Daily Kos

Let The Boycotts Begin. List of Rethug Products Not to Buy.

by Lode Runner

Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:06:21 AM PDT

I wanted to make myself a list of Republican donor companies' products so I could avoid buying them. I thought others might find it useful, so here you go. I'll probably print mine out and keep it handy when I'm out "consuming."

BushCo needs to pay.

I think that if Americans have any dignity left, they should start protesting with their wallets... at the very least. I'm going to try not to buy any of the products on this list until the White House is cleaned up and the DeFrist Republicans are out of office.

I recommend that everyone on Kos read through the list and do the same. I hope that this diary (with more input in the 'comments' on other problematic corporations I'm sure) could be used as a resource of sorts for anyone.

Now, it's been documented that corporations who chose to donate to Democrats have suffered in the past 5 years. I'd love to put up a list of pro-Democratic companies. Slim Fast is one... but... I'm thin. Feel free to add some if you like. Christmas is coming. Let's make it a Blue one.

But I figure at least avoiding the products of those who throw in with the Rethugs, that's a start though.

BoycottBush.net
TOP 25 REPUBLICAN PARTY DONORS WITH CONSUMER BRANDS

  1. Altria
  2. Microsoft
  3. UPS
  4. AT&T
  5. MBNA
  6. Citigroup
  7. Pfizer
  8. FedEx Corp.
  9. Wal-Mart
  10. Bristol-Myers
  11. GlaxoSmithKline
  12. ExxonMobil
  13. Anheuser Busch
  14. Time Warner
  15. ChevronTexaco
  16. PepsiCo
  17. Schering Plough
  18. Wyeth
  19. Ford
  20. Alticor Inc.
  21. Archer Daniels Midland
  22. AMR Corp
  23. General Motors
  24. BP plc
  25. Disney

The following products are produced by the above companies and should be boycotted. Print out this list and keep it handy when shopping.

Tobacco
Marlboro, L&M, Basic, Virginia Slims, Parliament, Merit, Benson & Hedges, Lark, Chesterfield, Cambridge

Beverages
Capri Sun, Country Time, Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Tang

Coffee
General Foods, International Coffees, Gevalia, Maxwell House, Sanka, Yuban

Desserts
Baker's, Balance, Breyer's yogurt, Calumet, Certo, Cool Whip, Dream Whip, Ever-Fresh, Handi-Snacks, Jell-O, Light n' Lively low-fat yogurt, Sure-Jell

Cereals
Alpha-Bits, Banana Nut Crunch, Blueberry Morning, 100% Bran, Bran Flakes, Cranberry Almond Crunch, Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, Fruit & Fibre, Golden Crisp, Grape-Nuts, Great Grains, Honey Bunches of Oats, Honeycomb, Oreo O's, Pebbles, Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, Toasties, Waffle Crisp

Cookies and crackers
Barnum's Animals, Better Cheddars, Kraft Cheese Nips, Chips Ahoy!, Handi-Snacks, Honey Maid, Newton's, Nilla, Nutter Butter, Oreo, Premium, Ritz, SnackWell's, Stella D'Oro, Teddy Grahams, Triscuit, Wheat Thins

Snacks
Cornnuts, Planter's nuts

Pet snacks
Milk-Bone

Confectionery
Altoids, Creme Savers, Fruit Snacks, Gummi Savers, Jet-Puffed, Kraft caramels, Life Savers, Milka, Terry's, Toblerone, Trolli

Cheese
Athenos, Cheez Whiz, Churny, Cracker Barrel, Deli Deluxe, Easy Cheese, Hoffman's, Kraft, Philadelphia, Polly-O, Temptee, Velveeta

Dairy products
Breakstone's sour cream and cottage cheese, Knudsen sour cream and cottage cheese, Kraft dips, Light n' Lively low-fat cottage cheese

'Ready meals'
Fresh Prep, It's Pasta Anytime, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Minute, Stove Top, Taco BellTM, Velveeta shells and cheese

Condiments, sauces, etc.
A.1. steak sauce, marinades and Worcestershire sauce; Bull's-Eye, Good Seasons, Grey Poupon, Kraft barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, salad dressings and mustard; Miracle Whip, Oven Fry, Seven Seas, Shake 'N Bake

Meats and meat alternatives
Louis Rich, Lunchables, Oscar Mayer, Boca

Pickles and sauerkraut
Claussen

Pizza
California Pizza KitchenTM, DiGiorno, Jack's, Tombstone

Microsoft Windows

UPS

AT&T

MBNA Credit

Citibank - various financial products including banking services, credit cards, mortgages and loans.

