Do you shop at Socially Responsible Stores?

[Pioneers_Violin]

Do you shop at "socially responsible" stores?
If you don't, would you if you could?
Or is it all a load of Bourgeois decadence to you?

By "socially responsible" I mean the kind of store that at least makes a pretense of trying to improving the world.
Ones like Whole Foods and IKEA who claim to care about the environment, their customers and maybe even their employees at least a little.

Usually, this means "Bring Your Own Bag". Not because they're trying to keep prices artificially low but because they're trying to save the environment or at least pretending to.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Unfortunately I do not.I would hardly know which ones are responsible and which ones aren't anyway.If I knew I would though.

[Tenka]

No, I shop at Walmarts and dollar stores.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

No, shit is expensive.

[Pioneers_Violin]

I like these stores.

Yes, I realize that many of their customers are the more trendy Bourgie scum, but the stores do at least pretend to be at least somewhat responsible both towards the environment and their customers.

They discourage stuff like disposable plastic bags and cheap, throwaway products. This helps reduce pollution.

In the case of Whole Foods, blatantly unhealthy foods are hard to find and bringing your own bag is encouraged. Excellent, durable re-useable bags are sold at moderate cost.

In the case of IKEA, sensible and durable furnishings are provided at moderate cost. Again, not a plastic bag in sight.

Neither store is cheap, but both provide good value. Since I'm not self-sufficient in either food or furnishings (amongst other things) shopping is essential to modern life.

In a more ideal world, these sorts of stores would be widespread with no need of money.

To me, the epitome of Bad Capitalism is the Big Box stores with their rows of cheap, throwaway products, downright toxic "food" products and reams of plastic bags fluttering all over the land.

[Wanted Man]

Voted for all options. :rolleyes:

I have no idea what a "socially responsible store" is supposed to mean. What's so social about Ikea or Whole Foods? Typical union-busting fuckers who just put a nice "social" sign at the front, and BCS likes them because, wait for it: they at least pretend to be somewhat responsible! Holy shit! (and they don't have plastic bags and don't sell unhealthy food)

Sorry, but this is just a load of bullshit. You even basically admit that you just happen to "like" their image and that's why you buy from them. The problem is that in the end, you're always making choices. At Whole Foods, you get ZOMG ORGANIC!!!11 food that has been flown in from around the world, damaging the environment and bankrupting small farmers, but at least it's organic, while their libertarian owners frantically try to keep trade unions out.

I don't have a Whole Foods nearby, just little Turkish and Surinamese shops that sell all kinds of stuff that you don't find in supermarkets. The funny thing is that a lot of their products probably contain ingredients that Whole Foods would consider unacceptable (because E-numbers are EVIL and will give you CANCER!!11!). Who gives a shit? I just buy stuff I like and that's it. Why would you want to feel good about what kind of groceries you buy?

[Pioneers_Violin]

Thank you for the constructive criticism and for pointing out some of their flaws. I didn't know of WF's Union-busting tactics. I'll keep an eye open for any picketing.

As far as I know unless you're out in the country, all stores, even little ones, depend upon the supply chain that flies stuff in from all over the world, especially ethnic stores.

Of course if you're in a rural area a lot of the produce can be local and that is usually the best place to shop.

Whole Foods does make some claims towards selling at least some relatively local foods. Again, it might just be a ploy for us gullible suckers though.

[#FF0000]

I don't usually throw Zizek around but I think he had an interesting talk on this:

hpAMbpQ8J7g

Either way, I don't shop at these stores because I simply can't afford to.

Also the founder of IKEA was literally a Nazi.

EDIT: Living in the boonies = farmer's markets, tho. That's 'socially responsible' right?

[Leonid Brozhnev]

I used to go to the Co-op in my old town but its expensive as fuck. I generally go wherever is cheapest now, which works out as Morrisons. Not socially responsible but I do make an effort to bring my own bags.

[praxis1966]

No, for all the reasons Wanted Man stated and more. Having worked on actions and organizing drives dealing with Whole Foods, I can attest to how a bunch of bastards those guys are. And not for nothing, but co-ops aren't any better. The Lincoln IWW branch has had several run ins with those types. Further, I can't afford jack shit in there anyway so it doesn't really matter what my political objections are.

[o well this is ok I guess]

Oh sure I shop at Whole Foods
in the back

[jake williams]

The other day myself and some friends were looking at a list of a university's pension plan investments. Specifically, the "socially responsible companies". The list?

Suncor Energy
Royal Bank of Canada
Goldcorp Inc
Enbridge Inc
RBC Capital Trust
Barrick Gold Corporation
Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan

For those of you who are not Canadian - basically this is mining/energy companies and then the RBC which is like the banker for the mining/energy industry. Barrick is the world's largest gold mining company and funds all sorts of horrible mercenaries in central Africa. I think Canada's mining capitalists are a bit jealous of the Belgian legacy in Africa but there is a feeling that, with our mastery of the French language, we might just keep up.

Link: http://www.mcgill.ca/files/pensions/SRI.pdf

[Os Cangaceiros]

Whole Foods has a great beer selection.

[o well this is ok I guess]

Whole Foods has a great beer selection. I simply cannot imagine the idea of having alcohol sold in grocery stores.

[black magick hustla]

I simply cannot imagine the idea of having alcohol sold in grocery stores.

are you canadian

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

They don't sell it in stores in some of the states either.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Capitalism, by definition, is "socially irresponsible," since it puts the needs of capital above the needs of society.

I shop where I can afford to buy things.

[GPDP]

Not really. Does that make me socially irresponsible?

I shop where the good deals are at. If the organically-grown veggies at Sun Harvest happen to be cheaper this week than the stuff Walmart has, I'll buy that. But if HEB has them cheaper still, then I shop there.

Trying to make an impact on the world through consumption choices is the stuff of liberal junk politics.

[Magón]

I buy my black t's and white t's in bulk for cheap. I buy my jeans cheap, I buy my shoes when I've worn them out reasonably well, and I buy my booze when I've got the money and want to have a fun drunken, or just beer drinking day. So no.

[La Comédie Noire]

I may have once by accident? :lol:

But in all seriousness and as Zizek explained in the video above, conscious consumerism is just a by product of the about face capitalism took after 68 when they realized instead of brutally suppressing leftist movements they could just make us partners in crime and sell us stuff instead. Notice how it doesn't really work for groups with minimal purchasing power like the black community, who ended up getting the stick instead of the carrot.

It's all about breaking up social power by emphasizing individual choices. Like that weird cult of random acts of kindness you see making the rounds in corporate circles now a days. Buy a homeless man a coffee? You're golden. Organize a protest to protect a squat in your community? Fucking communist!

[o well this is ok I guess]

are you canadian Yeah man.
Shit man can't even buy cigarettes in a grocery store and them americans get mofugging drive thru liquor stores and shit.

[praxis1966]

Yeah man.
Shit man can't even buy cigarettes in a grocery store and them americans get mofugging drive thru liquor stores and shit.

Story time - Once upon a time, Praxis worked in a combination bar and liquor store with a drive through. We had an open container law, so to get around that I was required to sell pints of liquor, mixers, and give away free cups of ice with a lid and straw out the drive through window. The only thing I didn't do was actually mix the drinks.

The customers loved it, because even though we didn't close til 4 am, people could go grab a bottle before they left if they wanted to keep drinking after closing time.

[o well this is ok I guess]

Story time - Once upon a time, Praxis worked in a combination bar and liquor store with a drive through. We had an open container law, so to get around that I was required to sell pints of liquor, mixers, and give away free cups of ice with a lid and straw out the drive through window. The only thing I didn't do was actually mix the drinks.

The customers loved it, because even though we didn't close til 4 am, people could go grab a bottle before they left if they wanted to keep drinking after closing time. Maaaaaan who stays in a bar until 4, man?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Millions of people. Come to NYC if you'd like to see it first hand.

They sell beer and wine in the grocery here, but not liquor. In Pennsylvania they don't sell any alcohol in the grocery. You have to get beer at a beer distributor, and wine and liquor at state owned stores.

[Tomhet]

I'm struggling to get by here wall mart is my best option for grub..

[praxis1966]

Maaaaaan who stays in a bar until 4, man?

Alcoholics and restaurant workers.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Millions of people. Come to NYC if you'd like to see it first hand.

