So out of pedantry, where do Ben and Jerrys and Budweiser fall on that (without just saying you're too posh to consider either of them anyway 😉 )
Well i dont buy either of them. Bud is certainly out. Ben and Jerrys probably.
Visa and MasterCard are both American. I've not checked Amex as I don't have one, but going by the name alone probably. What alternatives are there?
.
As Legometreology says it's probably impossible to boycott 100% but that shouldn't stop us doing what we can. I have plenty of American stuff, eg Chris King, Thomson bits on my bikes, two of which are Salsas, DeWalt tools and I drive a Ford, I'm not getting rid of any of it while it works but replacements won't be American. I'm trying to think which US companies I give money to now and reducing that as much as I can. Cash is some of the answer to this particular question but I'd like a different card if possible too?
It could be a big problem one day. Wero is trying to become the pan-European alternative to being dependent on USA providers (sort of the successor of Giropay). There’s isn’t UK involvement at all as far as I know.
I no longer stay at Trump hotels or play golf on Trump-owned courses. Beyond that, globalisation of everything makes it incredibly hard to disentangle who owns what. Meanwhile, Trump's own tariff fixation and Musk's fascist leanings are probably doing more to damage the US economy than any sort of UK consumer boycott is going to manage.
That said, if you feel that boycotting US products gives you a sense of agency, then why not? A lot of this is about feeling you're doing something rather than sitting, helplessly, watching the US go completely nuts. But any real impact would come from actions at a government/state level.
Tesla, I suppose, is the exception to this, but it's untypical in being a huge, day-glo painted target with a very clear personal connection to Elon Musk.
Depending on what trade deals are made we may soon have the opportunity to boycott American chlorine washed chicken.
I was bang up for trying this, bikes included. Then I saw some half price Levis on the 'Zon, and yeah, they're really nice. Must try harder.
One of the best things it seems Europe could do would be to make some viable local alternatives to the dominant tech/ media platforms... how hard can that be?
Definitely avoiding anything made or owned by Septics for the next 4 years. It's not 100% possible, eg Google/ android, but big ticket items certainly are in the mostpart.
Chris King ? No. Buy Hope or Rideworks.
Bikes - Definitely don't need anything American.
Forks and shocks ? Ohlins or Magura, or DT Swiss.
Shimano not SRAM.
Next car ? Definitely not American owned. Real European, South Korea or Japanese made.
Holiday / significant Anniversary trip - going to Madiera, not Florida. I definitely said 'no' to spending money in America.
Next sports watch ? Polar or Suunto, not Garmin.
Only buying American where I'm tied such as I had to buy some spare bits for my MSR stove. But would buy Optimus / Katadyn if I was buying a new one.
Yes it may hit some non-Trump voters. That's the nature of collective punishment. Tough titties.
One 'thank ****' thing is Europe having developed Galileo as a sat nav system.
The Septics could have many moden European systems nightmarish if Dump decided to **** around with the GPS service.
Other non-Septic options.
Shoes (eg running, walking etc. ON running shoes. Meindl, Scapa, Zamberlan).
Power tools. Bosch.
The American people need to be made poorer. They need to understand there are repercussions to electing a fascist, and those repercussions mean their quality of life is worse.
We don't exactly have a glowing track record here ourselves. We've had a succession of headbangers in charge since, what, Gordon Brown?
We don't exactly have a glowing track record here ourselves. We've had a succession of headbangers in charge since, what, Gordon Brown?
Our problem has mainly been one of competence though, May, Sunak, Truss lacked this basic feature a leader should have, Johnson also lacked integrity. Say what you like about, for instance, Thatcher, love her or hate her she at least had those two basic attributes.
The problems Agent Orange is causing are somewhat different and not confined to the US. We knew it would be bad for Ukraine but no one expected complete capitulation to Russia (To be fair to Johnson his Ukraine policy he got right) Our leaders have all been slow and ineffective at dealing with climate change, Agent Orange just denies it completely and appears to be actively seeking to exasurbate it. Ours have been hopeless at negotiating trade deals, Agent Orange is ripping them up. I could go on. This is a whole different level, h s not just being useless, we could cope with that, it's almost as if he's actually trying to screw everything up
Yes it may hit some non-Trump voters. That's the nature of collective punishment. Tough titties
You’d hope said non-Trump voters would then lean on the Dems to get it all in one sock, starting with primarying out the spineless and corrupt.
