Individuals can be powerful. Many individuals working to the same ends can be more powerful yet. But the most powerful civic tool is formed of individuals, families and organized groups working to achieve a common goal.

This is where the Renegade Consumer movement begins — with you, reading this page.

The forthcoming book contains several chapters on the scope, ideals and focus of the Renegade Consumer movement. A few of these chapters are included here as essays. For good reasons, though, the book stops short of defining the movement's structure. Even digitally produced and distributed books are too slow and too fixed to deal with the realities of a movement that must develop, grow and reshape itself in the chaos of today's world.

The Renegade Consumer movement can only be shaped and managed in realtime, by discussion among the committed and informed renegades who will build it. Consider this page a placeholder... a gathering point... a starting line for the effort. It will expand to contain and become whatever is needed to support the actual movement as it grows.

Some Starting Thoughts

Renegade Consumers are individuals, like you. The ideas, philosophy and suggestions for change and action are all centered on the motivated individual, the self-empowered renegade consumer. You've gained the power to control your own life and choices and overcome the conditioning and pressure of the cycle of consumption. You have the ability to choose a better life and future for yourself. And you have the capability—and perhaps the duty—to act as an example for others. Act on your own, for your own purposes, for your own benefit, but never let your actions be hidden from others who might learn from them.

Renegade Consumers are groups of individuals. Whether it's a family, a neighborhood or an organized co-op or chapter, individual renegades multiply their power by working in concert. This is true whether the efforts are group-focused, local or looking out to wider horizons. Collective effort makes possible things that are beyond the reach of even the most dedicated individual renegade.

Renegade Consumers are communities. A group with shared interests, such as a pocket neighborhood, an apartment complex or a congregation, can form a larger and more effective group as a community. Communities can be larger, too—up to a whole town. A renegade community can be a powerful force for change in local and regional businesses, politics and civic efforts, and a host for a more focused group with regional, state or even national vision.

From each of these positions, you can influence others around you—friends, co-workers, neighbors, additional family members, even the occasional stranger in a store or shared hard-sell situation. Singly and in groups, you can tell them, and more effectively, show them what you've learned, and help them find their own way to freedom from economic domination.

But finally, Renegade Consumer is a movement... a movement made up of those same individuals, families, groups and communities. With a common understanding of the issues, a common stand against the problems and a common goal of a better future for all,  these people come together to form something infinitely more powerful. The Renegade Consumer movement is the force that will change our world's ideas about the role of consumers and bring about the end of the destructive insanity that is the cycle of consumption.

As individuals, groups, families and communities,
you can influence others around you.

But as a movement, we can change things for everyone...
We can change the world.

The Renegade Consumer Movement: First Steps

In these early days, the notion of a Renegade Consumer movement will remain more virtual than actual. Before we can form an effective movement, we must build a population of individual and family renegades, educated in renegade philosophy and praxis and committed to a renegade future. From these components, we will form a larger, sustaining movement.

The immediate list of action items might be this:

1. Become a fully informed renegade consumer. Read the book and the essays here, and translate their information into strategies in your own life.
2. Visit this site regularly and read the new postings. Comment constructively. When the Forum goes live, be an active reader and contributor.
3. Create or join a renegade group—if not your family, then neighbors, co-workers, colleagues or a local ad-hoc group. Encourage its members to participate here as well.
4. Take a public stand. Be among the first to identify as a Renegade Consumer, a promoter of the Sell:øff movement and all that these stand for. Answer questions and direct the truly interested to this site and (when it's available) the book.

In short, sow as many Renegade Consumer seeds as you can, and do everything you can to encourage their growth. Have an eye toward bigger things as you begin to reorder your own life.

The Renegade Consumer Movement: Formation

The day will come when there are enough committed renegades to form a larger active body, to begin to speak for all renegades and the philosophy and goals themselves.

It is likely that the Renegade Consumer movement will always remain a distributed one. Less can be achieved by a central body controlling and directing members than by individual renegades working solo and together within the framework of a common set of goals. A central organization to set and guide policy and act as a single face to the world will be a useful thing, but not something to direct the entire war.

For the time being, this site, especially the commentary and forthcoming forum, will act as a host for that nascent organizations.

The Renegade Consumer Movement: Future

The future of the Renegade Consumer movement is what we make it. Let's begin.