February: A Month of Action

Posted by: M Chan Posted on

It’s Lunar New Year month. There is a lot of planning at the Temple and we already went live with shows! Follow us on Instagram to see what Wah Lum is up to and to catch our upcoming shows. I’ll be posting more new year behind the scenes soon.

Today, it’s time to take action. I’ve been out sick, so apologies to my patrons for a slight delay in posts. Although I’ve been under the weather, this is what I’ve been up to.

For those unfamiliar with Scott Galloway, he is a Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and host of the Prof G and Pivot Podcasts. He has a plan to Stop ICE and show this administration that the people have the power. From his website:

After the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, many people feel powerless. Praised by tech CEOs, surrounded by sycophants, emboldened by multimillion-dollar settlements, and enriched by his return to the White House, Trump marches on unchecked. Americans, however, have overlooked a potent weapon of resistance. First, we should recognize that the president is unfazed by outrage and unmoved by protests. What does he care about? A: The markets. The best strategy is to opt out. We’re asking you to join a monthlong national economic strike, a coordinated campaign that targets tech and AI companies and inflicts maximum damage with minimum impact on consumers.

I’ve been following his plan to RESIST AND UNSUBSCRIBE. Do not get overwhelmed by the list. Sure, it might be inconvenient and a bit uncomfortable for a month (maybe longer). However, I’ve been wanting to break away from Amazon for a while. This gives me the excuse to finally do it.

As a martial arts teacher, I hope to train my students to be resilient and learn that discomfort is ok! I’d be a hypocrite if I looked at that Resist and Unsubscribe list and said it would be too much trouble or too inconvenient.

The key: don’t try to tackle all of it at once. Just pick 1 action item. You have the entire month to try to conquer the list if that’s your thing, but don’t get overwhelmed.

Every action matters.

I’ve been saying this for a while. Make advocacy/activism accessible to you. We don’t have to be at every protest, donate all our money, or post every 30 seconds. As a matter of fact, that’s my least favorite form of advocacy. I know it’s important to share and build awareness, but I find action to be much more effective. Even a small action.

Inaction and silence is complicity.

I’d like to challenge you all to look at the list and see if there is 1 item you can do today. Who knows, it might be freeing for you!

RESIST AND UNSUBSCRIBE:
These are the subscription-driven consumer tech companies we have identified as having outsized influence over the national economy and our president.

  • Hey, we’d boycott Instagram too if we could, but we need it to get this message to you. Share this message widely on Instagram, encourage your friends to repost, get everyone on board. But while you’re on the platform, do not click any ads and do not shop any brands that you see from links on the platform.

These are the consumer-facing companies that we have identified as active enablers of ICE.

Awarded $90M to provide ICE with IT and network projects

  • Cancel wireless services

  • Switch to alternative carriers

  • Avoid upgrading devices through AT&T

The company holds an ICE award to provide the agency with broadcast cable at five “regional war rooms”

  • Cancel cable / internet subscription

  • Avoid Xfinity services

Provides cable and internet services for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Field Office in Beaumont, Texas

  • Cancel Spectrum internet / cable

Company’s government contracting arm was awarded $18 million in April 2025 

  • Avoid purchasing Dell computers

  • Cancel existing service contracts

Mail carrier provides delivery services for ICE through March 2027 in a contract valued at $2.3 million

  • Cancel FedEx accounts

Using AI powered license plate readers in their parking lots and feeding this data into law enforcement surveillance systems accessible to ICE

  • Stop shopping at both locations

ICE uses Marriott chain to detain immigrants

  • Book with alternative hotel chains

  • Cancel Bonvoy membership

Small package delivery contract with ICE

  • Use alternative shipping services (USPS, local couriers)

Enjoying the show? Take a second to support M Chan on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *