Please leave the politics and do your job!

fancythat

fancythat

Google says "73% of members backed a motion to boycott.."

How come so many of us here did not hear anything at all?

Relatively speaking that is.

Something doesnt sound right to me.

I expect you tossed the notice of the AGM, together with the details of motions to be voted on, into the bin without looking at it when it came through the post.

Lots of people do...

Allira

Oreo

What Israeli goods apart from occasional oranges are there on the shelves, out of interest ? If anyone knows, otherwise google is my friend.
I never have time to check country of origin but I may do now in major supermarkets in order to buy Israeli goods.

We import many goods from Israel, not just some food, eg fruit and nuts, which is low on the list of imports.

So - those of you who are dependent on drugs manufactured by Israeli pharmaceutical companies - are you going to stop taking them as a protest?

Claremont
I thought you kept reminding us that many Israeli people do not support Netanyahu?
This will barely register on his radar but might well affect ordinary Israeli people who are also suffering.

When slavery was banned, slaves did suffer very much.

Ad when we boycotted SA products during Apartheid- I do not know of a single black or coloured (how they were called by this dreadful regime) who was not grateful for the support, even if they were affected by the boycott. The effects of the boycott were very small compared to the effects of this sick regime.

Allira

Ah, so principles fly out of the window then?

🤔

I expect if your life expectancy would be affected otherwise, your principles would assume less importance relatively speaking. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have principles, in my book anyway.

Allira

Casdon

The countries on the list:
Afghanistan
Belarus
Central African Republic
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Haiti
Iran
Israel
Libya
Mali
Myanmar
Russia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Yemen

The regime might be unpleasant but boycotting goods, grown or manufactured, just adds to the misery and starvation of the people living in these countries.

There must be a better way.

What other influence do we have, as an individual, a country or a democratic body? Affecting the economy of the countries whose regimes we cannot support because they are harming their own people is a blunt tool, but other than invading them there are few other choices.

Ah, so principles fly out of the window then?

🤔

That’s not how consumer choice works though Allira, is it? Every time we shop ourselves we make choices, some choose cheap, some ethical, some British, some what their mother had, etc. etc. However, we have no control over which country manufactures drugs, your doctor wouldn’t know either because the same drug is usually manufactured in several countries, so there is actually no choice, if you need a drug it’s Hobson’s Choice.

How can choosing not to support genocide be " virtue signalling"

Casdon

The countries on the list:
Afghanistan
Belarus
Central African Republic
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Haiti
Iran
Israel
Libya
Mali
Myanmar
Russia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Yemen

The regime might be unpleasant but boycotting goods, grown or manufactured, just adds to the misery and starvation of the people living in these countries.

There must be a better way.

fancythat

Google says "73% of members backed a motion to boycott.."

How come so many of us here did not hear anything at all?

No-one asked me.
Perhaps I forgot to tell them I'd moved years ago.

I suppose if anyone on here or any member of their family has multiple sclerosis , Huntingdon's Disease, severe migraines or many other life-changing conditions, you will stand by your principles and refuse these drugs?

Oreo

What Israeli goods apart from occasional oranges are there on the shelves, out of interest ? If anyone knows, otherwise google is my friend.
I never have time to check country of origin but I may do now in major supermarkets in order to buy Israeli goods.

We import many goods from Israel, not just some food, eg fruit and nuts, which is low on the list of imports.

So - those of you who are dependent on drugs manufactured by Israeli pharmaceutical companies - are you going to stop taking them as a protest?

Claremont
I thought you kept reminding us that many Israeli people do not support Netanyahu?
This will barely register on his radar but might well affect ordinary Israeli people who are also suffering.

Claremont

Good on them I remember boycotting SA goods during Apartheid. Why not.

Do you think supermarket should have continued to buy ad sell German goods during WW2.

Good on Gary. A good Leicester lad, bravo. I used to buy fruit and veg from him on the market. Always so polite and friendly. (irrelevant, I know).

We are not at war with Israel as far as I am aware.

