Boycott This and Boycott That
Dr. W. David Currie

For a number of years, this editor's family has boycotted Exxon, MacDonald's and Hormel meats.  I won't go into the reasons for all of that... my point is just that many Americans boycott many things for many reasons.  But now, we are being asked, or are independently considering, boycotting products of foreign countries.  Here are some thoughts that may help clarify your decision.

First of all, people from other countries are often encouraged to buy exclusively products purchased in their own country.  In my experience, this is common in other countries... and, despite claims made to the opposite, when you buy products produced in your home country, you help create jobs, jobs and more jobs.  Opponents of this opinion claim that most American companies are foreign owned, or that much of their stock is foreign owned, and so when we buy American made products we are supporting foreign economies.  This is fiscal flatulence at its worst.  While it is often difficult and time-consuming to find the American made product you want... for example, fan-lights... it is possible, and you will most certainly be pleased with the big jump in quality you make when you purchase "American-made," even if at a slightly higher price.

Second, lots of people in other countries have not only been encouraged to buy products made only in their home country, but they have also been encouraged to specifically boycott American products.  Adbusters runs a "boycott America" site that spreads the inane message that boycotting America will save democracy.  If you have the time to try to figure out exactly what it is that the people at adbusters are trying to say, check it out at http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/boycott_america/.  And then be sure to read about how German waiters boycott Coca-Cola and French peace protesters get violent at MacDonald's.  Hey, you weren't thinking that America had the market cornered on violent peace demonstrators, were you?

Now, if you just miss that good old-fashioned anti-capitalist Soviet rhetoric that faded with the end of the cold war (darned that Ronald Regan), all is not lost.  You can still feel the chill of the cold war at Boycott America!  Check it out at http://www.boycottamerica.org/.  There is enough anti-American propagandist paranoia here to make you feel like Stalin is right in the room with you!

On the other hand, if you just want to read something funny, check out Wayne Madsen's plan to "shock and awe," the Bush-led American government with United Nation's led sanctions against America.  Read all about it at http://www.counterpunch.org/madsen03062003.html.  Guess what Wayne, you're too late!  European Union leaders have been passively encouraging boycotts against America for the past decade; German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder is blatant, Chirac was close behind but is now trying to backpeddle his way out of the economic backlash, and Putin just disagrees with anything anyone in America says.

In fact, Putin even disagrees with Tim Robbins and Bill Maher.  Someone please cancel Bill Maher.. he used to be funny, but somehow he seems to bear an increasing resemblance to Dominique de Villepin... it's altogether too spooky and it's scaring the hell out of me.  Hey, be sure to check out the three stooges by Clicking Here!  Thanks to the people at politicalhumor.com for that bit of shock and awe.  Some of you may not realize that Chirac took a huge helping of the credit for the liberation of the Iraqi people... he did... you will be shocked and awed to read this!

Arabic leaders have also been actively encouraging boycotts against America for several years.  We just couldn't tell because the Arab nations have almost no impact on the economies of other countries... other than in terms of fixing oil prices and trading oil for weapons with France and Russia.  Not producing much also means that if Arabic countries boycott America, they do so at the risk of "doing without."  At BoycottAmerica, you can find out which American companies the Arabs are being told to boycott.  Don't believe that anti-American boycotts have been around for a long time?  Check out this AP article by Donna Abu-Nasr from 2000, in which one dad complains that, if he has to boycott America, he won't be able to get disposable diapers for the baby!  He certainly has my sympathy!

Now, check out what the IndyMedia people of the San Francisco bay area are saying about America.  When visiting this site, keep in mind that people living in a country while at the same time trying to boycott that country are probably missing the point.  Speaking of living in other countries, has Alec Baldwin left yet?  Now, having visited the good people at IndyMedia, are you feeling depressed at the thought that socialism is rampant in America... well, don't feel too badly... it could be worse... you could be in England!  Check out the UK Socialist Alliance website.  They are so far to the left that they have even started to reject Hitler... the original national socialist!  And there's almost no one left they can vote for...

Some people even want to directly boycott the President... I'm not sure how you boycott a president, but the people at boycottbush.net seem to think you do it by not eating at MacDonald's.  I thought not eating at MacDonald's could only hurt Clinton... hey, I just happen to be one of the many people who like Bill Clinton and George Bush... in fact, I waited until Clinton was out of office before I stopped eating at MacDonald's.  The only problem with the boycottbush.net theory that you can boycott American companies and dry up the Republican electoral coffers is that corporate America had politics worked out shortly after the Depression... most companies make it a point to give equal amounts of money to both major political parties.  No doubt, that explains why everybody had to quit screaming about who was to blame for Enron... Enron too, gave equally to both parties... albeit a bit more lavishly.

Trade wars are bad for everybody.  Skip the trade war; no more threats.  Buy American!

Dr. W. David Currie