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Boycotttjng US Products and Services

306 replies

CovenOfCheeses · 24/02/2025 18:45

Several of my friends have started a local campaign to boycott all US made goods and services. I have also started to do so because of the attitudes of the President to the rule of law and international co-operation. I have stopped buying from Amazon and have deleted my social media accounts and stopped using US made products. I feel that a country that is so antagonistic toward us should not be supported by our cash.

My eldest daughter is gay and has been saving up with her friend to go to the Dinah Shore weekend in the US. I said I would contribute some cash but now feel reticent to do so. She argues that she is going to support the people who are being attacked by Donald Trump, but I think that we should not give money to a country (even though it was only 50%) who twice voted for a menace to international order and the rule of law. I feel that during apartheid, it was only due to the economic boycotts that the system ended. It hurt the people who were in the country who did not agree to the system, but the economic impact forced the system to change. I think that by making a stand and making the people aware of how their president in impacting the world. Am I being unreasonable in withholding cash for her trip?

OP posts:
Maggiethecat · 27/02/2025 11:26

birdcake · 25/02/2025 12:11

Of course it will happen. People read things and are influenced by them.

I agree. People think
that that their small choices won’t matter but collectively we can help shift the dial.
I have been thinking similarly, for eg limiting my Amazon purchases and considering local alternatives and support. I will be giving more thought to what I consume and who benefits.

AlisonDonut · 27/02/2025 11:47

TankFlyBossW4lk · 27/02/2025 07:25

There are loads of protests going on , Chris Kluwe protested very recently. There's a plan for a 24 hour boycott of buying all items that aren't absolutely necessary on 28th Feb. AoC is protesting. There are law suits going through. The Gov of Maine is standing up against the bullies. There are a whole host of companies ignoring the no DEI order.

I'm not even in the US and these are just a few I know about.

The gov of Maine - isn't worried about standing up to bullies. There are a load of pharmaceutical companies in Maine who benefit from the continued sale of Puberty Blockers and Cross Sex Hormones. You think this is about bullies, you are looking in the wrong direction.

blackbird77 · 27/02/2025 12:08

Thanks for the thread OP. You've influenced me to join the boycott! I completely agree with you. Whilst it's impossible to boycott all US products that we use everyday (things like Meta-owned Whatsapp), I think it is realistic and easy to make switches to non-US products in some easy cases (if you're out on the high street for example - go to a coffee shop that isn't Starbucks instead).

What people don't realise is you don't need anywhere near a mass boycott to hit the US, just everyone changing buying habits by a few percent can have a dramatic effect on share prices and sales for these US companies.

C0bea · 27/02/2025 12:24

TooBigForMyBoots · 27/02/2025 11:21

This is unfair. Trump is only recently elected and people want to give him a chance. However, they are not doing nothing.

Americans are challenging Trump's destruction, on the streets, in the courts, online and even in their workplaces.

Are they? Where is the coverage of this?

birdcake · 27/02/2025 14:16

C0bea · 27/02/2025 12:24

Are they? Where is the coverage of this?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/16/protesters-target-tesla-stores-in-us-over-elon-musks-cost-cutting

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/17/nx-s1-5299915/dc-protests

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2025/jan/20/anti-trump-protests-photos

just a few examples of coverage. I am sure you will find lots more if you look.

Remember that the largely right wing US media supports trump and will not really be covering protests.

CovenOfCheeses · 27/02/2025 14:19

There are some European Alternatives to US based messaging companies etc

european-alternatives.eu

OP posts:
XWKD · 27/02/2025 14:40

Sales of Tesla Swasticars are down 50% in the EU and 45% in the UK. I don't know how much of that is people holding off for the next version of the MAGAmobile.

ExtraOnions · 27/02/2025 14:48

I’m going to try to avoid US products, and look to support the UK (obvs) and Canada as much as possible

SeaSwim5 · 27/02/2025 14:48

Personally I’m trying to avoid companies that are big Trump supporters/backers. However, I don’t think it’s possible or even desirable to boycott the whole country given more than half of people didn't vote for him.

That said, I do think it’s natural that people will choose to prioritise spending their money in places that align with their values.

