Who should we be boycotting?

[bovlomov]

In a complicated modern world, where do you start?

The greatest threat to our world is the thought that because the problems are large it isn't worth doing anything. You can start by trying to change global institutions, or by making a tiny difference to your own life. Both are good.

Reach for the hero inside yourself; the higher you build your barriers, the taller I become; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; and a stitch in time saves nine.

I hope I have inspired you.

[PaulB]

[quote="pwa"]It has to be a personal list. my own list, at the moment:

Anything from Israel (due to the West Bank / Gaza issues)

You do realise that most of the inside of your computer is developed in Israel?

[thirdcrank]

... The greatest threat to our world is the thought that because the problems are large it isn't worth doing anything. You can start by trying to change global institutions, or by making a tiny difference to your own life. Both are good.

Reach for the hero inside yourself; the higher you build your barriers, the taller I become; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; and a stitch in time saves nine.

I hope I have inspired you.

I fear I didn't make myself clear. I meant that with the complicated but hidden connections between so many organisations, where do you get the reliable knowledge to start?

As an example of what I mean and one picked to be outside any current suggestion of a boycott (I think,) Marks and Sparks have been reported as kitting out the England World Cup soccer team in suits made from fabric woven in Yorkshire but the cloth was shipped out to Cambodia to be made up into the suits - something M&S did not shout about. Apart from being amazed that it seems tailoring has died out in Leeds, the info has only just slipped out but this type of thing is everywhere. Retail chains are taken over or closed down and the owners are hedge funds and the like from all over the planet.

[bovlomov]

I fear I didn't make myself clear. I meant that with the complicated but hidden connections between so many organisations, where do you get the reliable knowledge to start?

True, it's hard to know what's going on, and easy to trip over contradictions - trying to do the right thing and ending up doing something worse.

Nevertheless, if we try to be aware of the damage we all do, and make some effort to reduce it, I think that, overall, the world will be a better place than if we give up.

[Tangled Metal]

Hypocrisy! Boycott one company for one issue but buy from another that's not any better? It's a smoky mirror situation.

Consistency is impossible unless you choose not to boycott anyone. However it's always better to try, right? Why? Break the one you know is bad but help the one you don't.

Sorry but I've got a jaundiced view of the world today. I'll come back tomorrow in a better mood. Unless you boycott me by blocking me of course then I'll no longer exist to you. Baby steps to a better place afterall!

[paddler]

The "Spoons cyclists" thread is interesting. Let me say I’ve never been into a Spoons and I distinctly recall Tim Martin telling remain voters not to cross his threshold. I wouldn’t like to upset him.
Mr Martin is boycotting eu produce stating the eu tariff bumping up the cost of imported wine from Australia and New Zealand
He reminds me of Farage in his outstanding commitment not to want to know the truth about things. EU tariff is upto 8pence on each bottle U.K. Gov put on incl vat £2.60. Yet in 15 EU countries they pay less than 4 pence. Let’s blame Europe Mr Martin.
Scanning Twitter there are mixed views on Spoons. The good side seems that they show live cycle racing. The down side seems to be the clientele.
On reading the cyclists Spoons thread another downside appears to be at some point of using a Spoons blinkers are surreptitiously fitted. As when looking for

beer, pubs, charging, relaxing etc

it would appear that there can be no substitute.

I would boycott Wetherspoons because it is rumoured TM is funding the EDL I’ve no facts just an opinion.
Wetherspoons will boycott EU produce using facts and opinion.
In both of those instances when it comes to boycotting you’ll see opinion always appears to overrule the facts.

EDIT:
I’ve just seen my boycott is invalid...damn! 661-Pete says

But you can't "boycott" an establishment which you've never patronised in the first place, can you?

There are plenty of substitutes. It's just that the OP wasn't asking for them.

Dave

[mjr]

There are plenty of substitutes. It's just that the OP wasn't asking for them.

Fortunately, we are not paid by the OP - or that pub chain - to post on this forum so we can tell each other the truth rather than only what the OP wants to hear.