Actifed, Anusol, Benylin
Benadryl, BENGAY, Corn Huskers, Cortizone, Desitin, Dramamine, e.p.t,
Emetrol, Efferdent, Effergrip, Fresh 'n Brite, Gelusil, Hemorid, Kaopectate, Listerine, Listermint, Lubriderm, Luden's, Micatin, Nasalcrom, Neosporin, Nicotrol, Pacquin, Pediacare, Plax, Polysporin, Progaine, Rogaine, Rolaids, Sinutab, Sudafed, Tucks, Unisom, Visine, Wart-Off, Zantac 75

FEDEX

Wal-Mart

Exedrin analgesics (painkillers), Boost energy drinks, ChoiceDM diabetic snacks, skin care, oral care and footcare products; Enfamil infant formulas.

Abreva cold sore remedy
Alluna herbal sleeping tablets, Aquafresh toothpaste
Citrucel laxative
Contac cold and 'flu remedies
Ecotrin aspirin
Gaviscon heartburn remedy Nicorette nicotine patches
Os-Cal calcium supplements
Tagament and Tums heartburn remedies

Exxon petrol and lubricants

ExxonMobil credit cards.

Alternative
Shell

Beer
Budweiser, Michelob, ZiegenBock, Pacific Ridge Pale Ale, Busch, Natural

Malt liquors
Hurricane Malt Liquor, King Cobra

Malt beverages
Bacardi Silver Raz, Bacardi Silver O3, Bacardi Silver, Tequiza, "Doc's" Hard Lemon

Non-alcoholic beverages
180, O'Doul's, Busch NA

Theme parks
Busch Gardens, SeaWorld

Internet service providers and browsers
AOL, Netscape Navigator

Television networks
HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros, CNN, Cartoon Network

Movie companies
Warner Bros studios, New Line Cinema, Hanna-Barbera, Castle Rock Entertainment

Books
Little, Brown and Company, Warner Books

Magazines
Time Inc magazines, DC Comics, IPC magazines

Chevron and Texaco petrol

Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Code Red, Sierra Mist, Lipton Brisk, Lipton Iced Tea, FruitWorks, AMP, Aquafina, Mr. Green, Mug Root Beer, Slice, Frappuccino, Quaker, Sugar Puffs

A+D babycare products Afrin nasal spray Claritin allergy treatment CoricidinHPB cold and 'flu remedy Correctol Drixoral allergy/sinus remedy GyneLotrimin Dr Scholl's footcare, Coppertone sun lotion

Advil painkillers, Alavert allergy remedy, Anbesol toothache remedy, Caltrate calcium supplement, Centrum vitamins, Chap Stick lip balm, Dimetapp cold and allergy medicine, FiberCon and Freelax laxatives, Preparation H haemorrhoid cream, Primatene asthma treatment, Robitussin cold and 'flu remedy

Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin Hertz car rental

Quixtar toiletries and cleaning products, Body Series toiletries, Artistry cosmetics, Satinique shampoo, Glister toothpaste

Novasoy calcium supplement NutriSoy protein supplement Soy7 pasta, Natural Source supplements

American Airlines flights

Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Isuzu, Oldsmobile, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Subaru, Suzuki, Vauxhall

BP, Amoco and ARCO petrol and diesel

Walt Disney toys, stores, publications and films.

Tags: Boycott, Republicans, donors, corporations, BuyBlue (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 320 comments

  •  mojo <eom> (3.93 / 44)

    U.S. blue collar vs. CEO income in 1992 was 1:80; in 1999 it was 1:475.

    by Lode Runner on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:05:15 AM PDT

    •  Seems way too diffuse... (4.00 / 10)

      ...to have any impact. You've easily listed over 100 products - how would a company first notice any significant drop in sales associated with a boycott, and second, attribute it directly to a boycott.

