While I agree that we have a duty to avoid unethical brands whenever possible, there’s just no way to escape them all. I live in a poor country and I there’s a lot of “bad stuff” I have to buy just because it’s what I can affford at the moment.
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.
This is true… but with some corporations it’s just a case of “fuck you in particular.”
Fully agreed. While it is morally positive to avoid especially unethical companies, ultimately it’s not possible in all cases. As long as you try to be moral in your day to day actions and you on some level push for things to be better, you’re not morally culpable for the failings of the current system.
Avoiding every company that does something unethical is impossible. Imo, avoiding giving money directly to those unethical practices is what we should strive for.
Ie, Nestle is notorious for the way it acquires and sells bottled water, using legal loopholes to leave communities without drinkable water, and adding sodium to their water to keep you thirsty and drink more. So don’t buy their water. Assuming enough people do so, the company will, inevitably, stop selling water and focus on products that are selling. Does Nestle as a whole deserve to fuck off? I mean, sure, but, at the very least, we can pressure companies to only engage with the practices that we consider passable.
I avoid Nestle, because fuck their water shit, I don’t trust them to source cocoa reasonably either, and they are nowhere near having a monopoly on good chocolate, so they’re perhaps a bad example. But we can at least push companies around, because ultimately, the only thing they give a shot about is our money.
That’s when you have to ask yourself if you’re ready for war. I’ve been stalked by drug dealers that want me to keep my mouth shut. It’s all the same business minded bs mainstream or street. A heartless man is a heartless man no matter what.
What
Fuck Nestlé
Don’t get me wrong, fuck nestle, but this whole movement that’s grown singling them out is so superficial it really frustrates me.
All of the companies of nestle’s size are up to the exact same shit. They all exploit their employees, destroy the planet, and invest millions if not billions in union busting and lobbying.
I get that it’s easier just to focus on one company, but if you want one thing to focus on, make it capitalism, the system that enables, hell, encourages, this shit, rather than individual products of it.
Even if the movement somehow managed to destroy nestle (never going to happen), destroying one company achieves nothing. Tear the whole thing down.The Nestle boycott wasn’t founded due to exploitation of employees, unions, etc. They’re shitty and do all that stuff (and far more). But the boycott was specifically founded (in the 1970s) due to their decision to relentlessly market baby formula to vulnerable mothers, particularly in less developed countries, often in times of famine or hardship. They knowingly caused health problems in infants (who of course then grew into adults with health problems), probably caused many infant deaths, and pushed families into poverty (with all the consequences of that), for profit. 50 years later we’re still dealing with the consequences of their immoral marketing (which has never really stopped, they just change the messaging in order to comply with relevant laws, which are too weak).
I’d boycott them just for that, but they’re also the corporation who in both U.S. and European hearings has argued that water isn’t a human right and pushed to privatise community resources, at a time when water scarcity is one of the main long-term threats to many countries, including the U.S. and many European countries.
Other companies do this stuff too, but generally speaking they’ve done it for less time and are less brazen about it.
I am well aware of all of that information, and if you think others are less brazen, you’ve simply not been paying attention. Either way, you seem to have missed the point. Boycott them. But don’t think that’ll affect any change, because it won’t.
While I understand your perspective, you failed to mention their actions which specifically targeted new mothers in developing countries with unethical actions that resulted in the slow deaths of infants.
This is why I boycott Nestlé. Not poor treatment of employees, nor a disregard for the environment.
Nestlé implemented a plan that caused babies to die a slow and painful death while their mothers could only watch helplessly.
Fuck Nestlé.
Since you’ve both missed the point entirely in favour of the same example (that is absolutely not unique to nestle), I’ll just copy paste my reply:
I am well aware of all of that information, and if you think others are less brazen, you’ve simply not been paying attention. Either way, you seem to have missed the point. Boycott them. But don’t think that’ll affect any change, because it won’t.
My goal was to say what some of their more egregious acts. I would hate for people to forget that Nestlé caused the slow painful death of infants because it was grouped in with general corporate behaviors.
I’m also aware of other atrocities performed by companies; the Banana Massacre by Chaquita (then United Fruit Company), Ford letting their customers burn to death instead of adding an $11 safety feature to the Ford Pinto, Apple using state sanctioned slave labor through Foxconn, etc etc. And when I get the chance, I share those acts of corporate malevolence.
I’m not excusing any of them. I’m just doing what I can to help prevent these acts from being forgotten.