As for boycotting,
In an ideal world we'd buy British. In the real world, it'd cost twice as much and we manufacture the square root of **** all these days anyway. We could buy ethically as part of the EU... ah, oh.
This is the uncomfortable truth. We may want to do the right thing or otherwise virtue signal, but being able to pay a premium for ethical goods is a privilege which not everyone can afford. I want to buy a new pair of trainers, what option do I have other than paying a 1000% markup on something with a fancy logo barfed out of a Chinese sweat shop? Fair Trade coffee / chocolate etc exists but who buys it when there's cheaper options? You don't have to go rummaging through the milk aisle to find the less expensive stuff.
on the Amazon thing - if you need a widget tomorrow and it’s available from both a uk domiciled shop and Amazon, an unscrupulous person might buy both. When the uk one gets delivered, return it to Amazon unused for a refund…
I have puzzled over this and will probably feel like an idiot when someone explains this, but can someone explain this please?
I don't see the point. Buy 2 identical items and return the wrong one to Amazon. Why is this different to just not buying from Amazon in the first place?
Edit (3 seconds later): I spotted it. "need a widget tomorrow" I'm an idiot. Ignore me.
Edit 2:
I'm an idiot. Ignore me.
In fact you can apply that to most of my posts 😁
As for boycotting,
In an ideal world we'd buy British. In the real world, it'd cost twice as much and we manufacture the square root of **** all these days anyway. We could buy ethically as part of the EU... ah, oh.
This is the uncomfortable truth. We may want to do the right thing or otherwise virtue signal, but being able to pay a premium for ethical goods is a privilege which not everyone can afford. I want to buy a new pair of trainers, what option do I have other than paying a 1000% markup on something with a fancy logo barfed out of a Chinese sweat shop? Fair Trade coffee / chocolate etc exists but who buys it when there's cheaper options? You don't have to go rummaging through the milk aisle to find the less expensive stuff.
A US companies boycott doesn't have much to do with the normal expensive-ethical vs. cheap-imports debate, given US labour costs are basically the same as European ones, and both US and European companies may be sourcing stuff from the same Asian suppliers. This is both good and bad: it's good, as it is much easier to switch out, say, a bike from an American company for one from a German company, when they are basically the same price and quality. It's bad, as precisely because the supply chains are so similar, the impacts of changing are small to negligible.
And it really feels like accusing others of virtue signaling has become virtue signaling in itself. I don't think it is a relevant point to this conversation at all.
Fair Trade coffee / chocolate etc exists but who buys it when there's cheaper options?
Quite a lot of people which is why there is a market for Fair Trade produce.
In the same way that there is a huge market for free-range eggs despite the fact that they are usually displayed right next to cheaper alternatives.
Clothing and footwear is probably a little trickier because the difference between a cheap item and an expensive one can be huge. And there it is not necessarily guaranteed that the most expensive item wasn't made from exploited labour, far from it.
The American people need to be made poorer. They need to understand there are repercussions to electing a fascist, and those repercussions mean their quality of life is worse.
You would have thought that Donald Trump's far-right policies were sufficient on their own to make most Americans poorer and reduce their quality of life, without the need for a poorly organised boycott in the UK/Europe.
Although to be fair Trump didn't screw up the US economy too badly in his first term so who can say
I've always gone out of my way to buy from British sources, where possible. There are certain American companies I will never deal with, Starbucks and Sky come to mind, because I don't like the way they operate.
Years can pass between me ordering anything from Amazon or ebay and I always attempt to source the items from else where as a priority.
I avoid subscription services like the plague and have always despised the "look at me" showing off with stuff you have bought American social media load of bollocks. Baby showers, gender reveals (**** off it's not British culture), coordinated dance videos and the childish obsession with pets. Not to mention all those sad ****s who think they are a brand and prostitute themselves as cheap corporate advertising fodder. But yeah it's in no way a boycott sorry.
Just to clarify the boycott rules, lets say to the boycotters a life saving medical proeedure was needed and only available in the US would you abstain.
Or if a medical device was needed to save your childs life was required would you go no no i wont use any US product.
Just checking if it just boycott stuff that really doesnt matter or wether its a serious boycott.
You're asking the wrong question.
"Should I save my life by the only means necessary?" isn't related to should I buy a Tesla or a Kia, DeWalt or Bosch, Jack Daniels or Glenfiddich.
It's not an absolute ban, it's 'I will do everything possible to avoid American stuff because if enough of us do it will make a difference'
Like for instance, I'm vegetarian and will never buy or eat meat, because I don't have to and I think it's wrong to do so. If I needed a heart transplant and was offered a pig's heart that would be a much harder decision, that can't be substituted with some cashews or pineapples and I'm human so have a self preservation instinct. Considering a heart when there's no alternative doesn't suddenly mean I can give up and have a ham sandwich when jam or marmite are perfectly good alternatives
You're asking the wrong question.
"Should I save my life by the only means necessary?" isn't related to should I buy a Tesla or a Kia, DeWalt or Bosch, Jack Daniels or Glenfiddich.
It's not an absolute ban, it's 'I will do everything possible to avoid American stuff because if enough of us do it will make a difference'
Like for instance, I'm vegetarian and will never buy or eat meat, because I don't have to and I think it's wrong to do so. If I needed a heart transplant and was offered a pig's heart that would be a much harder decision, that can't be substituted with some cashews or pineapples and I'm human so have a self preservation instinct. Considering a heart when there's no alternative doesn't suddenly mean I can give up and have a ham sandwich when jam or marmite are perfectly good alternatives
Don't let the fact that you might not be able to everything stop you doing what you can
No US boycotts here, I'm not convinced the answer to Trumpisms is to be like Trump
No US boycotts here, I'm not convinced the answer to Trumpisms is to be like Trump
Good luck using integrity and well reasoned arguments with the bestliest orange one!
I boycott what I can and I assume the list will grow over time.
It's enough for now just to take the edge off the assumptions of endless above-average growth baked into the valuations of the companies making up the top of the S&P500.
I wonder if the few on this thread that have responded so negatively would have been so triggered if I'd just titled it 'anyone trying to buy more European products?'
That's really all I was asking, and there's nothing dramatic about that.
I kind of mentioned in my initial post but ..
As has been well argued, completely abstaining from American owned companies is pretty hard. Avoiding where possible and buying European by choice feels to me like a good compromise.....in much the same way as many of us choose cruelty free or fair trade by choice whilst acknowledging there are holes in those simple choices too. There might be a bit of virtue signalling in it....but I do it for myself. Maybe you can virtue signal to yourself - whatever, it 'feels' the right thing to do for now.
However - am I the only one avoiding American culture? I'm not watching obviously American TV (not so much where its are made or who is doing the acting, but American themes or lifestyles) or films and avoid American books. More than ever it is the American people who not just put this prick in power but according to opinion polls approve of his approach that I feel alienated from and maybe even hostility to. I just don't want the culture that sporned this government in my living room or in my head.
For generations there has been a tasit collective belief amongst Europeans that Americans (as a collective) were the good guys. My suspicion is that their embracing of Trump and his policies reveals their (collective - that word is doing a lot of heavy lifting) true nature. They are not (thankfully) like us. We have allowed their TV and popular culture to override ours and we need to acknowledge that we might not have as much in common as we thought. Rejecting (and by that I mean fixating and idolising) them as a people and a culture might be a more powerful message than switching biscuit choice.
It will be interesting tracking usernames on investment threads, to see if lots of buying stocks in the dip is occuring.
Blanket boycott, nope. Avoidance and minimisation of purchasing - yes. Most of my non-bike clothing isn’t from the United States - so that’s not too difficult.
Previously, bought a significant amount of SRAM, Rockshox, Avid and Fox clothing and Fox suspension. My current main bike has Fox suspension.
Would I replace my Fox suspension - yes. I have had better experiences with BOS and Ohlins and would like to try EXT.
EDIT. Probably worth adding that the majority of my friends in the United States, actively encourage boycotting of USA brands. A significant number of these have founded mountain bike brands and are still involved with the sport. Unsurprisingly, a lot of these have a left-leaning background.
I try to boycott Americans. Most years we do a tour around Ireland, amongst other things, to access the traditional music. We do it in March to avoid the American tourists whose behaviour all too frequently is loud, brash and fekkin annoying.
Our problem has mainly been one of competence though, May, Sunak, Truss lacked this basic feature a leader should have, Johnson also lacked integrity. Say what you like about, for instance, Thatcher, love her or hate her she at least had those two basic attributes.
