What brands/companies do you boycott?

[Ro]

I read Fast Food Nation a few years back, and since then have been trying to inform myself as much as possible about the companies I support, and the brands I purchase. Thought it would be interesting to find out what companies/brands others purposely stay away from, and their reasons for doing so. Here's a few of mine:

McDonald's/Wendy's/BK/etc. - Pick up Fast Food Nation for an in-depth look at these companies and why they are evil. In short, they are serving unhealthy, engineered crap, killing farms and the farming economy, paying workers minimum wage, there are McDonald's food wrappers flying around every parking lot in the city, they feel it necessary to spend billions on incessant, annoying advertising that targets children (!!), and much more.

IAMS pet food- My girlfriend and I were at a farmer's market in EDM last year and stopped to talk to a lady who was handing out pamphlets about animal abuse, only because my girlfriend had just taken in a cat. We talked to her for about 20 minutes, and the animal abuse stories she told us about were unbelievable. I'm nowhere near a hardcore, paint-tossing, PETA nutball, but I was shocked and appalled. IAMS was one of the very worst- feeding animals large amounts of food and then forcing oil into their systems so that the food is regurgitated and can then be analysed, dogs having chunks of muscle cut out of their thighs for "research" purposes, people hitting dogs on the chest to keep them conscious, and a bunch of other crazy stuff. Proctor & Gamble owns IAMS, so I am trying not to purchase their productsas well, but it's sometimes tough (they own hundreds of companies it seems).

Wal-Mart- Biggest clothing retailer in North America, which uses cheap, outsourced labor in third world countries. Enough said, really. I do not want to knowingly and willingly support goods/clothing manufactured in the EPZs companies like Wal-Mart, The Gap, and Nike use, because the human inequality and abuse found there is just staggering. Oh yeah, they're also destroying small business and the fabric of small towns/cities everywhere.

Shell - For their extensive, growing rap sheet full of abuses to the people of Nigeria and the environment as a result of their practices there. And then they spind millions of dollars of advertising to try and make the public think that they are environmentally friendly. Bu!!sh!t.

[Agamemnon]

I'd like to say my corporate habits like Ro's, but they're probably more like fotze' (unfortunately).

Fast Food Nation is an insane book. A very much more indepth and well-researched literary version of Super-Size Me.

[MarchHare]

Wal-Mart
Creative Labs
EA

[arsenal]

I do not boycott Wall-Mart, but I do not like shopping there. Alot of their stuff is overstock or rejects from the factory. Same thing with Winners/TJMaxx/HomeSense. As far as the "out-sourcing" of manufacturing, yes that does happen. And in terms of our standard of living, could be considered "slave-labor", becuase they make a few american dollars per day. But if you put their wage into the context of what the rest of country is making, it is probably a better than average wage. If you choose to view it exploitation, I guess that is really up to you, I look at as allowing people to support their families and make a living, in countries where they normally would/could be struggling.


I do not buy Tommy Hilfiger. Just do not like the clothes.

Hate Air Canada, would much rather fly WestJet.
Hate Shaw, but don't live on my own, so no satelite for me.
Well, I would boycott the CRTC if I could, but I can't get away from it really.
TBS. I hate that channel.. Severe censorship of anything and everything. Ted Turner sucks.

I guess thats all. Can't think of anything else.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Coors. I used to be a Coors drinker, but after learning about the family and the way they do business and treat people I will never let that swill in my house again.

[Ro]

Originally posted by arsenal@Feb 7 2005, 02:28 PM
I do not boycott Wall-Mart, but I do not like shopping there. Alot of their stuff is overstock or rejects from the factory. Same thing with Winners/TJMaxx/HomeSense. As far as the "out-sourcing" of manufacturing, yes that does happen. And in terms of our standard of living, could be considered "slave-labor", becuase they make a few american dollars per day. But if you put their wage into the context of what the rest of country is making, it is probably a better than average wage. If you choose to view it exploitation, I guess that is really up to you, I look at as allowing people to support their families and make a living, in countries where they normally would/could be struggling.

Fair enough. I used to have a similar point of view, but the book "No Logo" by Canadian author Naomi Klein changed my mind on that issue. If you haven't read it, you might want to consider giving it a shot- brilliant book.

[Ro]

Originally posted by fotze@Feb 7 2005, 02:21 PM
Oh ya and you should really boycott every major gas retailer because every big company be it exxonmobil (esso), Shell, Chevron has overseas plays much like the Nigeria situation.

Also the gas in your tank from Esso probably has some Shell oil in it too because refineries and gathering systems accept product from many suppliers depending on geography and anti-proliferation deals.

Well, it may be true that other major oil companies have similar track records and are also abusing the environment, the Shell situation is well-documented and has been publicized quite a bit. To be honest, I haven't read as much about other oil companies, and I'm sure if I did, and found their practices equally awful, I would boycott them as well, like you suggest. I do know that Shell provides about half of the Nigerian dictatorship's money, and that that very gov't hanged 9 environmental activists in 1995 for speaking out against Shell. The other companies you listed have probably done some awful things overseas, but again, I would be surprised to find out they were a part of something that atrocious.

I really don't know enough about the industry to comment on your second statement, and I have no reason to believe you're incorrect. That's why this kind of discussion is good, and boycotting is sometimes a tricky thing- you think you might be doing a noble thing, but you're still supporting a company you don't want to in a roundabout way you're unaware of.

For the record, I try and buy my gas from Mom and Pop places whenever I can, and Petro-Can when I can't.

[FlameFanStuckinEDM]

Originally posted by fotze@Feb 7 2005, 09:42 PM
Oh ya, because of knowing people that had worked there.

Sunterra market, cafe - Pay recent immigrants less then required by law then threaten them if questioned on it.

