Who should we be boycotting?

[Sweep]

I don't want to get into a debate about that aspect of 'Spoons. I just ask about any "anti-cycling police by Wetherspoons".

A quick search on here will probably dig all that up.
It was, not surprisingly, never substantiated, despite several requests for it to be.

[JohnW]

I don't want to get into a debate about that aspect of 'Spoons. I just ask about any "anti-cycling police by Wetherspoons".

A quick search on here will probably dig all that up.
It was, not surprisingly, never substantiated, despite several requests for it to be.

AH - thanks sweep - I'm glad about that - I quite like 'Spoons, in small doses.

[Smallcog]

Actually, whatever my personal view on any issue, I can't stand it when the owner/CEO or whatever chooses to use their business to push their view at me. A pub is a place to have a beer, some food and a chat, not be bombarded by pro-Brexit beer mats. Similarly, I don't want a massive "vote Boris, get Brexit" done sign outside my local garage. And it's not a case of a particular side, I don't want "Vote Labour" in the pattern on the froth of my coffee or a a waiter whispering, "the Liberal Democrats are very good at this time of year" while I choose my food.

Any business that alienates half the country and annoys even a few that agree with them doesn't really deserve anyone's custom. If you sell chips, do it well, don't campaign for the return of fox hunting (or whatever) at the same time.

Mind, Tim Martin doesn't seem very good to his staff or suppliers either.

Not using a business is a good way to show disapproval.

[Cyril Haearn]

You are right about sp***s, small cog
But what if a businessperson expresses views one agrees with?

[pwa]

You are right about sp***s, small cog
But what if a businessperson expresses views one agrees with?

I think smallcog is right. We don't need lectures from business people, whichever side of an argument they take.

[Tangled Metal]

I suppose businessmen and businesswomen are allowed to have and express opinions even campaign for causes if they want to. As private individuals anyone can do that. I guess people don't have an issue with politically active businesspeople. At most you just don't want to have their political activities to impact on you when using the services of their business. Is this right?

I think it is wrong to want to stop anyone being politically active. If you stop business people then I think you have to stop everyone campaigning for fairness. Besides I never really paid much attention to that guy nor the London plumber guy who had similar views IIRC. If you don't like how things are being presented you can't stop it only tune it out. Freedom of speech means if the spoons guy isn't breaking the law then he has the right to put banners up in his establishments. Ignore it or boycott them.

Personally I do this with party pamphlets through the door at election of other time. I prefer to find out their policies by searching online for them. Paper leaflets get recycled. Picked up from the floor where they landed when posted, straight into recycling. I don't think I've read one for decade or so.

[Tangled Metal]

I boycott evilbay. I have zero trust in anyone or any company selling by that site.

[pwa]

I suppose businessmen and businesswomen are allowed to have and express opinions even campaign for causes if they want to. As private individuals anyone can do that. I guess people don't have an issue with politically active businesspeople. At most you just don't want to have their political activities to impact on you when using the services of their business. Is this right?

I think it is wrong to want to stop anyone being politically active. If you stop business people then I think you have to stop everyone campaigning for fairness. Besides I never really paid much attention to that guy nor the London plumber guy who had similar views IIRC. If you don't like how things are being presented you can't stop it only tune it out. Freedom of speech means if the spoons guy isn't breaking the law then he has the right to put banners up in his establishments. Ignore it or boycott them.

Personally I do this with party pamphlets through the door at election of other time. I prefer to find out their policies by searching online for them. Paper leaflets get recycled. Picked up from the floor where they landed when posted, straight into recycling. I don't think I've read one for decade or so.

Practically everyone will have political views in private, but I think it is mostly ill-advised of business people, actors, pop stars and football pundits (you know who I mean) to take political stances because doing so puts them at odds with a chunk of their potential customers or audience. Publicly airing their musings on the political issues of the day is unprofessional. There is a justification for doing that if they are speaking purely for their company and representing its direct interests, but not otherwise.

The Wetherspoons bloke is a bit of a character and, frankly, I don't bother listening to his views on anything at all. I think he is over-opinionated and would have strong views on anything. I just want him to run his pubs and focus on the menus.

[reohn2]

I boycott evilbay. I have zero trust in anyone or any company selling by that site.

Why?

[Stradageek]

Just read Dervla Murphy's 'Between River and Sea', incredibly detailed, incredibly disturbing, and validated by endless references and all the additional research I've been able to do.

Economic boycotts did bring the South African apartheid regime to an end and only the same will bring the appalling ethnic cleansing, perpetrated by the Israeli apartheid regime, to an end.

Much as (I can't remember who) remarked that if Bill Clinton (I think) wanted to help solve the Irish problem he could start by not funding it, the Palestinians plight can only be solved if the USA stops funding Israel.

How about boycotting all American goods?

[Smallcog]

Tim Martin (for example) uses the resources of a publicly listed company to push his own personal agenda - against the interest of the shareholders. Stupid behaviour that should not be supported.

Many celebrities, businessmen and the like have badly damaged their brands in this way.

In answer to the question posed about situations where you agree with a brand or individual; my own view is that ethical considerations such as sustainability, diversity, child labour, fair trade, employment practices, community engagement/support etc are all fair game, but I don't want political opinions, even if I agree with them, pushed at me over my fry-up or purchase of cauliflowers.

Of course, this is my view only - I'm genuinely open and interested in what others think.

[pwa]

I boycott evilbay. I have zero trust in anyone or any company selling by that site.

Why?

Because it is the most obvious way to sell stolen goods.

[reohn2]

I boycott evilbay. I have zero trust in anyone or any company selling by that site.

Why?

Because it is the most obvious way to sell stolen goods.

Not everyone on Ebay is a thief,I've dealt with some good shops on there,HighonBikes,WoollyHatShop to name two.
I've also dealt with with some sound private sellers too.
However without doubt there are some dodgy people selling what I've suspected as stolen goods and I've reported two of them,one who had I think 12 or more Brooks saddles for sale at the same time and was based in London which sort of spoke for itself.
Before buying anything on Ebay I do my utmost to check out the sellers credentials and ask searching questions,if I have so much as a sniff of suspicion they're dodgy I don't deal with them.It's the same with buying anything secondhand and can be buying new to FTM.

[philvantwo]

Ebay is the only place to buy double edge razor blades, I bought 200 Astra blades last week for £10.50. 4 shaves out of each blade, almost 3 years of shaving!

[simonineaston]

Who should we be boycotting?

I'm only half joking when I say we need an app... The app, called iHate... or somesuch, will guide you through reasons not to buy from / deal with company x. You set the app.'s preferences to refect your life-choices, presumably by a rating system, so for example you might weight 'carbon-neutral' with five stars, you might not give a toss if the product was made by 14 year old Cinese kids, earning two noodles a day (no stars for 'ethical manufacturing' then...) but you might be really, really keen that the thing you buy is made from recycled plastic (back to five stars for that pref. then...). You enter the QR code or something similar, for the product and get a Green For Go, or a Red For Shop Somewhere Else, Please... Bring it on!!