To think about boycotting American products and services

[Taytoface]

I feel so helpless in the current madness. It seems like the only act of objection possible is not buying american. Boycotting Israeli products, and South African back in the day, was relatively straightforward, but I have no clue how to de americanise my life. Anyone come across any helpful resources?

Not true. It was boycotted wholesale in Ireland. The women working in the supermarkets refused to put south African produce on the shelves.

Because people love to talk brag about their so called edgy behaviour usually on their socials. Rather than just getting on with it quietly and without fuss they go for the "Look at meeee I'm boycotting xyz" stupid smug expression and thumbs down shite.

that "thumbs down shite" is American isnt it? 🤣

It’s called Detrumpify yourself. Of detrumpez vous originally.
https://www.detrumpez-vous.com/

Thank you (merci)

A boycott is not feasible.

How about setting up crowd-funding for a coup ?

Maybe a whip round to fund an independent nuclear deterrent? I mean this seems quite important now

https://mandate.ie/2024/07/the-day-10-workers-changed-the-world-the-dunnes-stores-anti-apartheid-strike/
Of courses it matters, I think it's really important to take action, however small, it does make a difference. Even if it's just a difference to you, to it still matters that you act in accordance with your conscience. It's easier to do nothing, sure, but not better.

Isn't that the basis of nudge theory, that you drop in instances of a certain approved behaviour to encourage others. For example "80% of People Like You donated to our charity last month", "people who bought this also bought that", "people with a social conscience recycle", etc.
A boycott only works if enough people do it. It would be a bit daft not to gently publicise the plan (but not hector people, that would be counter-productive).

I started prioritising Vinted (Lithuanian company) over eBay (US company) a while back, and had already almost completely stopped using Amazon.

Partly this was for tax reasons. I've lost track of whether Amazon and eBay currently fairly pay their corporation taxes in the UK, but I started the shift from Amazon when they were still proudly tax-dodging.

Then it dawned on me that not only had the UK lost its manufacturing but we were no longer even a nation of shopkeepers: the shop owners were now in Seattle and San Jose, and the only bit happening in the UK was the delivery – and then only if the goods were physical.

The "tech" billionaires have made their money by redirecting those retail and services profits from British high streets and service companies to their own pockets.

So where possible I moved my shopping back to UK-based stores, and if that wasn't possible then to European companies with a presence in the UK.

Also don't worry, Amazon employees or Starbucks employees in the UK: I'm still buying the stuff, you'll still have your job handling it and delivering it to me and serving me. But the plan is you'll have that job at the company over the road which is sending a lower percentage of its profits directly into the pockets of a US billionaire.

That's how people find out. What would be the point in doing it alone - this way people become aware of the action.

Same way with advertising. Companies advertise their products so that people know about them.

No one is forcing you to do it - maybe follow some different people on your "socials" if it bothers you?

Lot of precious people here whining about someone else wanting to undertake a boycott 🙄

It would be very difficult to boycott all American products, just because of how massive and widespread the economy is but it’s entirely up to you. YANBU. I won’t go to the US whilst Trump is President for sure - will he care that one person isn’t visiting? No of course not but I’m just using my market power where I can.

Exactly this! It’s hardly virtue signalling, the whole thing requires publicity to be in any way effective.

Yes, exactly this. Some people are so naive and have no idea how totally emeshed international economics are.

No, several previous US presidents have also wanted to buy Greenland. It actually makes sense from an American point of view.

Read Tim Marshall's Prisoners of Geography and he explains it very well.

Boycotting is surely the opposite of virtue signaling. It takes time and effort to boycott products and services, and sometimes means going without something you really want or paying more for something.

I am well aware that as individuals we cannot hope to fully boycott the US but we can make small changes that might add up if lots of people do them.

Or maybe they just want to have a better conscience and not feel like they are financially supporting a country that is threatening your country or one of your allies?

Some people do things because they are right. Not to brag about it. You sound just like my darling class mates who wanted to beat me up because ut was annoying that I " pretended" to be a good girl who neither stole nor slept around. News flash: I didn't pretend.

Other newsflash: they gave up the fight when they realized that they might win but not without getting some serious bruises. Bullies are always cowards. The morons actually thought that I was so meek that I'd just let them beat me.

Yes I'm aware the idea had been looked at before and rejected. However the person behind Donald Trump's current personal obsession with it does indeed appear to be Ronald Lauder.

The UK owning the whole of North America (and India and Australia and Singapore, Hong Kong & Malaysia, and...) makes sense from a UK point of view. Doesn't mean we have a right to them. <shrug>

Exactly. It is virtue signalling because it would actually be really easy to not use this website yet these people talking about boycotting are still here. They won’t even boycott a random and unnecessary forum. 🙄

How does Mumsnet use Amazon?

No one asked you to

Mumsnet is hosted by AWS, Amazon web services. It’s not like Mumsnet is necessary, so it would be easy to stop using it. And yet…..

Is it? Crap

Not necessary at all, easy to stop like FB

Let’s see if anyone does

It’s almost like there are people on here trying to actively dissuade others from taking action. Almost like they know it makes a difference like with Teslas..

you don’t need to do everything, we are a global economy. But everything you can do will make us less reliant on the US