Consumer Boycotts

[Desertrose2023]

I posted the BDS list in the supporting Palestinian businesses thread and recent discussion on another thread re the backlash against Zara got me wondering how many others are participating in consumer boycotts linked to the conflict in Gaza (and the occupation in Palestine) or for different reasons.

there are a number of brands I’m boycotting usually for a mix of reasons, political, environmental and social. Interested to hear views from others.

Disclaimer: to avoid any misinterpretation or twisting of my words - I do not support any acts of violence or vandalism or boycotting based on religion/ethnicity.

all the ones on the BDS committee list

https://bdsmovement.net/

in addition to a few others (sample below)

Starbucks: overpriced shit coffee and they recently sued their union for tweeting in support/solidarity with Palestine.

Zara: I stopped buying stuff following the controversy of their head womenswear designer making disgusting anti-Palestinian comments. The reports of slave labour (Uyghurs and in Brazil) plus the recent tone deaf ad campaign was the final straw. Plus trying to be more conscious re reducing how much ‘fast fashion’ I buy anyway.

Nestle: a history of unethical corporate practices plus including ownership of an Israeli food company with production in OPT.

After over 30,000 deaths of mainly women and children I personally wouldn’t want to keep funding Isreal, especially starvation is happening. I’d just think about those poor children wrapped up that should be alive if they hadn’t had the fortune to live in Gaza and live next to a brutal occupier.

Reminds me of my 60s primary school childhood. I well remember a temporary female teacher telling us that she had worked on a kibbutz for a year or so and asking us dear children if we knew what one was. Of course as northern kids we didn't. So she told us. I well remember thinking it sounded idyllic and heroic. Trouble is i later learned that things/history is somewhat more complicated/troubled.

Wonder how many use iPhones and Israeli technology?

People voicing their objections to consumer boycotts, I can only surmise, have on some fundamental level not understood how "market capitalism" is meant to work: "your product sells, great! It doesn't: well, tough luck, I suppose you might have to look at some drastic cost cutting measures!"

I'm not, personally, necessarily a proponent of this. As a matter of fact, for the most part, I find it philosophically untenable! But it is the neoliberalist dogma that "the free market fixes it all". So ... let it! For better or worse!

It's utterly hypocritical to be all "yay, free market and unfettered capitalism gung-ho" but then also "but, but, but, ... it's UNFAIR if people don't want to buy X product for Y reason!". Regardless of the product and reason in question!

Personally, I'd be quite okay with more regulation. But that runs counter to the neoliberal dogma and will therefore never happen! So ... who do these people think they are, telling consumers "the market decides - but you're a bad person if you opt not to buy A, B, or C". You can't have it both ways!

So I can buy more Israeli sheets then!

Why don't you start a thread about it. This one is about consumer boycotts.

Video created by an libanese author about boycot
https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1763894714367885688

Here is an article about how a small stance by a retail worker in Ireland in the 1980s who refused to handle goods from South Africa due to apartheid grew and grew and eventually led to the Irish government banning all goods from South Africa which then spread to further nations doing the same. How insignificant you think your small boycott might be you have no way of knowing what it could lead to. Google Dunne's workers and south Africa if you want to read more about them

www.google.com/amp/s/www.newarab.com/opinion/boycotts-turn-tides-lessons-irish-anti-apartheid%3famp

Buy away we're not here to police what you do or don't buy. Your posts are goady and immature and I'm not sure why you feel the need to jeer at those who are using what small bit of power they have to make a stand.

If you want goady and immature I suggest that you check out the post about the potatoes earlier which I was responding to. Stop claiming the moral high ground when you don't actually have it.

You were upset by someone choosing not to buy potatoes from Israel? Why is that immature?

Stop claiming the moral high ground when you don't actually have it.
What do you mean by this? What moral high ground are people claiming? And why in your opinion don't they have it?

You're talking about my post.
I guess having principles might appear goady to someone who stands by those who deny children medication , who starve children and who condemn children to slow lingering deaths.

BTW those of us who are not happy with our Govt's stance over Gaza: the UK has recently signed a trade deal with Israel. It's from the 21st March 2023. Take a read of it in light of what the British public thinks of Israel's actions today. I will be writing to my MP about my feelings on it.
UK and Israel to sign landmark agreement deepening tech, trade and security ties - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Also on trade affairs, the UK hosted an Arms Fair where Israeli arms manufacturers (based in the UK) talk about the prowess of their weapons on their guinea pigs in Gaza. Absolutely abhorrent. That's what I call goady. Never mind Yossi Pinto being here.

"Tickets cost over £3,000. A VIP Gala Dinner is planned for Tuesday night, following Rafael’s talk on how to use “remote weapon systems” in an “urban arena”.
They will discuss “precision and effectiveness in close proximity combat”. Rafael makes a machine gun turret for Israeli tanks, among many other armaments.
It comes as 10,000 Palestinian children have been killed by Israel in Gaza over the last 100 days, according to Save the Children."

Israeli colonel who backed illegal settlers invited to London arms fair (declassifieduk.org)

This is a briefing" by Amnesty on "UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement – responding to human rights concerns in keeping with UK’s obligations and policies"
March 2022

Briefing to DIT on UK-Israel FTA.pdf (amnesty.org.uk)

https://news.sky.com/story/starbucks-partner-to-cut-thousands-of-jobs-over-gaza-linked-boycotts-13087738?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

apnews.com/article/starbucks-firings-mideast-israel-hamas-war-f57e39147f8350d860fb0f57d42a987c

So @EasterIssland people in the middle
Ease lose their jobs because of a boycott aimed at Israel? Great job.

Not even a boycott aimed at Israel because Starbucks don’t operate in Israel.

It is the most fuckwitted boycott I’ve heard of…people annoyed that Starbucks rightly objected to a pro-Hamas social media post.

People boycotting Starbucks are just signalling support for cheering on the October 7th attacks.

@noblegiraffe it's ok though as 10% of the staff in Bahrain,Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UEA will be lost.

And we know who generally does those jobs in those countries? Not sure how it affects Israel a jot? That company is Kuwait family owned.

Well, the "fuckwits" are on both sides. Starbucks isn't even on the BDS list.

"A cup of coffee is a cup of Jewish blood"

People boycotting Starbucks are just supporting the 7th of October attacks really? The former CEO was staunchly pro Israel and there is still widespread belief that Starbucks supports Israel financially. This may not be true but unfortunately this idea has stuck with people who are horrified by what Israel is currently doing to the Palestinian people. Very surprising Noblegiraffe that you care more about the profits of Starbucks then the Palestinian people currently being starved by an occupying state.

I don’t care about Starbucks profits, but the idiocy of those promoting a Starbucks boycott because they objected to a social media post celebrating the 7th October attacks is honestly jawdropping. I’ve seen it on MN as the stated reason for boycotting (the objection to the social media post).

I think the Starbucks boycott, Even if it doesn’t affect Israel directly sends the message that boycotting Israel can be very effective. It might discourage other companies associating with Israel.

The call for boycotting of Starbucks is years old, it certainly is not a recent thing.

Chile cancels Israeli participation in Latin America’s largest aerospace fair

https://www.timesofisrael.com/chile-cancels-israeli-participation-in-latin-americas-largest-aerospace-fair/amp/

Is it? Because everywhere is reporting that the current boycott was started over the fact that Starbucks objected to their logo being used on a pro-Hamas social media post. Are people now pretending that it was actually about something else?