      If you really want to make a statement, research the subject, identify a single company with close ties not just to the Republican Party, but to the President. Then boycott that company. You can articulate your reasons better, make a more compelling case, and focus everyone's attention on a single cause - this just diverts everyone's attention across a broad spectrum of firms and products.

      I suspect the reason boycotts by the right work - and I'm not sure I'm willing to stipulate that they do work - because they're targeted and highly promoted. This doesn't do that...

      And if you're just looking to vote with your pocketbook - which is a worthwhile effort, and more likely to have a positive impact - then Buy Blue sounds much more promising.
       

      Starts when you're always afraid...

      by drgardner on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 06:27:13 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  On one, sensible hand, I agree w/your assessment. (4.00 / 3)

        On the other, fed-up hand, I amcopying down every single product that I HAVE BOUGHT in the past and comitting the entire list to memory.

        I am passionate and angry and de4dicated enough to incorporate these 100 names or so into my consciousness as purveyors of Republican Filth. I am confident that if I can hold in a compartment of my widdle brain a seemingly endless array of random pithy Bartlett's-worthy famous quotations, in-depth plot summaries of novels galore, of movies and of television shows, a fount of trivia, an amalgam of gossipy tidbits about celebrities...

        I can damned well make room for a list of corporations and products that contribute to the over-all MULCHING of principles, ethics, standards, morals and values in this country.

        I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

        And I think you can, too.

        -9.63, -7.03 Rage, rage against the Lying of the Right

        by Maryscott OConnor on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 09:34:52 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  But... (none / 1)

          some of these companies are big contributors to both parties (not that that is a good thing).  But for example, I'm pretty sure Time Warner gives substantially more to Democrats than to Republicans, but you calling for us to boycott it.  Shouldn't we be taking this into account?

          by lorax on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 10:04:34 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  The whole thing is rather pointless. (none / 0)

            If "blue" companies want to be competitive, they'll price accordingly.  Otherwise, I'll keep buying Busch beer and things that are of decent quality but excellent price.  

            "Oh, your god!" -- Bender

            by Myrrander on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 11:44:48 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  Well... (none / 1)

            Microsoft gives equally to both parties (it's clear what they're after: immunity from prosecution for their vicious marketplace malfeasance--and they got it, too) but that doesn't immunize them.

            For starters: what they give to Democrats is irrelevant. Better to give nothing to both parties than lots to both: the Republicans are dangerous and anyone willing to give them money, even to save their own corporate hides, ought to be treated as suspect.

            Furthermore: Microsoft's donations to Democrats certainly don't mean their donations to Republicans don't influence them as well. Witness, for instance, their reversal on GLBT rights just recently. A freakshow religious right guy threatened a boycott and Microsoft collapsed. Even after years of effort by the GLBT community all it took was a single threat (idle, even; they're not very excited about Linux or what have you, as a general rule) and Microsoft bowed to the Republicans. Why? Because the Republicans are willing to harass, coerce, and destroy in order to get their way. By giving them money Microsoft enables them.

            The Shapeshifter's Blog -- Politics, Philosophy, and Madness!

            by Shapeshifter on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 12:12:29 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  Thought they reveresed course after complaints? nt (none / 0)

              Starts when you're always afraid...

              by drgardner on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 01:22:02 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              •  They did--but it didn't matter (none / 0)

                The bill they were supporting had already been killed because they pulled their support. Their subsequent resumption of support had zero real-world effect. They're still on my shit list for this until they start putting their weight behind something that makes a difference.

                The Shapeshifter's Blog -- Politics, Philosophy, and Madness!

                by Shapeshifter on Sun Oct 30, 2005 at 12:05:57 AM PDT

                [ Parent ]

            •  Still (none / 1)

              if they give considerably more to Democrats than to Republicans, as Time Warner does, I don't think we should boycott them.  Even if Microsoft is bad, as you claim, our boycott will be more effective if we focus on the worst of the worst companies.  ExxonMobil is unequivocally worse than Microsoft in every way.

              by lorax on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 01:54:36 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              •  while there are reasons why MS... (none / 0)

                should be avoided, the main one being that their products are by and large, crapware.