For me, boycotting and / or protesting this behavior is not about changing the collective minds or behaviors of corporations. It’s about not accepting it and expressing personal outrage, even if it is commonplace.
For me, boycotting and / or protesting this behavior is not about changing the collective minds or behaviors of corporations. It’s about not accepting it and expressing personal outrage, even if it is commonplace.
And that right there is the problem, because if you’re not looking to change things, what’s the point? Outrage without action is not only futile, but it’s exactly what those at the top are counting on - for people to waste their time and energy on pointless boycotts that make them feel like they’re helping, while their machine chugs on uninterrupted. It’s a distraction, and it’s working.
Remembering, and reminding others of these atrocities is hollow if you don’t aim to destroy the system that enabled them in the first place (and which will continue to enable them, and others, to continue to do more, worse, atrocities, because capitalism isn’t getting any fucking friendlier or easier going on the working class).
So again - boycott whoever you want it if it makes you feel better, I boycott companies for all sorts of reasons, but don’t delude yourself in to thinking that is going to change anything on any level beyond your own personal feelings, because it won’t.
What actions do you suggest? I am open to suggestions.
Join/create a union. Join/create a Food not Bombs. Actually invest your time reading up on socialism, anarchism, and becoming an anti capitalist in the way that personally suits you best, as well as what suits your community best, instead of expecting others to spoon feed you instructions.
I’m not trying to be an ass but I literally know nothing about you, where you are and what your local community needs, what your able and not to do, how much trouble you’re willing to get in to or how much time and resources you have to spare, and a whole load more variables that mean I couldn’t possibly tell you what to do or how.
Look up solidarity, look up dual power, look up building a community, take your own steps at your own pace.
Or don’t.
All I’m saying is don’t delude yourself (or others) in to thinking a boycott of a single company (or even all of them, but nothing beyond) is having any impact on anyone but you.
I think that we were both confused about what the other was trying to say. What I was hearing from you is “boycotts and protests are pointless and never change anything, so don’t even bother trying” and I think what you were hearing from me was “well, I stopped spending money on this one thing, that aught to fix society.” I do not think that was what either of us were trying to say.
Personally, I find that boycotting is only one step in a process of trying to break away from the influence of corporations. Once a person takes that step to say “I don’t need this.”, they are more inclined to look at other things in their life that they don’t like and find ways to remove them from their lives as well. They start to encourage others to take similar steps and find their own forms of freedom, maybe even get so upset that they start trying to enact reform. But it all starts with the self.
From my person experience, it takes a highly offensive act to get others to look beyond their personal convience and comfort. Hence my sharing the atrocities of Nestlé. It was never about influence a corporate mindset, it was about hoping to influence a persons mindset.
I would enjoy continuing our discussion, if you are up for it, though maybe through DMs or somewhere else more appropriate. For instance, I would be interested in hearing your views on large societies and impact they have on the individual as well as your thoughts on countering personal greed and how it corrupts efforts and movements intended to help others.
Agreed. Fuck billionaires, fuck capitalism.
The issue is… I think it’s gonna be hard to find a non-Nestle candy.
I was given my alias at 8yo so I was ignorant at the time drinking nesquik everyday.
Fuck nestle.
Didn’t know lemmy was that old.
My alias is about a week old.
If any of ya’ll have some KitKat alternatives I’m listening. Currently enjoying Kinder Bueno but am ready for something else.
American Kit Kats are made by the Hershey company and no money goes to Nestlé.
Explanation:
Kit Kat used to be a Rowntree’s product, and Hershey bought the right to make the candy in the U.S. in perpetuity back in 1970. When Nestlé bought Rowtree’s, they had to abide by the contract to license out the Kit Kat for no royalties, because the only condition of the agreement is that Hershey loses the license if the company ever gets sold. And since selling the Kit Kat bar is so valuable, buying Hershey for what it’s currently worth would mean instantly losing a large amount of Hershey’s value, so even when they’ve tried to find a buyer, nobody will buy the company—even Nestlé refused to buy Hershey in 2002.Does Nestlé see profits from the Ferrara distributed products (mainly Crunch bars)?
Fun fact 1: That is Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli
Fun Fact 2: KitKat in Japan is made by Nestle, so he probably would be disappointed to find out that his KitKat is made by Nestle
I think all KitKat are made or owned by nestle
KitKat in the US are made by Hershey. Still gross, but not Nestle levels of gross.
Why the KitKat reference specifically?
Because in most of the world, Nestle makes KitKat
Removed by mod
