shopping for dubya

by - - Mon Jan 17, 2005 23:06

*Asda is part of the Wal-Mart family*

"The paradigm of Walmartization towards a "happy world" trumpeted by the transnational companies needs our ignorance and passive indifference to succeed. Paradoxically, those remaining without access to credit or debit cards - in other words, the majority of the planet's inhabitants - will remain out of the reach of this control system. With all its power, Wal-Mart and the transnational needs us to survive. We don't need them."

full article: http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=13&ItemID=7034

by joe Tue Jan 18, 2005 15:58

They won a "Corporate Patriotism Award" in America. Surely patriotism begins with treating your fellow country-folk with dignity? i.e. proper pay and conditions.

by John Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:40

Latest figures show the number of British and Irish tourists visiting America at an all-time high. Weekend flights to New York are almost totally booked out. Tens of thousands are making weekend shopping expeditions to the Big Apple. Because of the low value of the dollar and the low sales tax rate, less than half what it is in Europe, great bargains can now be picked up there. I'm thinking of having a long weekend in New York myself at the end of this month. The bargains I pick up in the stores will more than cover the cost of the flight. So, stuff your boycott.

by Moi Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:46

"I'm thinking of having a long weekend in New York myself at the end of this month. The bargains I pick up in the stores will more than cover the cost of the flight. "

You accept that we are getting ripped off here?

by James Robert De Hick Wed Jan 19, 2005 19:03

Cos voting, they don't care much about, and marches are only the first step... and something they'll laugh about if they know it's your ONLY step.

The machine of war doesn't just run on stolen oil and spilled blood... it takes money... OUR money... and we should withold as much of that money as we can.

There's no point marching and shouting 'no blood for oil' if you're gonna keep driving a car powered by stolen Iraqi oil.

Find out which oil companies here are taking oil from Iraq & boycott them, encourage others to do the same

Don't buy Esso, Texaco, or Shell.

While in general we should drive less, and use less petrol, most of us can drive a mile further to find a petrol station that isn't taking most of its oil from occupied countries.

Don't buy stuff from Analog, and let them know it's because Analog Ireland makes weapons components for US and Israeli attack helicopters.

Spend LESS money. Think about where that money goes, and what they do with it. Ask yourself "Do I really need this product/service?" Or does someone produce it locally? (Someone who doesn't have a multinational subsidiary that invests in GM crops, nuclear weapons etc)

If you're really up for it, and you have a pension scheme at work,,, make them tell you who it's invested with and demand to know how much of your pension is invested in the arms trade (typically the answer is 15%) . Tell them you want that changed, talk to your union about it. Shake 'em up.

If you want to influence the warmongers you have to him em where it hurts most.
These guys don't get hurt when a young soldier from Mississippi or Texas gets killed abroad, they don't get hurt when a bomb hits a hospital in a town they can't pronounce or find on a map.
They only get hurt when the next quarter's profit line goes down and their shareholders start asking why.

Hit em where it hurts... in the bank balance.

Jim Bob

by Seamus Kelly Thu Jan 20, 2005 10:56

The Iraq War was about oil but how are people supposed to run their cars or heat their homes without Esso, Texaco, or Shell?
The Capitalist pigs hold all the cards.
The Revolution has been sold.

by Jim Bob Thu Jan 20, 2005 20:14

---The Iraq War was about oil but how are people supposed to run their cars or heat their homes without Esso, Texaco, or Shell?

By buying petrol from OTHER companies, like ones that take most of it from under the sea (no carpet bombing going on in the north sea is there?)
See, it's obvious when you think, rather than react...

---The Capitalist pigs hold all the cards.
No they don't. They need our money to keep coming to them. If we cut them off then we realise how poweful we are, and how fragile they are. If everyone in Europe who opposed the occupation of Iraq boycotted Esso, Texaco and Shell it WOULD have an effect.
Read the Financial Times or Bloombergs or Reuters. See how panicky they get over mere 3% drops in sales.
There is consumer choice, and it scares them when consumers use it. McDonalds has felt the heat on fatty foods, so has Esso (boycotts over corporate attitude to climate-change ) the list goes on and on... the easy cop out is that we're powerless.


--The Revolution has been sold.
No, most of the "potential revolutionaries" are too lazy to adapt to financial warfare, because it might inconvenience them.
Well as the price of oil goes up, and access to health and schools goes down... many will reassess that situation and think about the contribution that their own spending has made to it.
It's the lack of realisation and self empowerment that keeps us impotent.
There's no point waiting for a revolutionary leader to come along and do the job for you (and yeah, perhaps sell it out along the way)
make it your own, and inspire imitation.
It's not easy (that would be a fantasy) but it's not impossible (that's just bull)

by Seamus Ó Raghaillaigh Fri Jan 21, 2005 22:19

Well said Jim Bob. Glad to see Im not the only one who thinks before I spent. I only buy petrol from Statoil (comes from the N Sea, and the Norwegians watch their ethics carefully). I drive as little as possible to keep emissions down, and trains and bikes are fun anyway!

Dont buy any fruit or veg from the zionists aka "israel", easy to avoid as all product origins are labelled in the shops.
Use an AMD driven non Dell PC, surf with Opera internet browser and run Linux as my OS. Its easy if you try.
Have a read of "not on the label" by Felicity Lawerence. lots of good info on the shit these multi nationals call food.
Keep the CO2 down, its like defecating in your own nest, and mortgaging our childrens future.

All you shopperes to NY, ever think about the emission damage your vanity flights cost??? Ever factor that in to your bargains?? Its costing you a lot more then you think.
The new bourgeoise Irish are so pathertic, my apologies to the heros of 1916, sorry we have let you down so badly..

by E Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:02

As an American who really really does not like GW, I would hope that the rest of the world will not forget about people like me (49% of the nation). Please don't let our national embarrassment (GW) make you hate all Americans. Some of us are trying to make the world a better place and we could use the worlds support. Too many good people here are starting to feel as if the world doesn't want us any more. We need the world to stand with us. We won't be able to right the wrongs that have been made over the last several years without the rest of the worlds help.
MIssouri

by consumer Sat Jan 22, 2005 16:51

Yeah! How about it? Not just a boycott of the oil companies, but a co-ordinated targeting of specific multinationals. It would help if we could develop lists of which big companies own which other companies, how their shares are divided up etc., then have month-long boycotts of companies in particular cartels. That could really put the wind up the investors.

by Amy Hendrickson - Brookline PeaceWorks Sun Jan 23, 2005 00:00 amyh at texnology dot com Brookline, MA, USA 617 738-8029

Great idea to Boycott US Goods-- This should be done world wide-- why should people of the world support the US economy which supports the US military which threatens everyone worldwide?

Please ask your friends in other countries to Boycott US Goods as well-- it's one of the best ways to stop our crazed government.

I'd suggest particularly boycotting American films (except for Indy films) because they are junk and they are one of the US's most successful export items.

Peace, you all! A lot of us are working here as hard as we can to change our country around, and appreciate your solidarity!

-- Amy

by Dave D Wed Jan 26, 2005 14:59

Why should people support the US economy............ which in turn supports the global economy.........which supports the european economy.......which supports the Irish economy...........hummmmmmm.

by mise Wed Jan 26, 2005 20:13

Way ahead of you there girl. Have been doing that - and more - since the first US Bomb fell on Jugslavia.

by eeekkkk Wed Jan 26, 2005 20:35

of the planet at a rapid rate?

That kind of puts the tiger economy (which basically benifits landlordism and banks while enslaving the majority through morgage payments) into perspective.