Boycotting certain stores

[AlwaysAnarchy]

I was just curious what you guys thought about the idea of boycotting certain stores or companies (say, WalMart) that are engaged in really hurting the workers and unions more so than the usual ones are?

Do you guys feel since they are all capitalist stores we shoudn't distinguish and it's perfectly fine to buy from Wal Mart, Nike, McDonalds etc.

Or should we boycott the worst ones?


Another thing is this: people who buy at Wal Mart, McDonalds etc tend to be poor people and working people , by isolating ourselves from those stores, do we not run the risk of sounding like elitists??

Any thoughts?

[Sadena Meti]

Boycotting targets the tip of the iceberg and ignores the rest. Your money ends up going to a lesser evil which is almost as bad. i.e. Walmart is evil but Target is no saint.

[AlwaysAnarchy]

Originally posted by rev-[email protected] 27 2006, 06:46 PM
Boycotting targets the tip of the iceberg and ignores the rest. Your money ends up going to a lesser evil which is almost as bad. i.e. Walmart is evil but Target is no saint.
OK, so then what is to be done?

Do we just buy from Mcdonals, Wal Mart, etc?? Is that not a problem for us??

[Sadena Meti]

Destroy the system that allows these stores to exist.

But that is a long term goal.

In the short term, engage in direct action if that makes you feel better. :ph34r:


Love the smell of napalm in the morning...
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[Janus]

Boycotting large retail stores doesn't have much of an effect unless you get a lot of people to follow you but boycotting local, small shop owners can make a difference.

However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't boycott certain stores as most people are likely to do that anyways. For example, some people just don't like the food from McDonald's.

[Comrade Doug]

The point isnt to bring the downfall of wallmart and other american corperations. Its to not support their greed and ignorence with your capital.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

I don't think most of us have capital. Those of us who may have some... well, I doubt any of us are investing in Wal-Mart stock.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

Originally posted by rev-[email protected] 27 2006, 03:46 PM
Boycotting targets the tip of the iceberg and ignores the rest. Your money ends up going to a lesser evil which is almost as bad. i.e. Walmart is evil but Target is no saint.
I shoped at Wal-Mart when I lived in the US, because it was the cheapest place to shop. I'd rather live better and give Wal-Mart some money than live poorly and shop from the "ethical" capitalists.
If there is an organized boycott, I'll probably join. But given our aims, boycotting achieves very little. Unless our aims were to force Wal-Mart to accept unionized workers. That would require lots of people but would be a good idea.

[Kurt Crover]

"ethical" capitalists? like what stores are they?

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by Kurt [email protected] 28 2006, 09:15 AM
"ethical" capitalists? like what stores are they?
He's refering to these capitalists that support "fair trade" and "eco-friendly" innitiatives.

[Exovedate]

If you want to do something to fight the huge corporations like Walmart but you think boycotting is pointless than either start a campaign to get Walmart to accept unionized workers like suggested earlier or why not start your own commune. There have been several that I know of even here in Manitoba (Canada), unfortunately the people involved were not the greatest of people and so they didn't work out. I would take work but at least you wouldn't be giving your capital to Walmart.

[rouchambeau]

What are you trying to accomplish?

[which doctor]

Boycotting certain stores won't do anything, unless there's a mass movement doing it with you.

If boycotting makes you feel better, than by all means go ahead and do it.

[AlwaysAnarchy]

I appreciate all the responses.

However, what I feel is missing is OK if boycotting doesn't work, what to do then? Is it OK for left wing people to go out an buy at Wal Mart? And if not, where should they buy? And if we do choose to not buy at certain stores like Wal Mart, McDonalds, etc don't we run the risk of sounding like elitists since it's usually the poor that shop there?

[umbilical_syllables]

As long as there is a demand for a something there will be someone supplying it.
So I don't think that we have anything to gain from boycotting.
But I still try to avoid the multinational corporations.
I mean, if I'm in a store to buy a soda, and there is Coca-cola and a small local brand soda I would choose the small local brand soda. But I'd still buy Coca-cola if there wasn't anything else to choose from.
The same applies to stores and restuarants.

[RNK]

In order for a boycot to be seriously effective and morally constant, you would essentially have to boycot everything and live by hunting and foraging on your own. Every commodity currently available in our society is a product of capitalism.

Like rev-stoic insinuated, don't bother boycotting, simply fight them.