Food from Germany during WW2? There was little food from anywhere during WW2.
DH's Aunt used to send him food parcels from Australia, as many people in Australia did, although many ended up at the bottom of the ocean.

Maremia

Boycotting is one of the few powers that ordinary people have. Do you dislike boycotting on principle, or is it because of the country in focus?

It's not up to the Co-Op to decide for me.

I can decide whether to buy or not, it is their job to supply food.

My partner does all the food shopping. It will make life easier for him as he's been boycotting Israeli goods for quite a while.

Sago

So now the CO-OP has decided to boycott Israeli goods in their stores.
Why can’t retailers, musicians, actors etc just leave the politics to the politicians?
Benedict Cumberbatch was at one time giving anti government speeches after his curtain call,
Gary Linekar should have stuck to being a football pundit and the CO-OP should just sell food.
AIBU.

The Co-Op (The Cooperative Group) exemplifies a practical application of co-operative principles, in retail. It grew out of the broader co-operative movement which advocates, for these principles, across society. The Group's roots can be traced back to the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, established in 1844. The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers was based on the Rochdale Principles – which notably introduced the idea of distributing a share of profits according to purchases through a scheme which became known as the dividend or "Divi".

The co-operative movement is a broader social and economic movement that promotes cooperative principles worldwide. It encompasses a wide range of "co-ops" - vretail, agricultural, housing, banking, and more—that are owned and operated by their members. The movement emphasises values like self-help, democracy, equality, and community development.

The Co-operative Party was formed in 1917. Since an electoral pact was established in 1927, the party has stood joint candidates with the Labour Party. The Co-operative Party acts as the political representative of the movement, working to influence policy and legislation to support co-operatives and their communities in the UK.

I can see no reason why we would not expect a political movement driven company to express political opinions.

This post has encouraged me to source more of my goods from the Co-Op. I'm all for ethics in business. Not enough of it around.
I've had to change banks for the same reason. Shame on you, Barclays.

Caleo

I too hate the insulting 'virtue signalling'.

I love the idea of endorsing ethical industries. Supporting them helps me to be virtuous when others are cooperating in the same virtues.

👏👏👏👏👏

M0nica

I believe that if individuals have principles that they are willing to stand up for, then they are to be admired.

What makes me uneasy with so many 'celebrities' is how many of them are all in agreement with each other and seem almost to follow each other like sheep. You feel if one changed their mind all would.

I have much more trust in the true principles and respect for people like JK Rowling and even, repellent though he is, Laurence Fox, who are prepared to go against the tide, despite the personal cost to them, than I have for some vacuous celebrity demonstrating against Israel, or condemning JK Rowling.

I agree. Good points. I apologise about the co-op because I didn’t know what it was having never encountered one.

Please leave the politics and do your job!

In the case of the co-op the politics are a big part of the job though.

nanna8

So you think the UK doesn’t ignore human rights then ?

Of course it does, when suits, just like all other countries.

I believe that if individuals have principles that they are willing to stand up for, then they are to be admired.

What makes me uneasy with so many 'celebrities' is how many of them are all in agreement with each other and seem almost to follow each other like sheep. You feel if one changed their mind all would.

I have much more trust in the true principles and respect for people like JK Rowling and even, repellent though he is, Laurence Fox, who are prepared to go against the tide, despite the personal cost to them, than I have for some vacuous celebrity demonstrating against Israel, or condemning JK Rowling.

I too hate the insulting 'virtue signalling'.

I love the idea of endorsing ethical industries. Supporting them helps me to be virtuous when others are cooperating in the same virtues.

NotSpaghetti

I'm with you argymargy

No Nestlé in my house!
Not since about 1979!

Same here. Dreaful people, formula milk and the 3rd world with no clean water or sanitation. And now refusing to acknowledge the right to clean water. My older bother inherited lots of Nestlé shares (diff father) and this is the ony subject we have argued about.

Very difficult to boycott Companies without doing further studies as a very small number of Companies own all the rest, and most people are unaware of who is who?

Explained here

tbr.ie/2019/05/28/629/

Thanks Casdon for the list.

I'm with you argymargy

No Nestlé in my house!
Not since about 1979!