[Cyril Haearn]

The "Spoons cyclists" thread is interesting. Let me say I’ve never been into a Spoons and I distinctly recall Tim Martin telling remain voters not to cross his threshold. I wouldn’t like to upset him.
Mr Martin is boycotting eu produce stating the eu tariff bumping up the cost of imported wine from Australia and New Zealand
He reminds me of Farage in his outstanding commitment not to want to know the truth about things. EU tariff is upto 8pence on each bottle U.K. Gov put on incl vat £2.60. Yet in 15 EU countries they pay less than 4 pence. Let’s blame Europe Mr Martin.
Scanning Twitter there are mixed views on Spoons. The good side seems that they show live cycle racing. The down side seems to be the clientele.
On reading the cyclists Spoons thread another downside appears to be at some point of using a Spoons blinkers are surreptitiously fitted. As when looking for

beer, pubs, charging, relaxing etc

it would appear that there can be no substitute.

I would boycott Wetherspoons because it is rumoured TM is funding the EDL I’ve no facts just an opinion.
Wetherspoons will boycott EU produce using facts and opinion.
In both of those instances when it comes to boycotting you’ll see opinion always appears to overrule the facts.

EDIT:
I’ve just seen my boycott is invalid...damn! 661-Pete says

But you can't "boycott" an establishment which you've never patronised in the first place, can you?

Go in and use the free toilets at every opportunity, that causes costs

[Cunobelin]

There are plenty of substitutes. It's just that the OP wasn't asking for them.

Dave

That was my intention.

It was more about the concept and the reasoning behind a boycott

[Cunobelin]

There are plenty of substitutes. It's just that the OP wasn't asking for them.

Fortunately, we are not paid by the OP - or that pub chain - to post on this forum so we can tell each other the truth rather than only what the OP wants to hear.

What I "want to hear" is (as above) your opinions, not to influence or suggest

[Cyril Haearn]

I want to read other opinions, learn and grow and be challenged

Maybe Droitwich and cricket could be boycotted?

(I want to laugh too)

[pwa]

It has to be a personal list. my own list, at the moment:

Anything from Israel (due to the West Bank / Gaza issues)

You do realise that most of the inside of your computer is developed in Israel?

No I didn't know that. But nor does it cause me too much stress. I'm just avoiding what I can see, when I see it, and I don't intend to take it to extremes. I gave the example of Virgin, but I do have some dosh still invested via Virgin Money, placed there prior to my "boycott". They won't be getting any more from me, but nor will I be rushing to shift what they already have. Maybe "boycott" is too strong a word for what I do, and perhaps something like "trying to avoid" is better.

[firedfromthecircus]

It has to be a personal list. my own list, at the moment:

Anything from Israel (due to the West Bank / Gaza issues)

You do realise that most of the inside of your computer is developed in Israel?

No I didn't know that. But nor does it cause me too much stress. I'm just avoiding what I can see, when I see it, and I don't intend to take it to extremes. I gave the example of Virgin, but I do have some dosh still invested via Virgin Money, placed there prior to my "boycott". They won't be getting any more from me, but nor will I be rushing to shift what they already have. Maybe "boycott" is too strong a word for what I do, and perhaps something like "trying to avoid" is better.

It seems that every time someone mentions that they are boycotting (or trying to avoid) something, someone else will come along and attempt to belittle or negate that effort.

[pwa]

No I didn't know that. But nor does it cause me too much stress. I'm just avoiding what I can see, when I see it, and I don't intend to take it to extremes. I gave the example of Virgin, but I do have some dosh still invested via Virgin Money, placed there prior to my "boycott". They won't be getting any more from me, but nor will I be rushing to shift what they already have. Maybe "boycott" is too strong a word for what I do, and perhaps something like "trying to avoid" is better.

It seems that every time someone mentions that they are boycotting (or trying to avoid) something, someone else will come along and attempt to belittle or negate that effort.

I don't mind these things being pointed out. I'm not sensitive because I don't delude myself with thoughts of being 100% about "boycotts". I avoid products and services that I know to come from an undesirable source, and which I can avoid without too much difficulty. I can easily avoid Israeli peppers in their raw state so I do, but if I buy a ready meal with peppers in I might buy Israeli peppers without being aware of it. I just accept that.

[Ben@Forest]

I didn't buy French wine for the period that they were illegally blocking British beef imports (about 1999 to 2002). They were blocking the imports post-BSE but after the EU had given the beef a clean bill of health and it was pretty clear the French were just enjoying that the ban favoured domestic producers. It helped of course that a lot of New World wines were considerably cheaper...