Could you please give a little more information on this? I am interested in what those people had to say.

Thanks

[Ro]

Originally posted by Lanny_MacDonald@Feb 7 2005, 02:36 PM
Coors. I used to be a Coors drinker, but after learning about the family and the way they do business and treat people I will never let that swill in my house again.

Can you elaborate for me? Or point me in the right direction of info about this? THX

[kermitology]

Originally posted by Ro@Feb 7 2005, 03:40 PM
Fair enough. I used to have a similar point of view, but the book "No Logo" by Canadian author Naomi Klein changed my mind on that issue. If you haven't read it, you might want to consider giving it a shot- brilliant book.

Ugh.. Naomi Klein.. oh how I hate thee.. There's something to boycott..

Personally, I think I'd try to avoid anything produced, marketed, or popular in France. I hate the French with a passion.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Did I just read someone boycotted Winners, damn that is where I get 90% of my clothing, stop making me feel like a really cheap bas**rd.

Safeways - Just poor quality deli and veggies/fruit, especially when you compare them to Co-op.

Shaw - sh*t service has (bleeped) me one to many times.

Smitties/Dennys - sh*t food, worse service.

Other than that I don't buy a hell of a lot. Oh Quiznos... like freaking hell Iam paying that much for a sandwich.

[Ro]

Originally posted by kermitology@Feb 7 2005, 02:54 PM
Ugh.. Naomi Klein.. oh how I hate thee.. There's something to boycott..

OK, I busted out her book just this week to re-read it, and I want you to explain that one! :huhsign: :P

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally posted by kermitology@Feb 7 2005, 02:54 PM

Personally, I think I'd try to avoid anything produced, marketed, or popular in France. I hate the French with a passion.

I don't know why but that made me smile....

[kermitology]

I tend to find people like Klien overly opinionated and pushy.. I prefer to take a more balanced approach to what I read if it involves current events. To add in there, I'd also boycott Noam Chomsky, I find him to be the exact type of person Klein is.

That being said, I generally read mostly history and the most recent current events type of book I read was Christopher Hitchens book Love, Poverty, and War. Unless you consider Shake Hands With The Devil current..

[arsenal]

Originally posted by Mean Mr. Mustard@Feb 7 2005, 02:57 PM
Did I just read someone boycotted Winners, damn that is where I get 90% of my clothing, stop making me feel like a really cheap bas**rd.

Safeways - Just poor quality deli and veggies/fruit, especially when you compare them to Co-op.

Shaw - sh*t service has (bleeped) me one to many times.

Smitties/Dennys - sh*t food, worse service.

Other than that I don't buy a hell of a lot. Oh Quiznos... like freaking hell Iam paying that much for a sandwich.

I haven't boycotted it.. i used to work there, and just know what they do. Just know that the majority of their stuff is either overstock or factory rejects or all old stuff from the year before.

[Hakan]

I boycott all fast food chains (this includes Starbucks). Hell, I'm vegetarian for both ethical and economical reasons.

I do not buy clothes for known sweat-labour retailers (Gap, Wal-mart, major fashion brands). I also will not buy clothes from those retailers who have adopted ethical principles AFTER they have been exposed.

Esso and Shell get no money from me. Esso makes the dirtiest gas and has the worst environmental record of the major oil companies. Shell has by far the worst human rights record and it is still ongoing (see Nigeria).

Try to shop as little at Safeway as possible. They aren't necessarily ethically worse then any other major food outlet but I hate how inflated the prices are and how they think they fool into the fact that you're getting deals with them and their sh*tty club card.

Will not buy an American car. (This is moreso to do with quality and economics)

Keep in mind that these are my own choices and I don't go around yelling polemics at people who disagree with my views. I'd appreciate the same courtesy.

*edit* Oh yeah and I will not buy any major brewery beer, unless it's the only thing on tap and I'm dying for a beer.

[FlamesAddiction]

Nike - but not for ethical reasons. I just think everything they make is f'ing ugly.

I boycott Radioshack and Lada because both those companies screwed me around before. I bought a discman from Radioshack that was broken out of the box, and they wouldn't replace it until my psychotic brother-in-law went there and freaked on them (I was only like 14, so they wouldn't take my freaking seriously).

I bought a Lada a few years back and had nothing but problems with it. Their customer service sucks. They are pretty much crooks.

[Incinerator]

Telus: Worse customer service ever
Molson: Not so Canadian and taste like @%^&
Saturn and all GM cars: Piece of &@^$ cars, once & never again
Air Canada: Lost my luggage once, took a week to get it back myself (left it in Vancouver when I flew back from Japan)
The computers dept. in Future Shop: Pushy salespeople, useless extended warranty.

[sbailey924]

Wal-Mart - it originated because it was just a hassle to go to and fend off all the hillbillies that come to the one in my hometown. Then I realized all the small and medium-businesses they destroyed on that street alone, much less around the country.

Oh yeah, the last time I was in one, there was a bomb threat that happened after I'd gotten all my groceries and waited in line. I wasted two hours counting traffic time. That was the last straw.

[habernac]

Purolator Courier will never get any more of my business, their customer service blows. Greyhound is on that list too.

I avoid both Safeway and Co-op if possible (except for bread, I like the Co-op stuff) Superstore beats them for price everytime.

I don't buy Nike anymore, more because of price than anything.

North American cars - the Japanese models have been kicking their butts for a long time, their quality needs to improve dramatically.

Schwinn bicycles - their quality leaves alot to be desired.

Gary Fisher bicycles - when I buy a $2800 mountain bike, I want a design that works or I want a replacement. Their Sugar line up has a well documented problem with extreme chain suck. They refuse to fix it. And they keep selling these substandard bikes.