I often have the urge to boycott various entities. For example, I have left Netflix and during seasons refused to patronize Starbucks. I have refrained from using Amazon for purchases as well.
This is all costing me Money. Money, which I have less of than the average American, which I could be using to repair my car, get new tires, create a nest egg, buy food or entertainment for my little family etc… This has cost me money because I have continued to use the things for which some of these organizations had supplied for the best price around. I don’t know if these decisions have done anything to make the world a better place other than by confirming my own character and making me better (although a little poorer).
All that being said; Now we have a situation where fiat has been used by civilian entities to destroy opposition. Google, Apple, Amazon & what very well may be hundreds of virtually unknown server companies, credit card companies, insurance companies, banks, hosting platforms and ‘fabric of industry’ entities have conspired to bring power against their enemies previously only truly held be government.
Are we in the age of boycott and suffer the consequences? Or are we in the age of detaching ourselves from the moral fiber of those who give us the best deal?
Are there enough good men to hold these companies accountable? Are they in the right places?
Sincerely,
Nathanael
10 replies on “The Cost and Effectiveness of Boycott”
I, too, live on … let’s say … limited resources. Boycotts of the places that lower my expenses are way more than a little painful for me. For example, without Walmart I would quite literally be unable to make it through a year.
I honestly don’t have an answer. I tell myself that my efforts to change the country excuse my being unable to boycott but that feels weak.
I left Netflix as soon as the pedophiles joined. Never utilized Face Book or Twitter. Now Amazon has been added to the mix of anti-freedom.
Even if you don’t believe our purchasing/supporting of these programs/businesses will make a difference. At the very least you aren’t supporting an evil entity whose goal, they state, is to destroy you by any means necessary.
The plain and simple truth of today, is these places/entities have become MONOPOLIES and are showing the power/danger of allowing them this power. There are monopoly laws on the books for a reason. This has happened before and caused similar issues. The difference in the past was the monopolies didn’t have the backing of the media, courts, and the politicians all at same time. They ,Google, Face Book, Twitter, YouTube, Netflix (pedophilia pushers), Amazon, and others have shown their true positions with their actions. They no longer believe they need to hide their agendas from the “deplorables”. Deplorable, must refer to people whom can think for themselves and make common sense decisions based on actual actions, not just words.
In and of themselves, there’s nothing wrong with monopolies. In a rational society with no government interference in voluntary association (i.e. a truly free market), they wouldn’t matter because government would have no power, and a rational government would have no desire or incentive, to help them prevent the entry of competitors in the market. Absent that, monopolies would have to continually provide the best prices, products, and services to beat their competitors to maintain their dominance. That would be good for customers.
We don’t live in a rational society. Monopolies can seek the protection of law to prop them up. The problem isn’t the companies, it’s the coercion of government that they co-opt (i.e. buy). If they couldn’t do that, there wouldn’t be a problem.
All that said, the ultimate goal should be taking away that government power. In the meantime, since it’s the government that decides winners and losers no matter what the anti-trust laws say, we’re pretty much fucked. The best we can do is refuse to cooperate and support what are effectively underground companies that don’t toe the gubmint line. At least until they’re discovered and suffer the fate of a Parler.
I understand being on a limited income.
Some of the examples you gave like Netflix and SBux I’m not sure how boycotting them would cost you more money, but I get the AMZ or Wally World type deal.
I think it’s more about do what you can do. Maybe limit purchases to minimum at boycotted places.
We speak with our money. We can adversely affect their bottom line. Some will care & take corrective action. Others will not.
I’d recommend just doing the best you can. Blessings.
Thank you De, To answer your brief comment: It is costing me money because I continued to watch movies and shows and drink coffee. I now rent and buy movies instead of using netflix. When I was boycotting starbucks over their sensitivity trainings i was buying those glass bound coffees from Pete’s witch was a little more expensive. Blessings to you as well
I like Pete’s too. If you like iced coffee, you can brew your own Pete’s, then add a dash of 1/2 n 1/2, then sweetener if you like.With all 3 it’s around $20 ‘ish (depending on where you live). And you can make a lot more iced coffee’s! If you don’t use cream or sweet it’s even cheaper. 🙂
I dumped Thunderbird after Mozilla’s CEO wrote “Changing these dangerous dynamics requires more than just the temporary silencing or permanent removal of bad actors from social media platforms.” (I think she means me.)
I also will let Amazon know that today’s delivery will be the last after nineteen years of purchasing from them. I’ve floated the balloon of dumping tech stocks to my husband, who manages our retirement. Discussions are on-going.
I’m at the point where the convenience these entities offer is not worth my or anyone else’s freedom.
I am also taking steps to avoid using the products and services of entities whose behavior go against my principles. Especially after the Floyd death, when I began getting “virtue signaling” emails from them, and seeing their obsequious bowing and scraping all over their websites. I responded directly to the emails, saying that I would no longer do business with them as a result of what I regarded as insincere, hypocritical virtue signaling nonsense: Netflix, Shudder, Target, and Bombas have lost my patronage. I wasn’t sorry to let Netflix go, but it was hard giving up the others. I can’t stand hypocrisy! I am actively working to reduce my use of Amazon and if I find something I want, I will go to the vendor’s website and buy it there if possible. I don’t use Google as a search engine, but it’s nearly impossible to avoid them – their tentacles are everywhere. I’m migrating away from You Tube. Many of the creators I follow have content on Bitchute, Gab or Minds. I usually go to You Tube for Bill’s show, just to upvote it, but I listen to the shows here. I’m still using Gmail but I don’t like it. I’ve grown to despise Apple – their products are junk now, but Microsoft? ugh.
Fortunately, I never got ensnared in social media so no major break required.
I don’t know how much good boycotting does or if the purpose it serves makes any difference, but like you, it’s a matter of principle. We are not alone.
In addition, the over-reach and egregious response to the Corona virus infuriates me, mostly because it has devastated the lives of so many and badly damaged what was previously a booming economy. I don’t believe public health has anything to do with the zealous edicts and mandates forced upon the public. Clearly, the rules are for us, not them.
The hard left has exponentially accelerated their aggression against our constitutional republic and are actively, forcefully, with any means necessary, engineering a communist take-over.
The signaling after Floyd was nauseating and ubiquitous.
I’m certainly of a mind to decouple my online presence from these companies. it will cost me some money, and some hassle; but I think finally, needs must.