We were planning to go to the US this summer but will now be going to Spain instead. Mainly because we like the country, but the fact that Spain has just given another €1 billion to Ukraine and also supports Palestine does attract us.

ForestAtTheSea · 27/02/2025 15:17

britinnyc · 27/02/2025 00:33

I sympathize for you as a Canadian and I understand why Canadians are doing what they are. I am really talking about the mumsnet morally superior posters from the UK who typically find any excuse to trash the US and think we are all Trump loving bigots (who eat unhealthy food and want to destroy the environment). It is just short sighted because states and corporations are fighting back and challenging his agendas but people are still labeling us all together and acting like we are all terrible people for living here as if it is easy to just get up and leave! I am British, horrified at what is going on and in an ideal world I would explore leaving but that isn’t reality and continuing to live here does not make me complicit.

I try to choose consciously in general, and I wouldn't prefer Chinese goods over US good and services. I think many people are aware that there are several politically problematic countries, not only one.

On the other hand, I know that it will be impossible to completely avoid products and services from these countries because manufacture of goods is often complex and happens in several countries. Sometimes a product from a country or brand registered in that countryis simply a necessity, for example a medication. And obviously still there is import of oil and gas and other energy sources both from Russia, Saudi-Arabia and the US.

But if I switch back from amazon to the local bookstore someone else who is struggling will get the money instead. If I switch from Starbucks to a local coffee shop, the money will get to some other minimum wage worker.

From the discussion here and on other social media sites and from the communication of the president and his yes men, the general tenor is: "Why should Americans pay for XYZ abroad"? (When XYZ includes health care and vaccines and food for starving people in poor or war-torn countries, it's not all superfluous) -
Okay then, why should non-Americans spend their money for the benefit of the US economy or companies whose CEOs gave vast amounts of funding to Republican PACs?

It is certainly clear that the US is not one vast uniform voter group, and that there are many different people with different opinions and plenty of people very unhappy with President Trump. I think most people are aware of that.

However, the economic boycott is one of the few things that everyday people who are not in politics can do and make their voices heard. Any mass protests in the streets of Europe, Trump will just laugh about. Company bosses complaining to him that his decisions impact their earnings, that he will take serious.

I'm sorry if the boycott affects people who have nothing to do with this. Perhaps Americans will soon boycott products from abroad, which will certainly rise in price once all the tariffs are implemented anyways. Then they have more funds to support their own industry.

I made the decision to not boycott some small artists from the US; this is my exception. I won't be able to do without social media but I do what I can.

But I think it is clear that Trump, Musk and many other Republicans put Europe, Canada and others in an impossible situation. We did not want this either. People are struggling with the suddenly rearranged world order, too, realizing that nothing is safe. Obviously we have to step up and support our own countries; put our oxygen mask on first.

ForestAtTheSea · 27/02/2025 16:06

thanks to the PP who mentioned no buy days within the US.

I found them:
https://thepeoplesunionusa.com/faq

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/26/feb-28-economic-blackout-boycott/

Interesting that the WP (Bezos own) reported on this.

ForestAtTheSea · 27/02/2025 16:16

PS: Bezos has enough money to pay his minimum wage workers more money or keep on more staff than is absolutely economically viable. He could -gasp- take a loss for several years and still would be superrich. Similar for Walmart, Koch & Co.
They should support and defend their workers, after all it was their decision to make orange friends.

Totallymessed · 27/02/2025 16:25

XWKD · 27/02/2025 14:40

Sales of Tesla Swasticars are down 50% in the EU and 45% in the UK. I don't know how much of that is people holding off for the next version of the MAGAmobile.

While sales of BYD electric cars are going up. Frankly, anyone who chooses to buy from a Chinese company rather than a US company due to politics has lost any claims to moral superiority.

GameofPhones · 27/02/2025 16:26

CovenOfCheeses · 27/02/2025 14:19

There are some European Alternatives to US based messaging companies etc

european-alternatives.eu

Many thanks for this. I've changed my browser, and more importantly email to European providers. The new email address will allow me to spread the boycott word, too! I will pass on the eu providers link with my messages.

