Boycotts -- The Liberal Answer

[the last donut of the night]

Yesterday, my school -- a bastion of the Democratic Party -- had an Upstander's day, which basically talked about various issues in the world -- genocide being the most important.

In true liberal fashion, boycotts were proposed to 'end' genocide.

I know this shit doesn't work, but I don't know why. Need help here.

P.S: Yesterday I found out one thing about mainstream politics and genocide in the US:

1) The right-wing doesn't care about genocide. And it's pretty honest about that.

2) The 'left-wing' (i.e. Democrats) don't care about genocide. However, they like to lie about their true position.

3) Like always, it's up for us to challenge this disgusting system.

[Black Dagger]

It would help if you mentioned some of the 'genocides' being targetted by the 'boycott'.

But just generally speaking, genocides are often committed 'informally' - that is not by any official government or body - i.e. someone to be appealed to or pressured by a boycott- but by 'unofficial' ('secret' or otherwise) militias, individuals or groups of soldiers - or regular folks, neighbours etc.

Now, whilst in many cases this action will have some sort of 'official' approval (even if not publically stated), in most cases offending governments etc. will do their best to control and/or cover up any coverage of these atrocities (and their lack of action to prevent them). If someone is not going to admit a genocide is even taking place, how do you hope to pressure them with a boycott? It doesn't really make sense.

Also, boycotts are generally more effective at targetting business than government, since most governments don't produce/sell consumer goods (though maybe i'm misunderstanding the use of the term 'boycott' here), they can't really be 'boycotted' except by big business - who are rarely swayed by moral argument (see: 50+ years of multi-national business support for south africa's Apartheid government).

[jake williams]

It would help if you mentioned some of the 'genocides' being targetted by the 'boycott'.
It would help if liberals did.

[the last donut of the night]

Well, it was about the Darfur genocide.

[blake 3:17]

The boycott is an entirely useful tactic. I'm a supporter of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The campaign is to stop a genocide.

Boycotts have been very effective in the civil rights and labour movements.

I have no clear understanding of what is happening in Darfur. I do hear a lot of sabre rattling on the imperialist side. And what exactly would be boycotted? What do people buy from the Sudan?

[jake williams]

Well, it was about the Darfur genocide.
Check out anything by Mahmood Mamdani.

yGOpfH_5_pY

[chegitz guevara]

Considering less than half a million people have died in Darfur since the beginning of this decade, it would be hard to claim that it is a genocide, especially as most of those who have died, died in refugee camps in Chad, because the President of Chad has been hindering the ability of humanitarian aid to get to the camps.

When you compare it to the Rift Valley War, which has killed over five million people in the last fifteen years, if really puts Darfur into perspective.

BTW, boycotts can and do work. The divestment and boycott campaign against Israel is hurting the country. It also help bring about the fall of Apartheid. It's not just a liberal solution to problems.

[the last donut of the night]

Sorry guys, I may have been mistaken.:blushing:

[blake 3:17]

No apologies necessary. `None of this is obvious, and you showed good sense in being skeptical of the Democrats.

The boycott tactic (like any other) needs to be thought through. What are its ends? Will it or can it be effective? What harms may it do and to whom?

This link is on the victorious Taco Bell boycott in solidarity with super exploited agricultural workers: http://www.labornotes.org/node/834

The link here is to a fantastic piece on the BDS campaign written by a pro-BDS Israeli: http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1733