You know, having the discipline to boycott goods produced in China, whose government is tragically engaged in genocide, is something I have struggled with for two main reasons. The first is price - the cost disparity between USA made goods and those manufactured abroad is often more steep than I can realistically afford - that or maybe I just suffer from sticker shock because I'm so accustomed to the standard prices associated with products made overseas (I was about to call these "cheaply" made goods, but reworded my sentence as a pang of guilt hit me thinking of how the cost of production here is actually quite high as everyday people "pay" to produce these goods with a reduction in their standard of living, rights, etc., but I suppose trying to account for this here will only overly complicate what I'd like to ask). Convenience is something I actually lump in with price. If it is inconvenient to get, the price is higher than I'm willing to pay, and yes, sometimes this amounts to opportunity cost rather than a tangible monetary increase. The second reason I struggle to avoid products made in countries that are infected with human rights violators in seats of power is that I wonder if in so doing, I might contribute to a widespread severance of resources that do trickle down to some of the Chinese citizens who need them, people who are guilty of nothing more than being born in a country where the CCP has spread its influence like metastatic cancer, people who I probably share a great deal with. There are a few other issues keeping me from boycotting more effectively, such as the very annoying fact that many goods are "made in the USA from foreign and domestic materials" meaning the raw materials are still often not sourced in a country, or countries, that are even pretending to be ethically oriented. But, that's all besides the point...
What I'd like to know is how a critical mass of people spending their money in accordance with their principles can be reached if so many of us who recognize the problem are still practically inextricably bound to it? What was the tipping point that finally led to the abolishment of anti-American slavery? Can I still call myself an American if I am lucidly engaged with something as anti-American as propping up a tyrannical political party with every amazon purchase I make?
You know, having the discipline to boycott goods produced in China, whose government is tragically engaged in genocide, is something I have struggled with for two main reasons. The first is price - the cost disparity between USA made goods and those manufactured abroad is often more steep than I can realistically afford - that or maybe I just suffer from sticker shock because I'm so accustomed to the standard prices associated with products made overseas (I was about to call these "cheaply" made goods, but reworded my sentence as a pang of guilt hit me thinking of how the cost of production here is actually quite high as everyday people "pay" to produce these goods with a reduction in their standard of living, rights, etc., but I suppose trying to account for this here will only overly complicate what I'd like to ask). Convenience is something I actually lump in with price. If it is inconvenient to get, the price is higher than I'm willing to pay, and yes, sometimes this amounts to opportunity cost rather than a tangible monetary increase. The second reason I struggle to avoid products made in countries that are infected with human rights violators in seats of power is that I wonder if in so doing, I might contribute to a widespread severance of resources that do trickle down to some of the Chinese citizens who need them, people who are guilty of nothing more than being born in a country where the CCP has spread its influence like metastatic cancer, people who I probably share a great deal with. There are a few other issues keeping me from boycotting more effectively, such as the very annoying fact that many goods are "made in the USA from foreign and domestic materials" meaning the raw materials are still often not sourced in a country, or countries, that are even pretending to be ethically oriented. But, that's all besides the point...
What I'd like to know is how a critical mass of people spending their money in accordance with their principles can be reached if so many of us who recognize the problem are still practically inextricably bound to it? What was the tipping point that finally led to the abolishment of anti-American slavery? Can I still call myself an American if I am lucidly engaged with something as anti-American as propping up a tyrannical political party with every amazon purchase I make?
Race Grifters: "The only way to ensure you are not racist is to buy my product."