Not sure if I'm just looking at it all through a Millennial Vignette, but I remember it being a big deal that Blair had Elocution training and that's where the constant pauses had come from as it gave him time to think. The Cameron was another you could reliably put in front of a camera or in a room with other leaders and it seem to go well.
Then there's May - Sunak as you said.
But then Starmer doesn't seem any better. He's fine with an autocue or a prepared comeback at PMQ. But otherwise he just seems to get lost in a "errrrm...... yes..... of course we will want to do the right thing, it's the right thing to do ....... yes" loop. Followed by a press release that they are in fact going to do the opposite.
I can't say I am, but I can confidently say you'd have to pay me to visit the US these days. I say that as someone who lived there for a number of years 2007-09 & am relatively pro-US. Not anymore.
I'm with convert, although this isn't really a new thing.
I have never really liked fast food, in my 43 years I've eaten in one Macdonald's and never a KFC or Burger King, I've never had a Starbucks. I occasionally have a chippy, but if I need a takeaway it's almost always an Indian or Chinese. This has mostly been for taste reasons, and avoiding chains where possible, I very, very occasionally had a Dominos but that is now added to my boycott list.
.
I don't really watch films,I think three or four cinema trips in the last ten years, and don't have a TV. I have never been keen on American culture. I do like some American bands but I won't be buying any tickets to see them now.
.
So personally, it's not a big deal for to avoid American culture, but I am changing my buying habits in terms of American stuff.
It will be interesting tracking usernames on investment threads, to see if lots of buying stocks in the dip is occuring.
If that would be interesting to you go ahead and report back
For generations there has been a tasit collective belief amongst Europeans that Americans (as a collective) were the good guys. My suspicion is that their embracing of Trump and his policies reveals their (collective - that word is doing a lot of heavy lifting) true nature. They are not (thankfully) like us.
They're exactly like us. Have we forgotten brexit already?
Johnson, Sunak, Truss, May... the list of morons and sheer bastards goes on and on, Farage, Rees-Mogg, Widdecombe, Abbott, we're in absolutely no position to be skimming stones across the pond. The Deranged Wotsit has Musk interfering; we had Dominic Cummings pulling strings, a man so desperately corrupt that he claimed he'd gone out driving because he thought he couldn't see properly. And that's before we even scratch the surface of the likes of Aaron Banks.
Starmer is probably the best PM we've had since Gordon Brown and he's effing dreadful. The only reason he got into power is because the alternative was far worse. Like many others I voted Labour purely to oust the tories and I'd sooner have voted for bringing back Leprosy.
Don't forget that America is a country founded on invasion, land grabs, genocide, slavery and puritanical religion. The Civil War (a war over slavery) is only 4 generations ago.
Just to clarify the boycott rules, lets say to the boycotters a life saving medical proeedure was needed and only available in the US would you abstain.
You probably couldn’t afford it.
If people are still prepared to use windows, I suspect that something to save their child’s life would be ok.
Trump has stated that he wants cripple the Canadian economy so that he can annex the country, help himself to the natural resources and give Canadians no right to vote. Personally, I’ll do my best to keep my money in Canada and out of the USA.
They probably have a similar eye on Europe, but with the intention of letting Russia take the spoils.
@Cougar, I agree that UK politics is a s**tshow, but we aren't starting trade wars with allies and threatening to invade others, removing climate change from the political agenda, nor buddying up with Putin.
Don't forget that America is a country founded on invasion, land grabs, genocide, slavery and puritanical religion. The Civil War (a war over slavery) is only 4 generations ago.
I hadn't forgotten but if it wasn't an issue before Donald Trump's inauguration in January why is it an issue now?
Btw the good guys won the Civil War.
They're exactly like us. Have we forgotten brexit already?
Johnson, Sunak, Truss, May... the list of morons and sheer bastards goes on and on, Farage, Rees-Mogg, Widdecombe, Abbott, we're in absolutely no position to be skimming stones across the pond. The Deranged Wotsit has Musk interfering; we had Dominic Cummings pulling strings, a man so desperately corrupt that he claimed he'd gone out driving because he thought he couldn't see properly. And that's before we even scratch the surface of the likes of Aaron Banks.
Starmer is probably the best PM we've had since Gordon Brown and he's effing dreadful. The only reason he got into power is because the alternative was far worse. Like many others I voted Labour purely to oust the tories and I'd sooner have voted for bringing back Leprosy.
That's precisely how I feel and voted.
I agree that UK politics is a s**tshow, but we aren't starting trade wars with allies and threatening to invade others, removing climate change from the political agenda, nor buddying up with Putin.
I think that is simply to do with relative clout and thus the ability to actually act like that. Given the sentiment expressed by 52% of the electorate at the last reliable poll, we'd be chucking our weight around and acting ****ishly if we could.
@Cougar, I agree that UK politics is a s**tshow, but we aren't starting trade wars with allies and threatening to invade others, removing climate change from the political agenda, nor buddying up with Putin.
Give it a chance ! The UK has a long history of closely following trends from the United States.
The next general election in 2029 should be interesting.
Don't forget that America is a country founded on invasion, land grabs, genocide, slavery and puritanical religion. The Civil War (a war over slavery) is only 4 generations ago.
Don't forget that America is a country founded on invasion, land grabs, genocide, slavery and puritanical religion mostly committed by immigrant Brits. The US is a product of our own machinations, we only have ourselves to blame.
I agree that UK politics is a s**tshow, but we aren't starting trade wars with allies
Only because we voted not to have any allies.
I agree that UK politics is a s**tshow, but we aren't starting trade wars with allies
Yeah, imagine putting up barriers to trade and cooperate with your closest allies.
I think that is simply to do with relative clout and thus the ability to actually act like that.
I still don't get whether the "no deal Brexit" politicians thought we did have the clout, or just hoped those they sought to take with them as they tried to grab power believed we had the clout. We are not the USA, but the way UK politics is carried out, there is so often the pretence that we have similar power, control and options as a country. Some of that comes down to a shared language making it easier to share ideas... some of it is down to USA interests directly taking part in our public debate (55 Tufton Street et al)... a big chunk of it is a hangover from the days of Empire.
I still don't get whether the "no deal Brexit" politicians thought we did have the clout, or just hoped those they sought to take with them as they tried to grab power believed we had the clout.
"They need us more than we need them," remember.
Whether they actually believed that is another matter, of course.
For generations there has been a tasit collective belief amongst Europeans that Americans (as a collective) were the good guys. My suspicion is that their embracing of Trump and his policies reveals their (collective - that word is doing a lot of heavy lifting) true nature. They are not (thankfully) like us. We have allowed their TV and popular culture to override ours and we need to acknowledge that we might not have as much in common as we thought. Rejecting (and by that I mean fixating and idolising) them as a people and a culture might be a more powerful message than switching biscuit choice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism_in_the_Americas
America has long been home to all manner of unpleasant folk.
Apologies for Godwin-ing the thread (possibly again).
America has long been home to all manner of unpleasant folk.
Where do you suppose they came from?
America has long been home to all manner of unpleasant folk.
Where do you suppose they came from?
Mainly from Germany?😜 a good few irish. Lots of italians
Mainly from Germany?😜 a good few irish. Lots of italians
Along with those from England, Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, the Nederlands, Russia, the whole Jewish diaspora…
Then there’s the hundreds of indigenous tribes who originally came from Asia via the Bering Straits…
Humans being humans, some of ‘em are going to be unspeakable assholes. That’s people for you.
As for boycotting US products, I fail to see how refusing to buy music or merchandise from American musicians is going to do anything other than hurt them, ‘cos it sure as hell isn’t going to hurt the neo-Nazi government and it’s enablers.
cos it sure as hell isn’t going to hurt the neo-Nazi government and it’s enablers.
Put millions of people's spending together and it might do.
Less tax income for the US treasury but perhaps more usefully put a dent in the sky-high stock market valuations of some of the techbro overlords helping to push this.
I've got to be realistic with myself, I've not liked amazon for a long time but I still keep using them because they're cheap and convenient.
If you're buying [for instance] books from Amazon, they're often coming from independent book shops in the UK who piggy-back on Amazon's platform as a way of not going out of business entirely. The same is true of other products that Amazon 'sell'. Sure, Amazon will take a cut, but most of your cash is going to small UK businesses who could really do with your cash.
Apologies for Godwin-ing the thread (possibly again).
Godwin's Law only really applies to eras where the prospect of actual fascism seems remote.
Who knew that the Nazi German government wasn't much different to the current US government?
And that the UK's "closest ally" is neo-Nazis?
So go to them direct.