                For practical purposes, all one can do is to put off upgrading, even if one uses a Mac, for business, the only way to get 100% compatibility with MS document formats is to run MS Office... which is why I run Windows 98SE via Win4Lin on my Linux box. People aren't going to cooperate with a boycott that puts them personally out of business.

                Ironically, I have Windows and apps running far more reliably, stabler, and a hell of a lot faster than I ever did when this was a pure Windows box.

                As for boycotts in general, targeted and specific boycotts against ONE target might be effective, targeting a laundry list can not be. If every progressive cooperated, the list is big enough that a drop across the board on their sales would be ascribed to bad economic conditions, not boycott.

                Looking for intelligent energy policy alternatives? Try here.

                by alizard on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 02:49:07 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

              •  Well... (none / 0)

                No doubt Exxon Mobil is worse.

                And i'm not saying that giving any amount is grounds for boycott--rather, just because they also give to Democrats does not give them a pass.

                There is also an argument in favor of not going after the worst offenders--at least, not right away. Exxon Mobil is clearly intertwined deeply with the Republican Party and it shows. Separating the two would take a great deal of effort--almost surely a national effort. However, Microsoft is generally a pretty "progressive" company and has, historically, been very forward thinking in some respects. In others it's a vicious throwback to the days of the robber-barons. It's this dichotomy that makes them open to boycott--and to productive debate and discussion--precisely because they know the benefit of the Democratic approach. But they want to play both sides, reaping the benefits of a Democratic agenda in terms of their employees while reaping the benefits of the big business Republican agenda at the same time.

                The problem is that those are, unfortunately, mutually exclusive and the only reason Microsoft gets away with it is because they're free to, basically, do whatever the hell they want. Almost nobody can boycott Microsoft, it's just not feasible unless you're dealing with tech-savvy people or people willing to give up computers or otherwise undergo computer-hardship. Microsoft listens to boycotts, however, because of their effect on the public.

                The Shapeshifter's Blog -- Politics, Philosophy, and Madness!

                by Shapeshifter on Sun Oct 30, 2005 at 12:22:14 AM PDT

                [ Parent ]

      •  Thanks for a common sense response (none / 1)

        Boycotts seem most likely to be effective when the target is a single brand, and when there are easily available substitutes for that brand.  An example of this would be the gay community boycott of Coors in the eighties -- which brought clear changes in company policy.

        This boycott proposal is so diffuse as to be useless.  And the sad truth is that the rather lengthy list of products on that list is far from complete.

        For example, the "television networks" list included HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros, CNN, Cartoon Network, but left out TNT, TBS, and the WB -- all of which are also owned by Time Warner.  And it completely excluded any of the Disney-owned networks, which include ABC and ESPN!  Why were the networks on this list chosen, while others were left off?  Was this arbitrary or was there actual thought behind it?  Judging by the length of the list, I'm inclined to believe the former...

        I also find it intriguing that whoever put together this list suggests boycotting Time Warner's AOL and Netscape, but leaves Internet Explorer and MSN off the list -- despite the fact that Microsoft is number 2 on the donor list and Time Warner is number 14.  Again, why were these apparently arbitrary decisions made?  Of course it is also fair to note that both Netscape and Explorer are free products, anyway -- but in this case, if the goal is to make a statement, why not skip both and use Firefox?

        Bottom line:  this boycott seems poorly thought out, arbitrary, and ultimately will be ineffective.

        Political Compass: -6.75, -3.08

        by TexasTom on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 11:44:40 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  I have to agree... (none / 0)

          Even though I try to take this sort of information into account myself when I shop, the fact is that I have trouble keeping track of it all.  I've given up worrying about it when I screw up...I just feel good knowing I'm reducing the number of my dollars which end up in Republican hands.  But I'm more far more passionate about my politics than 98% of Americans...do we really expect people to keep up with this enough to make any impact?

          As much as I'd like to see every company suffer in direct proportion to the number of dollars they hand to the Republican party, a much more effective response would be to pick some company, some one particularly generous to the Republicans and rightist causes, and do everything in our power to bring them to their knees.  And with that would come the implicit threat that any one else who does the same sort of thing could be next, which would be more effective than any broad-based boycott we could muster.

