50 Ways to Starve the Beast -
A term coined in 1985 by an unnamed staffer of the Reagan administration was “Starve the Beast”. This referred to a fiscally conservative political strategy to cut government spending by paying less in taxes. So, in the original sense, “the Beast” was the government, and people were to starve the beast by spending less and using loopholes, therefore paying less in taxes.
These days the Beast has a lot more tentacles than just the government. The system now consists of the government and all aspects of Big Business. Big Agri, Big Pharma, Big Medicine, Big Food, Big Banking and Big Oil, to name a few. It seems that now it’s the Beast doing the starving, as small businesses close because they can’t compete with Wal-Mart, the family farm is on it’s way out because it can’t compete with the huge, subsidized Monsanto mega-farms, people are going bankrupt because they can’t pay the outrageous medical bills…
Perhaps it’s time for another financial revolution – one where people group together and use the power of the boycott to starve all the arms of this Beast that would swallow us whole. If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, of a necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families that were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths.
Every penny you spend with small local businesses is a penny that the big box stores won’t have. Everything that you buy secondhand or barter for is an item on which you won’t pay sales tax. Disassociate yourself completely with “the system” that is making Western civilization broke, overweight and unhealthy. Starve the Beast by taking as many of these steps as possible…
Grow your own food (this starves Big Agri and Big Pharma both)
Shop at local businesses with no corporate ties
Use natural remedies instead of pharmaceuticals whenever possible
Homeschool your children
Walk or bike instead of driving when possible
Get care from naturopaths and healers instead of doctors
Make paper logs from scraps for free heat if you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove
Boycott all processed foods
Shop at local farmer’s markets
Boycott corporate stores: Wal-Mart, Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot
Give vouchers as gifts for an evening of babysitting, a homemade meal, walking the dog, doing a repair, or cleaning
Join a CSA or farm co-op
Ditch television (and all the propaganda and commercials)
Participate in the barter system - if no money changes hands, no tax can be added
Buy secondhand from yard sales, Craigslist and thrift stores
Sell your unwanted goods by having a yard sale or putting an ad on Craigslist
Repair things instead of replacing them
Avoid fast food restaurants and chain restaurants
Dine at locally owned establishments if you eat out
Brew your own beer and wine
Read a book, purchased second-hand or borrowed
Grow or gather medicinal herbs
Give homemade gifts
Attend free local activities: lectures, concerts, play days at the park, library events
Dumpster dive
Play outside: hike, bike, picnic
Mend clothing
Invite someone over for dinner instead of meeting at a restaurant
Throw creative birthday parties at home for your kids instead of renting a venue
Camp instead of staying at a hotel
Bring your coffee with you in a travel mug
Do all of your Christmas shopping with small local businesses and artisans
Reduce your electricity usage with candles, solar power and non-tech entertainment
Drop the thermostat and put on a sweater
Bring your snacks and drinks in a cooler when you go on a road trip
Stay home - it’s way easier to avoid temptation that way
Pack lunches for work and school
Make delicious homemade treats as a hostess gift
Close your bank account or at the very least, strictly limit your balance
Visit u-pick berry patches and orchards, then preserve your harvest for the winter
Use precious metals stored at home as your savings account
Raise backyard chickens for your own eggs
If you are a smoker, roll your own cigarettes – if possible go one step further and grow tobacco
Live in a smaller, more efficient home
Use solar power for lighting or cooking
Collect rainwater for use in the garden
Learn to forage
Buy heavy, solid, handmade furniture instead of the flimsy imported stuff
At the holidays, focus on activities and traditions instead of gifts. Go for a walk or drive through the neighborhood to look at lights, get into your PJs and watch a special movie together on Christmas Eve and make certain treats that can always be expected
Make your own bath and body products using pure ingredients like coconut oil, essential oils, and herbal extracts
How do you Starve the Beast? Please share your suggestions below…
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