This tends to be what I do. Amazon is a great shop window and the reviews can be useful. At least 9 times out of 10 you can buy it cheaper elsewhere with a quick search, maybe not as convenient. There is a fee for Prime delivery to consider as well
Never mind boycotting US products, the rate the orange hued shitgibbon is going at with mucking up the global economy, i'm going to have to start boycotting food soon.
I'm always one for a good boycott & try to buy ethically when I can, but I've proper effed up this morning - waiting for job & popped into onsite cafe only to realise it's a Starbucks franchise after I'd ordered, pain au chocolate & coffee are leaving a sour taste in my mouth
That's just the crap coffee, nothing to do with the US.
Never mind boycotting US products, the rate the orange hued shitgibbon is going at with mucking up the global economy, i'm going to have to start boycotting food soon.
I think quite a large proportion of Americans would benefit from boycotting food...
Far and away the majority of American musicians are appalled at the direction their government has taken, so why should I make them suffer financially by boycotting their music?
As already said, by treating them (Americans) as a collective and considered generally dislikeable from the rest of the world's perspective would I hope fuel their desire to be vocal in their dislike of the orange turd to not be lumped in with him. To do everything reasonable to make it very plain to their fans both in and out of the US why they think him so unpleasant and dangerous. Same for big companies that find themselves boycotted.
The best any of us can do from the outside is so use our very limited powers to promote fracture. An awful lot of prominent and influential non-politicians in America have gone very quiet.
The US was never our closest ally. Biggest and most powerful? Definitely. Closest? No. That would probably be Australia, although Canada and NZ would also make a convincing case.
i hear orders for a somewhat pricey UK built hyper car have been cancelled by US citizens due to the tariffs. Being rich is one thing, but an extra 700k on a car must be a bit tough to swallow.
Closest?
Ireland? Although we’ve been working hard to destroy that relationship in the last decade. Trump is doing similar with Canada.
Ireland? Although we’ve been working hard to destroy that relationship in the last decade. Trump is doing similar with Canada.
If the island of Ireland was unified, would you still give the same answer, or change it to France?
I think if Ireland was unified, the elephant would (mostly*) have left the room and the relationship might mature in a more positive way.
*only mostly - the history of 'us' being pretty turdish to Ireland their people for centuries would still remain.
The US was never our closest ally. Biggest and most powerful? Definitely. Closest? No. That would probably be Australia, although Canada and NZ would also make a convincing case.
Well the UK's closest ally is very obviously France. Both France and Britain joined two world wars as staunch allies within hours of eachother.
The United States on the other hand refused to come the assistance of the Britain for literally years, even when the very survival of the of Britain as an independent nation was at stake. In both cases the United States only reluctantly got involved when their shipping got attacked.
The whole nonsense about the US being our closest ally that was predictably spouted by a government minister a couple of days ago goes back to a Tory prime minister who happened to have United States citizenship and famously said :
"If Britain must choose between Europe and the open sea, she must always choose the open sea”
I believe that Donald Trump might have a bust of Winston Churchill in the Oval Office, no surprise there.
Ireland is an interesting suggestion, neutral countries don't normally make reliable allies!
Edit : Yes as confirmed by Nigel Farage the bust of the racist white supremacist is back in the Oval Office.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/nigel-farage-winston-churchill-bust-donald-trump-b1205792.html
You know when things are bad and your early 20's son comes down stairs and says 'have you seen what Trump has done'. I'm like what's new today then !
I have no words.
I wonder if the few on this thread that have responded so negatively would have been so triggered if I'd just titled it 'anyone trying to buy more European products?'
That's really all I was asking, and there's nothing dramatic about that.
Yes.
My pecking order for years has been something like
- British
- European
Australian / NZ
Canadian
Asia (S Korea, Japan, etc)
South American
American
Chinese
The bottom 2 have just changed place. And a harder line on the ownership as well as where made. Eg no more Ford (though made in Valencia for my current motor - I can buy a Seat made in Valencia to keep supporting Spanish workers)
Use ABE books instead. It's a Canadian run book shop intermediary that links to bookshops all over the world. Absolutely brilliant.
Brilliant, but ultimately owned by Amazon
There was a program on the radio about how difficult all of this is. I didn't realise Costa is owned by the Coca-Cola Company for example. American companies are prolific in buying up foreign companies to gain access to a particular market or brand loyalty. This is especially true in Ireland and the UK. To a lesser degree in Europe. A number of our largest defense companies like Cobham have been sold to the US in recent years. Something a EU country like France would have blocked on national security grounds, whether Trump was president or not.