          Companies, in general, donate to political parties as a matter of business, not advertising...in general the public can be counted  on not to notice.  If we were to send a message that a large number of people ARE paying attention, that would have an effect.

          by elakazal on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 12:17:07 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  common sense (4.00 / 2)

          We should: stop buying crap we don't need,  starting with the diarist's list.  We shouldn't make excuses about how hard it is to curb consumption.  We should stop buying bigger houses that need more energy to heat/cool and have more room to fill up with crap we don't need, and result in gas-wasting commutes.

          Defense of consumption is the real religion of America.  Go ahead and continue pouring money into the coffers of the corporate masters, but don't pretend it's too hard to do anything else.  People are dying so we can consume - the least we can do is be conscious about our consumption.

          barn's burnt down; now i can see the moon - Basho

          by sfgary on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 12:26:54 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Your point about house construction (none / 1)

            is SOOOOO important.

            Construction waste makes up the largest category of landfill waste.

            Starter mansions in hot climates (Florida) that get full air conditioning (air conditioning every square inch... even though you're only in your bedroom at night... for example) are an ecological nightmare.

            Same goes for heating in cold climates.

            We need smaller houses constructed of higher quality  materials. Better windows and doors.

            Look at the Scandinavian countries, Germany, Europe in general really.

            Best thing you can do is spend $1 more per square foot to build with 2x6's rather than 2x4's... it'll double your insulation value... and if you live in the midwest, you're only paying $71/sq. ft. rather than $70. If you live in a city or coastal area... $1 a square foot is the least of your worries.

            U.S. blue collar vs. CEO income in 1992 was 1:80; in 1999 it was 1:475.

            by Lode Runner on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 02:26:19 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  And yet.... (none / 0)

            ...there are no builders on that list.

            I bought my home 12 years ago, in a close in suburb and haven't moved since.  In the year it was built (1993), it was one of the smallest new homes built in this town (of the 2000 houses built here that year, something like 95% were bigger).  I'm not a person who goes out and buys a bunch of expensive crap on a regular basis, and never have been.

            So please don't make the assumption that my comments regarding this foolish boycott proposal were in any way, shape or form a defense of excessive consumption.  One can think that this boycott is a bad idea without embracing the endless pursuit of stuff...  

            That's you reading your own biases into it, and not based on anything that I actually wrote.

            Political Compass: -6.75, -3.08

            by TexasTom on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 03:43:38 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

      •  Also... (none / 0)

        (This is pure speculation, but...)

        I would imagine that some of these products/companies are red simply by virtue of the fact that red is in power.  If the dems were controlling all branches of government, I wouldn't be surprised to see the same corporations sucking up to the blue side.

        Someone! '08

        by aschupanitz on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 03:30:28 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  This has been done (4.00 / 4)

      see downstream comments...

      Great idea, but there is already an entire web site committed to exactly what you are talking about here called www.buyblue.org and they even give a breakdown of the proportion of donations the corporation makes to both Democrats and the other scumbag party.

      Check it out!

      The Meek Shall Inherit NOTHING

      by LickBush on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 06:30:29 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  But This List is Useful (none / 1)

        because it names specific products. For example, I'm delighted to learn that Slim-Fast is a Blue company.  Try their French Vanilla Optima shake mix with any kind of fresh or frozen fruit.

        "Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance." Samuel Johnson

        by Rona on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 08:23:07 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  It's not quite as useful for people like me... (4.00 / 2)

        (NEGATIVE people, that is).

        I'm much better at remembering what NOT to buy.

        Or what store NOT to enter.

        Sadly, the recent Target bullshit has increased THAT list to one, for instance. ANd though it saddens, infuriates and frustrates me not to be able to enter a Target store (Target being the store where I have spent the most money and purchased the most products, aside from the local grocery store, in the past 5 years...) -- now that I know what I know, I simply will not. shop. at. Target.

        BuyBlue, on the other hand, is not a list I can commit to memory.

        -9.63, -7.03 Rage, rage against the Lying of the Right

        by Maryscott OConnor on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 09:37:46 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Target? (none / 0)

          What's the scoop with Target? I shop there all the time. It helps me avoid shopping at Walmart, which I loathe with the heat of 10,000 suns.