They sell beer and wine in the grocery here, but not liquor. In Pennsylvania they don't sell any alcohol in the grocery. You have to get beer at a beer distributor, and wine and liquor at state owned stores.

The weirdest thing was when I stopped by a Wal-Mart in Iowa and saw a bunch of vodka on display. Still the only time that I've seen hard alcohol sold in Wal-Mart.

[An archist]

I would if I had the money.

All the vegi stuff in organic shops and stuff is soooo good. It's just way to expensive.

[NoOneIsIllegal]

No, for all the reasons Wanted Man stated and more. Having worked on actions and organizing drives dealing with Whole Foods, I can attest to how a bunch of bastards those guys are. And not for nothing, but co-ops aren't any better. The Lincoln IWW branch has had several run ins with those types. Further, I can't afford jack shit in there anyway so it doesn't really matter what my political objections are.
As someone close to the campaign at Open Harvest Co-Op in Lincoln, I can say fuck co-ops.

I still shop at farmers markets when I can, because the prices are pretty fair.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Story time - Once upon a time, Praxis worked in a combination bar and liquor store with a drive through. We had an open container law, so to get around that I was required to sell pints of liquor, mixers, and give away free cups of ice with a lid and straw out the drive through window. The only thing I didn't do was actually mix the drinks.

The customers loved it, because even though we didn't close til 4 am, people could go grab a bottle before they left if they wanted to keep drinking after closing time.

Does this mean people drank in their cars? (not good)or in the parking lot? (nothing wrong with that). In the town of White River Junction, Vermont, near where I lived for a long time there was an "illegal" open air bar. That is there was a section where every evening people would bring bottles and drink outside until the wee hours. The police tolerated it for years. For Europeans this might not mean anything but in the context of American puritanism and very strict container laws this is really something. It became something of a local institution. It was sad when they finally closed it down.

Shortly after graduating from university I was hanging out at the apartment of someone I was dating. My friend left and I grabbed a beer out of his fridge. I was aware of container laws but I thought I'd finish the beer before I got on to the main street of the smallish town I was in. Unfortunately a cop nabbed me and I was fined $200. The cop told me that if I had tossed the beer over a wooden fence when I saw him, he wouldn't have been able to do anything to me.

I received the fine for the heinous crime of drinking a beer in public at a time when I had very little money. I was doing food prep at a restaurant for minimum wage.I went to the town court and almost begged them to waive the fine. I told someone who I guess was a prosecuting attorney that I felt a $200 fine was a bit draconian. He sneered at me and appeared surprised that a "townie" knew what the word "draconian" meant.(Even though I probably knew more about Greek history than he did)I finally was able to make an arrangement to pay off the fine in installments over 3 months.

Life in America! Even though I don't drink that much when I lived in Europe and Asia it was such a liberating feeling being able to drink a beer in public without fear of getting hit with a crippling fine.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

I occasionally shop at Whole Paycheck Foods. They have good mineral water. I've found its very easy to snag stuff from their salad bar displays. Otherwise its way too expensive.

The whole "socially responsible shopping" thing is pretty much of a crock. It is good to patronize farmer's markets and perhaps local organic farming can do some good.. I'm a huge bibliophile and I try to buy books, when possible, from the dwindling number of indie booksellers. Otherwise its impossible to change the world though lifestyle shopping and one shouldn't even try. I drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee a lot. Drunkin' Donuts is owned by the Carlyle Group, very sleazy imperialists. I still drink their coffee. Of course I would honor any picket of Dunkies but I would go into withdrawal.

[Ele'ill]

Do you shoplift at "Socially Responsible" stores?


Perhaps.

[praxis1966]

Does this mean people drank in their cars? (not good)or in the parking lot?

I'm sure the folks that came to the drive through window drank in their cars. There really wasn't any reason to drink in the parking lot, though, since we were part bar as well. We had pool, darts, jukebox, all that good shit.


The cop told me that if I had tossed the beer over a wooden fence when I saw him, he wouldn't have been able to do anything to me.

Yeah, most states have what they call "castle laws" that say as long as you're on your own property they can't really do shit about an open container.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I shop where it's cheapest.

[Smyg]

They overcharge. I can't afford that.