Use ABE books instead. It's a Canadian run book shop intermediary that links to bookshops all over the world. Absolutely brilliant.
American companies are prolific in buying up foreign companies to gain access to a particular market or brand loyalty.
I knew this. Although that's hardly a new concept - see 1960s UK breweries, etc, etc, etc.
Brilliant, but ultimately owned by Amazon
Didn't know this... disappointing.
The whole Amazon/Abe and Costa problem, along with many others, would be solved by just using little independents wherever possible. And you'd have a much nicer cuppa as a bonus.
Use ABE books instead. It's a Canadian run book shop intermediary that links to bookshops all over the world. Absolutely brilliant.
Brilliant, but ultimately owned by Amazon
There was a program on the radio about how difficult all of this is. I didn't realise Costa is owned by the Coca-Cola Company for example. American companies are prolific in buying up foreign companies to gain access to a particular market or brand loyalty. This is especially true in Ireland and the UK. To a lesser degree in Europe. A number of our largest defense companies like Cobham have been sold to the US in recent years. Something a EU country like France would have blocked on national security grounds, whether Trump was president or not.
Angus Hanton has an excellent book (released last year) on the subject of American ownership of everything in Britain, see interview with him below
Nah....usual forum **** ups, can't embed link to YouTube, if you are at all interested then check out Angus Hanton Novara media interview
edit - this took 12 seconds to post....with no link.
well done stw....do you employ doge as your web devs?
There was an excellent UK alternative as well, The Book Depositary. Popular almost entirely because it wasn’t Amazon. But you can guess who bought them out and made the website just an alternative front end for their own book sales…
Angus Hanton has an excellent book (released last year) on the subject of American ownership of everything in Britain, see interview with him below
Nah....usual forum **** ups, can't embed link to YouTube, if you are at all interested then check out Angus Hanton Novara media interview
edit - this took 12 seconds to post....with no link.
well done stw....do you employ doge as your web devs?
Don't worry, pretty sure that video is in my first post 🙂
Some of us can only dream of 12 seconds🤣
Rhe sale of strategically important company Cobham was a fine example of it being raised as being unacceptable by defence experts... only for the American-resident-to-be-near-billionaire-Sunak Prime Minister's Gov to wave it through with a few hollow 'assurances' (which had zero legal standing) that Blighty wouldn't be shafted.
Sold down the sewage-infested river once more.
So go to them direct.
You can in some cases, but lots of the bookshops that i tend to use (dull academic stuff) haven't got direct selling web sites - because why reproduce something that gets no traffic when Amazon will do all that stuff for you?
WWSTWD ?
I have a little dilemma.
I'm in the 'not American when possible' camp (as per earlier posts).
I now find my few-years-old Garmin GPS watch on the wane. I use it outdoors, swimming, biking, and Triathlon. So a 'Smart Watch' eg from Samsung just doesn't cut the mustard in terms of battery life (im not a world class 8-hour ironman guy... not unless you cancel the marathon!), swim metrics etc.
The choices seem to boil down to
- Garmin. American owned, made in Taiwan.
- Polar. Finnish owned, made in China.
- Suunto. Now Chinese owned (not Finnish) some high end Ti models made in Finland still. Rest in China. Best mapping.
I'm not vested in any ecosystem (yes I have other Garmin devices, but the Connect app is poor and I'm most certainly not paying a monthly premium). Polar's Flow site is infinitely better. Suunto's looks OK too.
So WWSTD ?
So go to them direct.
You can in some cases, but lots of the bookshops that i tend to use (dull academic stuff) haven't got direct selling web sites - because why reproduce something that gets no traffic when Amazon will do all that stuff for you?
Phone them?
Convenience does not trump morals in my book
I'm not vested in any ecosystem (yes I have other Garmin devices, but the Connect app is poor and I'm most certainly not paying a monthly premium). Polar's Flow site is infinitely better. Suunto's looks OK too.
So WWSTD ?
Go second hand?
(Stealth ad) I'm about to advertise a Fenix 6 Pro for a very sensible price. Still get 13 days battery life in smart watch mode. Screen protector fitted since new so the screen is immaculate and there's very few other marks on it.