          With reference to this thread: I have asthma. The pharma company that makes my inhaler is a big Repub donor, I've known it for years. I hate having my medicine dollars go to help Repubs, but there isn't a damn thing I can do about it.

          And according to this list, there's NO place I can buy gas. I've avoided Exxon for years (unless and until they clean up their Valdez mess) but really, ALL the oil companies are Repub donors, it's their bit and they're getting their payback for that support (see oil company profits from 3rd quarter '05)

          I switched from Home Depot to Lowe's back in 2000 when I found out Home Depot was a Repub donor vs Lowe's being a Dem donor. Also was happy to find out Costco was a Dem donor vs the hated Sam's Club/Walmart Axis of Corporate Evil.

          "Watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, fanatical, criminal..."-7.75, -7.28

          by solesse413 on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 11:18:02 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Target (none / 0)

            is a 90% republican donor, and refuses to give birth control prescriptions at certain locations.

            As for gas, BP/Arco is your best bet -- they are researching alternative technologies, and give a higher percentage than the rest to Democrats.

            -- war-weary.

            by peacemonger on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 11:25:08 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  Target is almost as bad as Walmart. (none / 0)

            I worked there a few years ago the summer I went off to college.  They treat their employees like shit.

            Also, we have an old family friend who used to be a pretty high muckety-muck at the Target Corporate office (we're from MN) - vice president of human resources or some such - who told us that the higher ups would CONSTANTLY get letters "encouraging" them (re: forcing them) to donate to republican candidates.  

            He left last year...he said he was sick of drinking the Kool-Aid.

            The moral of the story: Fuck Target.

            Someone! '08

            by aschupanitz on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 03:19:56 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

        •  a suggestion (4.00 / 3)

          start by going to your kitchen and looking there.

          Identify which brands you regularly buy.  The products you buy most frequently are the best place to start your participation in the BuyBlue campaign.

          Consider your meat and cheese and grains before you consider your condiments.  Consider your toilet paper before you consider your toolbox.

          Optimize your common choices first.  Do what you can at your own pace.  The BuyBlue effort doesn't need to be a binary operation.  You can work on changing your habits one product at a time, this doesn't have to be an all-at-once thing.  

          Further this is the best strategy because it can sometimes cost us more money to buy blue.  Everyone has a different financial tolerance for this sort of thing, and we have to make our own value judgements about how we will work to buy blue.  Going slowly and working with your common purchases first will help you make the biggest and most meaningful difference.

          See my comment downthread about why you should flip your negative paradigm and "buy blue" instead of "avoiding red" ... and to extend that, you can list the 'n' most-red companies but does that mean you should buy from the 'n+1'th most-red company when you could do better?  Supporting your allies is a better strategy than punishing your enemies.  

          fist-fighter + knife fight = Epic Fail

          by nepolon on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 11:43:54 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

      •  That "Scumbag" party (3.33 / 3)

        This is ill conceived.  Republicans are not evil.  The same Republican party that is home to Frist and Delay is home to McCain and Specter.  There are corrupt Democrats just like there are corrupt Republicans.  

        If you want to do some good, rather than cutting this broad swath against Republicans in general, some of whom are good, effective leaders, find a good specific target.  Get together a list of Tom Delay's sponsors.  That has a couple advantages:

        1. Singles out one target and thus increases the power of the boycott

        2. It's Delay
         

        ---
        Photography, Politics, and Chicago

        by sterno on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 10:35:24 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  ugh (none / 0)

          Notice the quote was "other scumbag party."  Think on that a second.  Seems to me that Biden and Lieberman are appropriately characterized by that comment.  

          As for your argument about the power of the boycott:

          BuyBlue.org tells you where to shop to empower your allies.  The diary poster takes the opposite tact, which is the wrong tact, of trying to enumerate all of the corporations which actively support the political party that made Teapot Dome look like minor pick-pocketing.  

          Why is this the wrong tact?  Anyone who actualy knows anything about Internet security will tell you that you will always be one step behind the crackers if you play a defensive, reactive game of black-listing known abuse.  You will not be secure until you reverse the paradigm and white-list the safe and intended behaviors and deny any traffic not on the white-list.  By analogy, we should use tools to identify the businesses that work to improve our communities and our society and damn the rest.

