Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To think that we should all boycott the businesses of billionaires until they sort the situation of kids starving to death due to famine and war?

262 replies

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:06

They can literally afford to fix this issue.

Enough is enough.

Prayers for Sudan πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡© and to all those suffering across the world.

OP posts:
desperatemum1234 · 02/06/2026 20:26

YABU. No amount of money would solve those issues - the problem is corrupt regimes. Look how much Live Aid raised for famine victims, and how much reached the starving - only 5%. The rest siphoned off by corrupt people. The West gives fortunes in foreign aid to these countries - yet the starving always continues.

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 20:23

Anarchy99 · 02/06/2026 20:19

Many people aren’t bothered about seeing babies sob on the news, we are bombarded by images until it has little impact.

Every time I read a virtue signalling thread, it makes me want to buy even more from Amazon.

Ive posted 4 gifs. One of a mob, one of Steve carell saying no, to illustrate my frustrations. Two in response to people harassing me, and they arent funny.

This is a serious topic, but i am rightly just irritated about it. I dont claim to have the solution, but i would love to see people be forced to sort it. And even if hunger cant be stopped in countries we have no way of getting into, it can be stopped in other places and other ways, such as in the UK and by a billionaire deciding to do something about stabilising oil prices.

OP posts:
YourPoliteTurtle · 02/06/2026 20:22

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:12

πŸ˜ͺ

I'd boycott amazon though!

great, but do you even know how many private sellers use Amazon to run their small business?

EasternStandard · 02/06/2026 20:21

What do will you boycott op? If it’s Amazon mn use their services.

user1471453601 · 02/06/2026 20:21

How would you like to pay under 4% of your pay in income tax? this is how much Amazon pays on its UK profits in the UK.

does that sound reasonable to you? Given that the average tax payer pays about 20% on earnings above approx Β£12k.

Anarchy99 · 02/06/2026 20:19

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:38

Me unwatching my own thread because you lot defend billionaires too much πŸ™„πŸ™„

Can't even start a bloody uprising without people trying to get me off the internet.

When the purge comes, i'll be remembering some of these usernames, sorry πŸ€·β€β™€οΈπŸ€·β€β™€οΈ

--

Genuinely, I do think that something can be done. Just like something can be done to eradicate poverty in the UK, by as taxing big companies, restricting BTL and stopping the sale of council land. Just like it isnt being done so as not to 'scare the big companies away' or 'interfere in the economy'.

Its unfortunate that some billionaires just aren't arsed about seeing babies sob on itv news.

It just depends on how you see the world, I guess.

Many people aren’t bothered about seeing babies sob on the news, we are bombarded by images until it has little impact.

Every time I read a virtue signalling thread, it makes me want to buy even more from Amazon.

Anarchy99 · 02/06/2026 20:16

The aid agencies are being attacked and aren’t able to deliver it. There is war raging around the country and the only ones who can help are their government.

You can feel free to boycott anything you want but I shall continue giving my money to Bezos (for all he’s an asshole).

By all means come up with a detailed plan of what could actually sort the situation. And pop over to help out.

But it’s slightly odd to claim you are bothered and then just post β€˜funny’ GIFs at people who disagree with you.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 02/06/2026 20:13

The businesses of billionaires are typically listed companies which are our pension investments, employ a lot of people and pay a lot of tax. Boycott them and we all suffer.

Also it is naive to think they alone can fix world hunger.

38thparallel · 02/06/2026 20:10

When the purge comes, i'll be remembering some of these usernames, sorry

Can you tell us more about the β€˜purge’, op? What form will it take? Who will be purged?

Tffds · 02/06/2026 20:08

I see posts like this (and one on a 100% income tax after Β£50 million) and think if the poster is a wind up, and if not..... why do the lack the understanding of economics, politics and geography to understand these issues cannot all be solved like this.

I genuinely think to myself, what happened at school.

