distributing through a number of Nordstrom locations. “Basically,” Morgan says, “we’re using fashion as a way to save local landmarks.”

In fact, the company’s mission statement includes the assertion that supporting these businesses might “help keep the big-box brands one step further from taking over our communities.” Opposing big business by shopping always seems a little dissonant, but then the nature of the ideological statement here is entirely within the realm of commerce. Morgan says it’s more about being positive about small businesses with history and character than with being overtly negative (or “whiny”) about larger ones.

Link

Blackspot prides itself on producing its shoes at a unionized factory with high ethical standards. We are aware this makes our shoes more expensive than many, but humane working conditions for the workers is not something we are willing to compromise on.

We go to great lengths to be as transparent as possible and to inform Blackspot supporters on what our factory is like, but with greenwashing being rampant in business these days, it's hard for people to distinguish between fact and fiction. Therefore, we would like to share with you the experience of independent reporter Gaëlle Engelberts, who recently returned from a trip to Portugal to visit the Blackspot Factory. She went in search of answers about fair trade. Here is her first hand report on the quality of the factory, and what sets it apart from all the rest:

As fair trade producers, the employees of Mario Cunha & filhos Lda, a shoe factory in Felgueiras, can boast some of the best conditions in the area. Yes, the grueling work of sewing pieces of leather together all day hasn’t changed, but everything that could be done to make this job safer and more human was put into place. Toxic non water-based glue is no longer used, work hours are ceremoniously respected, there is adequate lighting and air circulation, and all employees can join the local union.

The manager of this family-owned factory, Pedro Cunha, believes all factories should install similar measures to insure the well-being of their workers, but he acknowledges that most factories aren’t bothering to do so, often because it involves higher costs. “For example, water-based glue is less toxic, but much more expensive. It's the same with recycling of leather instead of throwing it out,” says Cunha. For him however - being a fair trade producer - cost is not an issue, because “everyone is a human being and we must work like a family. It is important for us," he adds.

Blackspot is an open-source brand. The first of its kind, as far as we know. What does that mean? Well, we retain the right to define the brand, but those who use it faithfully may use it free of charge. It belongs to the creative commons.

Now Berlin-based clothier, Pamoyo, is following in Blackspot’s footsteps by embracing the open-source principle. Springwise hears from founder, Cecilia Palmer, about the reasons why:

”We don’t make designs to protect them, but to spread them. The designs and patterns can be found on our website, and anyone can share it and use it. In this way, someone can take an idea or design and build on it. We want to make it possible to build upon each other’s work in such a thing as fashion design, and we’re planning to make a community platform out of that.”

Link

In the first blackspot blog post we had a comment suggesting a place to start rethinking capitalism: why not take Wednesdays off? It’s an interesting proposal and one I don’t think we should dismiss simply because we have been programmed for years to accept the standard work week. Look at France, for example. They work fewer hours than North Americans and are more productive. Sounds great, but there are two sides to the issue. Some critics say their system is doomed to collapse. CBS news reports on France’s less work, more time off strategy:

“The French are so passionate about their vacations, they put pleasure before profit. As tourists throng the streets and summer temperatures hit their peak, Paris’ most popular ice-cream parlor is closed for a whole six weeks. It’s the kind of business bonanza that would be seized upon by Americans, but the French don’t seem to care. “The big difference is money, the place of money in your life,” says Marchand. Marchand says money isn’t the top priority there. Maybe that’s because in France things like health care and education are virtually free. But if you think the French have unlocked the door to paradise, don’t start packing yet.”

Read here to find out more about the debate. Are shorter hours and more vacation time the first step towards the change we need? And even if longer vacations are not the key to overthrowing capitalism , how can we take a lesson from the French and radically shift our priorities away from the bottom line and towards pleasure, people, and the planet?

Here at Blackspot we would like to applaud those that are out there taking action to make a difference and spreading the Blackspot philosophy. Check out this incredible story of a pair of blackspots, a man, and a 200 foot crane:

Hi Adbusters!
Just wanted to let you know that my second pair of Blackspots (I wore the 1st pair until they literally fell off my feet!) proved mighty powerful climbing shoes in dropping 2 major banners on some of the nastiest corporate ecocidal maniacs around. On October 9th, in support of the amazing work done by Rainforest Action Network, a few friends and I scaled the Chicago Board of Trade and dropped a 50 foot banner on big-agra monsters ADM, Bunge, and Cargill to put those assholes on notice for their roles in rainforest decimation. A photo in the Chicago Sun-Times clearly shows the hand-painted blackspot logo representin' right before the fire department pulled me through a 19th story window and beat the shit out of me. Real professional, Chicago FD!

