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.

I’ve already responded to that point above if you’d bothered to read the thread.

@Pizdietz Fair enough.

I think we all have to live according to our own values and ensure our actions align with our personal beliefs, as far as is possible, although of course there are limits to which we can do this and I accept this without beating myself up for not being perfect.

I am not against any people and try not to have preconceived notions of individuals, I will always look to find common ground with people and see where I can learn and how we can co-operate for the good of all.

I will however live my life in accordance with my own values. That includes taking actions on a personal level which I believe to be are in accordance with this. If this does or doesn't make a difference on a wider level is less important to me, to be honest. I'd rather live in line with my personal truth.

It's a little known fact that most of the solar panels used across the world are made using Muslim Uyghur slave labour:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-57124636.amp

As well as a lot of other well known companies:

enduyghurforcedlabour.org/news/402-2/

I didn’t actually know that. There are many companies that have a lot to answer for tbh re forced Uyghur labour and modern slavery in general, especially within the garment industry.

@1dayatatime I didn't know that either! Won't be getting those then,

You have no clue about targeted boycotting do you?

I've never liked Starbucks, I will no longer poison my body with Macdonald's there are plenty of independent restaurants and cafes to choose from. I never really shopped in Zara as none local to me and I don't like their clothes anyway. Avoiding Nestle and coca cola has been a bit more difficult but not as difficult as witnessing the genocide unfolding in Gaza, the pictures are seared on my brain now and I find I can't stomach their food now anyway.

Oh that's another long list @1dayatatime. I think I'm in the clear with all those companies though.

I understand that, @sailingdriving .

I suppose things changed a bit for me in my 50s, when I went through a phase of experimenting with plant medicines like Ayahuasca and took a deep interest in Zen philosophy. I began to reluctantly accept that my urgent interventions in life tended to make things worse, and came to see all movements of thought/ideology/politics as an organic process that can't be rushed.

This probably makes a lot more sense if you're shitfaced 😁

I think my indignation on MN is not thinking I have all the answers, but frustration that the Israeli perspective is not given the weight it deserves. This strikes me sometimes as extremely cruel, although I'm prepared to believe that's not intentional.

I’m a decades long resident of the Middle East and my cousin was shot dead in Beirut many many years ago during the war there. The current situation in Gaza really hits home. It’s very real. As a family we know what it’s like to have a loved one die in awful circumstances. My cousins children were with her when she was shot by a sniper and yes we know which side did it but it’s never spoken of given we’re such a mix of a family.

Here in the Middle East we’ve been shopping politically for decades. Way way back to when George Bush was the US President.

I’ve no idea what the BDS movement is or who’s behind it. People here just get on with shopping selectively and it’s second nature now.

@JustForToday2023 So sorry your family went through that. Lebanon looks very beautiful and a lot of amazing history and architecture.

Sharing another resource in case helpful for anyone

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bashsoftware.boycott

This is another that has been shared

https://www.buycott.com/

BDS forced Sodastream, a company that actively promoted equal rights and conditions for Palestinian and Israeli employees, to move their manufacturing plant out of the Territories. Guess who lost work as a result. Clue: it wasn't the company and it wasn't their Israeli employees.

I’ve always boycotted Nestle, mainly because of the predatory practices around baby milk formula

Sodastream had no business manufacturing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Occupation is the source of so much economic hardship for Palestinians, to the extent that sometimes they’re forced to make choices re taking employment to support their families that they otherwise would not want to make.

The baby milk thing was what got me started with them too. It’s surprising how many brands they own.

yes Nestle have a lot of dark practices :(

Looking through some of the products it objects to a company with a base in Tel Aviv which it describes as 'Occupied Palestine'.

So is the basic assumption that Israel shouldn't exist?

I try to avoid buying from companies which I consider to have unethical practices.

Sometimes it's not possible to avoid, but I try.

what a surprise so many comments trying to derail the thread in the first few comments.

im not boycotting any company related with the war
Zara I’ve boicotted them for several years : I don’t like their owner at all (I’m Spanish so know quite a lot of his problems and trying to be cool when he doesn’t pay fair wages to his employees )

Starbucks I still have the odd one on the days I go to the office , however , I’ve read thanks to this boycott they’ve lost millions of dollars

Thanks for these lists, they’re really helpful.

I’ll be sure to buy extra from them to cancel the effects of your boycott.

what a surprise so many comments trying to derail the thread in the first few comments

Our intellectual counterparts making their usual intellectual comments 😐

With regards to avoiding certain products or components of products completely.... of course it is not always possible to be 100% ethical etc.

I think there's a limit to how far we can each personally take any ethical stand on doing something or not, and this reminds me of the definition of veganism:

"Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude —as far as is possible and practicable— all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose...."

— The Vegan Society, Definition of veganism, ^www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism^

The point is not that we can do it 100% perfectly, so this may mean in this instance using software or products or components we don't want to, but it would be entirely impractical to avoid it all of the time.

So doing it imperfectly is less important - the idea is that we are doing it as far as we are practically able, without beating ourselves up for being unable to reach certain levels of perfection.

A bit like trying our best to recycle, or avoid plastic, but in reality it's not always going to be possible to be perfect. But at least we are doing our best.

We are all hypocrites to a certain extent, but that we are doing something that aligns with our values is better than doing nothing at all, if that is the path that appeals to us.

🤣🤣🤣