XWKD · 27/02/2025 16:29

Totallymessed · 27/02/2025 16:25

While sales of BYD electric cars are going up. Frankly, anyone who chooses to buy from a Chinese company rather than a US company due to politics has lost any claims to moral superiority.

I think it's more a case of not wanting something associated with Elon Musk than American goods in general.

birdcake · 27/02/2025 16:52

Totallymessed · 27/02/2025 16:25

While sales of BYD electric cars are going up. Frankly, anyone who chooses to buy from a Chinese company rather than a US company due to politics has lost any claims to moral superiority.

I'm not so sure. Whilst I definitely don't agree with Chinese politics, the UK, EU and world security is so heavily affected by US politics.

birdcake · 27/02/2025 17:22

Plus, I don't think anyone is claiming moral superiority. Just boycotting the cause that feels more important to them.

MadderthanMorris · 27/02/2025 18:29

One of the most common, and silly, lines of argument used by conservatives against radical or non-conformist actions to try and change the world, is that if you're not performing those actions IN EVERY POSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCE, against EVERY MORALLY QUESTIONABLE PARTY, in order to change ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING about the world that one might find any kind of fault in, you're a hypocrit.

It's nonsense. It's perfectly possible to understand that humans are imperfect, that we live in a complex world with many possible interpretations of how we should behave and no moral absolutes, that you have to buy stuff from somebody, and at the same time judge that you would rather not contribute to the economic livelihood of a particular individual, company or country.

I've given my reasons upthread why I'm not interested in boycotting China, and they're perfectly consistent with boycotting the USA (which I'll be doing primarily because of their withdrawal from the Paris agreement on climate change, which China is still a party too). That's not even so much a moral issue as one of survival: I'd quite like the Earth to be habitable for my children, thanks very much, and the only way I can see that happening is if rogue states that refuse to engage with worldwide cooperation to make it happen are economically isolated.

To that I would add that China hasn't threatened a trade war, and that noises about Taiwan (which are rooted in a historical grievance about the original formation of both countries as modern states) are very small beans compared to the entire history of American aggression, invasion and occupation over much of the globe since WW2.

YMMV. If the thing that keeps you up at night is the treatment of ethnic minorities in China, then by all means don't buy Chinese. That is after all supposed to be the great thing about capitalism: we all get to spend our own money however we want.

TankFlyBossW4lk · 27/02/2025 22:40

ForestAtTheSea · 27/02/2025 16:06

thanks to the PP who mentioned no buy days within the US.

I found them:
https://thepeoplesunionusa.com/faq

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/26/feb-28-economic-blackout-boycott/

Interesting that the WP (Bezos own) reported on this.

Hi there, WP was considered excellent journalism before Bezos took it over and decided it was best not to upset Trump.

TooBigForMyBoots · 27/02/2025 22:52

I'm in @CovenOfCheeses.

The Tate thing did it for me.Sad

ForestAtTheSea · 27/02/2025 22:58

TankFlyBossW4lk · 27/02/2025 22:40

Hi there, WP was considered excellent journalism before Bezos took it over and decided it was best not to upset Trump.

yes, I know of the good reputation of the WP from the past. That's why I'm even more surprised (especially after his latest message to the editors) that they are still covering the boycotts. Maybe Bezos hasn't yet managed to scare away everyone with integrity.

Jumpingthruhoops · 27/02/2025 23:31

If you're so firm in your beliefs, why do you care what we say? Boycott if it makes you feel better 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
CovenOfCheeses · 28/02/2025 14:24

https://apnews.com/article/feb-28-economic-blackout-2025-d6b0bf2d1c989ee3071016e36598d76c

OP posts:
FancyMauveDreamer · 28/02/2025 18:47

Half-naked woman on CBBC Operation Ouch! AIBU to feel it’s inappropriate to have “Dynamite”, who is a skimpily-dressed gladiator on a kids’ show? She appeared on a segment of the first episode of the new series flirting with the handsome twin Black doctors, Raph and Dan. It just seemed sexualised to me.

Boycotttjng US Products and Services
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