Then, 3 days ago, on the 23rd we dropped another 50 footer from a crane 200 feet above downtown Charlotte, NC. The target: Bank of America. The issue: their financing of Mountain Top Removal and rape of the Appalachian coal fields. You can't really see the sneakers from the photos, but they lived up to their name by helping us sneak onto the construction site undetected and provided flawless sure-footed traction while we were preparing to deploy over the edge.

I just wanted to say while your work may be controversial even among the most agreeable of activists, I can't thank you enough for all you do, how it has inspired me for years, and want to remind everyone how integral all of our work is to facilitate the common goal of a living future. I love your (our!) sneakers and will continue to raise hell with everyone who stands in solidarity against the oncoming corporate-fueled ecopocalypse. If anyone would like to check out RAN's wonderful work, check out http://www.ran.org/ or http://ran.org/what_we_do/rainforest_agribusiness/spotlight/launch/

Peace, Love, Solidarity,
John Watterberg

If you have any stories of activism and/or inspiration for change please feel free to send them to Lauren@adbusters.org. We’ll try to share as many as possible.

The marketing calculus is simple. You label a product ‘green’ or ‘ethical’ and sales go up, as conscientious consumers make what they believe to be the responsible choice, even if it happens to cost a little bit more. Marketers know very well that you don’t have the time or the resources to check their claims against the facts. The temptation to deceive is strong, the chances of getting caught not very high.

Take No Sweat shoes, for example. The name captures the essence of the brand: No Sweat shoes are, ostensibly, sweatshop free. Almost all shoes are made in sweatshops these days, and if you have a problem with that, there are very few alternatives. Blackspot is one. Then there are brands like No Sweat, Ethletic Sneakers, Green Shoes, and Worn Again. No Sweat founder, Adam Neiman, vigorously promoted his shoes as an ethical alternative, and they have been profiled in various green-living publications, trade-shows, and websites.

Few bother to check the claims being made by companies like No Sweat, but let’s say for the sake of argument that you are an extraordinarily conscientious consumer. You go to their website, and read up on them. You’re comforted by what you see. There’s a lot of copy about empowering the workers and changing the world. You dig a little deeper, and read that No Sweat has sent independent auditors to their production facility, and has even published a big fat report online. What more could you ask?

But then you do what almost no one would do. You actually read that long, dull auditors’ report. It’s all about No Sweat’s shoe factory in Indonesia. What you uncover is astonishing. There, buried in the back, are the results of a survey given to the workers of the factory. Here’s the fine print, reproduced verbatim:

Question 2: Have you ever had a bad experience at work, like forced labor or underpayment of wages?

[The numbers indicate number of employees responding, and not percentages]
Yes: 39
No: 11

Question 4: If yes, did you ask for help from the union, SPSI?
Yes: 28
No: 20
No answer: 2

Question 6: If you add up your wages, wage supplements (food, Lebaran bonus), and your level of satisfaction at work, do you think you are paid fairly?
Yes: 8
No: 42

Question 9: Is the union an effective advocate for a better work environment, better wages and wage supplements, and improved working conditions?
Very helpful: 2
Helpful: 6
Useless: 30
No comment: 12

Question 10: What is the most accurate description of your experience at work?
Positive and friendly: 6
Fair – no complaints: 7
Unpleasant (pressured to work faster or disrespectful treatment from supervisors): 37

No Sweat appears to be guilty of a kind of greenwashing. In another section of the report under the rubric of “Recommendations for No Sweat” the independent auditors concluded: “PT Bata is no worse, and is probably better, than many other factories in the footwear industry in Indonesia.” Not quite what you would expect from a company that has based its entire brand and marketing strategy on its claim that it does not use the same sweatshops that big corporate shoe companies use.

Greenwashing is rampant these days across many industries. Big companies like Shell Oil, Exxon Mobil, Dow Chemical, and General Electric have engaged in multi-million-dollar greenwashing marketing campaigns. Countless smaller businesses have also given in to the temptation to boost profits with false or misleading claims. Garbled messages hamper our ability to communicate. Only the vigilance of individual consumers can prevent the “green” and “ethical” labels from becoming so debased as to be completely useless in helping us make intelligent choices.

From modest, regional beginnings, capitalism has evolved into a mighty global system dominated by a handful of huge corporations. The goal of Blackspot is to start reversing this trend, to use our wealth to support local and small business, and to replace commercial fashion with a genuine, grassroots sense of cool.

It’s a big undertaking. With Blackspot Shoes we’ve demonstrated that it can be done, but it’s about much more than shoes. One of our primary goals from the beginning has been to engage in a meaningful dialogue with readers and Blackspot customers about the philosophy and strategy behind this unusual brand. Adbusters’ new website has provided us with the tools to do a better job of that. This new blog is a first step in that direction.

It’s time to rethink capitalism, so let’s get to it. Please join in the discussion.