Boycots

[EScanlon]

Rick:

You pose a good question. But the answer to your question is not what I would have done, but rather another question.

Let me explain a couple things first.

I HAVE received that list. In fact, due to the copious amount of e-mails I receive, I've received it at least 3 times. My response to those e-mails was to simply ignore them. The reason I ignored them was that the provenance of each of those e-mails were people who tend to forward any and all kinds of "silly" e-mail, and I just didn't care to expend the effort trying to get them to understand my point of view. Simply put, those individuals REACT to situations and don't think them through. I would not be surprised to find out that they had purchased inordinate amounts of duct tape and plastic sheeting in response to the Bio / Chemical Attack warning given some weeks back.

Whereas here, amongst a group of people whose opinion I respect and intelligence level at a level that serious discussions can be effected, I felt it necessary to "rant" as I did.

Why would I not forward that e-mail, nor make it available on this forum? Simply put, I felt it was an asinine idea then and still do. To propagate it, would have given it validity that I did not feel it merited.

I'm not in the business of News Reporting nor Gossip Propagation, and if I were, undoubtedly someone would complain that I wasn't being totally fair because of my "editing" of information.

Unfortunately, whenever you pass on that type of "news", you inadvertently become a supporter of it. Whether you may agree with it or not, you've propagated it. By propagating it, you've extended it's exposure and therefore it's viability. In my opinion the BEST thing that can happen to a bad idea, is to squelch it. If the individual that proposes that bad idea wishes to continue exerting efforts in order to spread his idea, then I would expect others to squelch it as well. If they don't, then they've contributed to it.

So, don't take offense at what I'm saying. I just feel very strongly that bad ideas should be stopped.

So, in answer to your question, here's my question to you:

WHY, should you make that list available to more people?

2¢

[24OZ]

I have a question..

Do some people serious beleive they are being patriotic by boycotting French products? So if anyone has another opinion than yours, they should be condemned??

... Sounds to me that there are a few Sadam Husseins out there..

Sadam Hussein didn't allow his people to express their opinion either, he'd condemn them too... a few parallels there ..??

[Nigel Mulvey]

Why do we need a war to start a boycott of French products?

Isn't Charles Aznavour and Sascha Distell enough?

War is wrong - end of story. The potential death of so many people is very difficult to condone, but from what I have read/heard/seen about Sadam I have come to the conclusion that it is a dirty job but someone's got to do it.

Also, I have no time for these people that say "if we don't provoke them, they'll leave us alone" WRONG!!! I wonder what they'll say when billions of Indonesian Muslims land in Darwin.

Freedom of speech can be a great thing, although I have seen some things on FOX, CNN, Aljezeera etc that should have been treated as treason.

I have spent many happy times in France, have many freinds there and enjoyed a lot of what France has to offer. Unfortunately, French politicians never seem to get it right - but then how many others ever do?

[Datzun76]

So I may buy French products from time to time and may not even know they were produced in France or by a French company. So what.

I could care less but I do think Americans who do not support their troops and bad mouth Bush (which some of them voted for in the first place) can go live in France with the rest of the Pus*ies.

[tanny]

Escanlon:

Pseudo intellectual? Another term designed to intimidate someone into not expressing their opinion. Another term with such vague meaning and all kinds of erroneous inferences that makes meaningful discussion that much more difficult. The point of my comment was try to get people to not use terms that they think will instantly discredit someone's viewpoint because it plays on highly emotional prejudices. In my opinion stating that someone is a communist does not benefit a discussion, it only muddies the waters with overly emotional responses and illogical assumptions. If that sounds like I'm trying to cut off discussion or change the subject, that's your interpretation, not my intention.

[Caen Fred]

Herrrr, my wildest dream would be that the United Kingdom would join us in the big Europe, but they do not seem to want that. I think they have all they need right now, they have still one of their ex colony (us) working with (for?) them and all the common wealth, that’s a lot...

As for Spain, you forgot Italy, the decision took by their gvt. was really against the streets will, Aznar is going to pay that toll pretty soon, he made two huge Oups in a few month.

You know there is a lot more than currency that bond us here, most of the decisions concerning, agriculture, industry, economy are coming from Bruxel.

In fact, this situation might very well be what we needed to get closer in our Euroland?

I do pray for all the peoples in this conflict... cause it's far from over there. It a good thing Sadam is not there anymore, but we are still waiting for the evidence Busch gave to the world about those weapons. It too late now to find them, it will always be entached with suspicion about who found what, and who put it there...

[tanny]

You can bet your mortgage that there might be only one or two Arabs in the world that will believe the US did not "plant" any weapons of mass destruction that they find. No way around that skepticism. What will probably help US credibility most is if we are able to rebuild Iraq as quickly as possible, get their new government up and running, and get out as soon as humanly possible. No lingering, no US military bases left in Iraq for 50 years to serve our interests in that area. If we try to use their oil to help pay ourselves back for the cost of the war, that will confirm in all Muslim minds that we went to war soley to control Iraqi oil. Hopefully we don't make that mistake, and invest all the money from their oil back into their country. Talk about a huge undertaking. Undoubtedly will take much longer than we anticipate and will be be incredibly expensive. I wonder how long taxpayers will tolerate the expense. No matter what, it should be a really interesting process, this nationbuilding.

[1 Bravo 6]

Enrique,

While I have the greatest respect for your opinion and wholeheartedly agree with you on practically every point you made, I find that I must disagree about the passing on of information.

Once information becomes known, be it good, bad or indifferent, (in MY opinion), it should be made available to anyone who requires it. They can then make up their own minds regarding that information.

I do not feel that I have the right to pass judgement on what should or should not be made known.

The fact that I have received only one request for the information speaks volumes on what appears to be the general concensus among our members; an overwhelming disregard for the suggested boycott. (Not counting Caen Fred's request).

Rick.

[tanny]

I agree with Bravo. Best to let the individual decide what info is worthwhile. What if someone had tried to deprive me of Area 51 info? I wouldn't be able to fantasize about aliens taking me for a ride in a photon powered z.

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by tanny

I agree with Bravo. Best to let the individual decide what info is worthwhile. What if someone had tried to deprive me of Area 51 info? I wouldn't be able to fantasize about aliens taking me for a ride in a photon powered z.

"Wanna take a Ride?" You've been listening to Art Bell too much, tanny,

[MDyer]

. period.

TTT (to the top(ic)), don't know that a boycott is going to benefit anyone in a global economy.

I will be highly pissed if any contracts for the rebuilding effort are doled out by the UN.

The Americans, Aussies, and UK deserve ALL of the contracts. Since, after all, the people of these 3 great nations have paid for toppling the Saddamizer.

Funny how the Russians, Germans, and French are now stating that "it's a good thing that Saddam is gone"... kiss off.

[Caen Fred]

kiss off.

Mean, like a French Kiss, or are you gona bycott this one also, talk to your love first, before any drastic decision ROFL