SunnyWeekendl · 02/06/2026 20:07

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:12

πŸ˜ͺ

I'd boycott amazon though!

You would boycott Amazon but not google or Facebook? Good luck arranging this boycott without either

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 20:07

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Stop reading my threads then - my username is there at the beginning.

Eyeroll Ugh GIF
OP posts:
Quine0nline · 02/06/2026 20:05

What about warlords in countries far away from the tribes they are trying to incite?

MajorSamanthaCarter · 02/06/2026 20:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Nofeckingway · 02/06/2026 19:59

I would like to boycott Amazon just because I find Bezos and his wife totally cringe , crass, vulgar and classless. He is deeply wounded to hear this I am sure.

Ladygregory1 · 02/06/2026 19:58

Also let’s just say we chose a company (not owned by one billionaire per se but a huge company) let’s say nestle- they have a monopoly so that makes it harder. They own so many household names that it would mean practically boycotting the supermarket (and depending on the supermarket you would boycott them anyway) so here’s a list of brands/items you won’t use (and there’s so so many more!)
Aero Hot Chocolate
Animal Bar
Breakaway
Butcher’s Blend
CafΓ© de Paris
Chef
Clinutren
Coco Shreddies
Cookie Crisp
Dairy Box
Drifter
Eggo
Fascinations
Friskies
Fruit Pastilles Jelly Tots
Garnier
Go Cat
Gourmet Mon Petit
Heaven
Herta Frankfurters
Jelly Tots
L’Atelier
L’oreal
Maybelline
Milkybar Buttons
Moat House
NescafΓ© Azera
NescafΓ© Gold Blend
Ovaltine
Polos
Purina One
Rowntree’s
Scapers
Shreddies
Toffee Crisp
Tommee tippee
Whip

Ilovelifeverymuch · 02/06/2026 19:58

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:56

Fucking hell @Ilovelifeverymuch , alright

Hahaha as I said put your money where your mouth is and get your ass to Sudan and starts helping with the little you can if not you're just virtue signalling.

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:56

Fucking hell @Ilovelifeverymuch , alright

Ew What GIF
OP posts:
Ilovelifeverymuch · 02/06/2026 19:55

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:21

It's not virtue signalling to be bloody pissed off at the news!

It's not virtue signaling to be upset, it's virtue signalling to ignore the root cause and issues and make naive proposals to round up all billionaires to feed Sudan.

Do you even have any idea about what's happening in Sudan? What the hell has it got to do with billionaires and how does that solve the situation? And frankly if you want to be mad you should be mad at the British government for their role in colonial history and UK taxpayers should be on the hook including you not specifically targeting billionaires. Frankly British colonial decisions is the source of many of the conflicts currently going on today.

"Sudan's conflicts are deeply rooted in historical, ethnic, and economic disparities that have plagued the country for decades. The foundational source of conflict dates back to British and Egyptian colonial rule (1899–1956). The administration deliberately divided the country into two distinct regions: a wealthier, majority Arab-Muslim north and a less-developed, majority Christian/animist south. When Sudan gained independence in 1956, political power and resources were concentrated in the north, leading to the severe political and economic marginalization of the south. This sparked the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972).

The Reign of Omar al-Bashir: After a temporary peace, the conflict reignited in the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005). The northern-dominated government attempted to enforce Islamic Sharia law nationwide. This culminated in the secession of South Sudan in 2011. Additionally, in 2003, the Darfur conflict began when local non-Arab populations rebelled against marginalization, resulting in a brutal government crackdown using Arab counterinsurgency militias known as the Janjaweed.

The Current Conflict: The most recent and ongoing conflict, which exploded in April 2023, stems from a power struggle within Sudan's military regime following the 2021 coup. The war is primarily fought between the regular Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) (a paramilitary group that evolved from the Janjaweed). The immediate trigger for the violence was a dispute over the integration of the RSF into the national army and competing ambitions for ultimate control of the country."

Please tell us how Bezos will solve this???

Tableforjoan · 02/06/2026 19:53

Ponoka7 · 02/06/2026 19:49

This, plus money won't fix overpopulation in areas of the world that are becoming inhabitable by humans. We demonised single parents in the 90s. We've made the benefit and housing policies, punitive. Yet suggest birth control until things are stable, or so their other children stand a chance, or the women can recover, be educated and be involved in political decisions and suddenly babies being born, under any circumstances, is a blessing.

Yes the outrage when it’s said we could ship contraceptives over.

Since one way to not keep watching babies dying is well not having them as well if you are in a situation where you cannot feed them. Then you get but men rape them it’s not their choice. Ok so let’s give women the choice of contraception. Oh no can’t do that.

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:53

ginanddreams · 02/06/2026 19:42

It’s not this simple, I’m a humanitarian professional - granted not in Sudan but in Yemen until very recently which has over 80% malnutrition rate of the entire population so I suppose a similar issue in terms of food.

There’s access issues for anywhere that’s in active conflict, even when there’s relative stability there’s usually localised access problems (for example rebel controlled areas if you don’t have a stable government) - I remember during 2023 we had shiploads of medical supplies for North Yemen just hanging out in ports in Dubai and Nairobi because the ports in Yemen were bombed and we couldn’t physically dock to unload and move supplies.

Then there’s long term stability and resilience to shocks that needs to be built up, in Yemen for example there’s huge flooding every year as the infrastructure is bad - which in turn ruins farm land that was perhaps invested in the season before, there’s livelihoods issues and areas need support to help the local economy so the population can build up purchasing power to buy food and items in the market - economy challenges, with the Red Sea crisis and MENA overall instability fuel prices have doubled in some places - so a family who were maybe doing ok and could provide for their needs in 2024 now can’t because inflation has pushed up the price of food while salaries haven’t increased - just to name a few issues

Just because someone mentioned Bill Gates above as an example, Bill and Melinda run the Gates foundation which in 2025 had a β€œturnover” of over 8 billion USD for programming and have released an extra 200 billion over the next few years. So some people are investing in trying to support

Thank you for this insightful measured response instead of just attacking me - you clearly do amazing work.

Mostly I just feel irritated - its one of those days where you just think, come on!

I wonder the cost of stabilising fuel costs for the whole world πŸ‘€ - could that cost more than a billion πŸ€”

Sure itd be propping up Donald Trump and the companies profiting from this war, but itd be stabilising economies around the world

OP posts:
Ilovelifeverymuch · 02/06/2026 19:50

mumofoneAloneandwell · 02/06/2026 19:20

Me: trying to incite an angry mob to round up the billionaires

You lot: no. ^^

Round up the billionaires for what??? πŸ˜‚ To force them to feed people in Sudan? That's your plan? Why don't you commit your life to going to help them with the little you can?

And why stop there, why not demand that the government nationalize every large company so we can use the money generated to save the world?

Ladygregory1 · 02/06/2026 19:49

I know someone who delivered aid to Somalia etc only to watch it get taken from their ship and put onto another…sold and sent on. It doesn’t even make it over there. Happens all the time!

Ponoka7 · 02/06/2026 19:49

Tableforjoan · 02/06/2026 19:36

Money won’t fix a corrupt country. Money won’t fix dictators wanting wars because they want more land. Money won’t fix terrorists.

How long have those if you give just Β£3 this African village can have water adverts been going. Since before I was born.

This, plus money won't fix overpopulation in areas of the world that are becoming inhabitable by humans. We demonised single parents in the 90s. We've made the benefit and housing policies, punitive. Yet suggest birth control until things are stable, or so their other children stand a chance, or the women can recover, be educated and be involved in political decisions and suddenly babies being born, under any circumstances, is a blessing.

ShutUpJennie · 02/06/2026 19:47

This sounds like Model UN homework. You carry on arguing Pro, OP and everyone else will take the Con position