          Further, it isn't Delay.  Delay was merely the sociopath who happened to be king of the hill, reaping the most visible rewards.  The K St machine is not going to go away with Delay.  It takes the awareness of an ostrich to make this kind of argument and I have to wonder where your head is at.

          Finally, your weak defense of McCain begs for a slap down.  Republicans who put Lott then Frist at the head of the Senate are not our friends, even if they pose as 'moderates.'  McCain's voting record does not reflect a progressive attitude.  He doesn't need or deserve our defence or support.  Nor do the corporations which support his party.

          This comment was uncharacteristicly weak for you.  What's up?

          fist-fighter + knife fight = Epic Fail

          by nepolon on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 11:30:05 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Spector is an ass (none / 0)

          If he had his way Robert Bork would be on the Supreme Court right now.  

          by recontext on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 12:03:00 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Specter (none / 0)

          the architect of the single bullet theory.

          a great man, indeed.

          (-6.88, -8.31)--

          by binFranklin on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 12:09:16 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

      •  Buyblue (none / 0)

        Howdy.
        I'm Research Director at Buyblue.org.
        We have listed the 2004 donations of the execs and PACs of about 1100 products and services consumers use.  We're also listing the labor, environmental, social responsibility, employment equality and industry practices ratings of the companies.
        More every day.

        You can check out our information at www.buyblue.org.

        You'll also find places to write to the companies with praise or blame.

        If every person who voted democratic in 2004 shifted $100 in one year that would shift $5 billion in the national economy in one year.  The year you want to visualize is 2006.

        Cheers,
        Martha E. Ture
        Research Director
        www.buyblue.org

        This is us governing. Live so that 100 years from now, someone might be proud of us.

        by marthature on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 01:51:58 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  A simple way to address this problem (4.00 / 4)

      For most people, bringing this list with them to the Super Stop-n-Shop isn't practical.

      But there is a simple way to "boycott" most of these kinds of products without becoming a walking lexicon of political donations:

      Do your shopping for groceries, toiletries, and other household items at your local health food store.

      And whenever possible, make a conscious effort to buy locally-made and grown products.

      Some will probably invoke the knee-jerk response of "it's too expensive!" But (a) this is not always true, as health food stores sell lots of bulk products, and (b) when you pay a little more for a well-made and/or locally-produced product, you support businesses with good values that ultimately pay off in myriad other ways.

      Buying at stores that carry products made by companies which respect our mutual habitats and keep capital circulating locally naturally eliminates most of the offenders listed in this diary.

      "Animals are my friends. And I don't eat my friends." -- George Bernard Shaw

      by Hudson on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 08:59:17 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Blech (4.00 / 6)

    This list reads like a study of why Americans are so obsese.  Is Velveeta a cheese?  I thought that, by law, it has to call itself a "non-dairy cheese food."

    "Truck Stop Women," a New Film By Phil Gramm and John McCain.

    by bink on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:07:09 AM PDT

  •  Claussen! I'm undone (4.00 / 5)

    Other than that, it all looks like shit anyway. Do I hear another argument for farmer's markets and buying locally?

    You stay out of the Amazon thing. I encourage everyone to shop at Powells because I think they're a little bluer, but you will get an argument that they are anti-union. (I disagree; they merely bargain hard. What do you expect? But that is another thread.) It certainly is a warm and human site compared to the big A.

    A lengthy article at the Boston Phoenix analyzes all this as well.

    What's so hard about Peace, Love, and Truth and Progress?

    by melvin on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:22:11 AM PDT

  •  Pfizer makes viagra. (none / 0)

    ...not that I use it...I've seen the ads and confirmed it with a little Googling

    www.thebeersong.com

    by Rex Freedom on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:23:27 AM PDT

    •  Me too (none / 0)

      I mean I don't use it either.  :-)

      Click for: The News

      by i dunno on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:25:55 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  There's something called Vim that I would suggest (4.00 / 4)

      Vim is a liquid herbal supplement that...ahem...does what Viagra is intended for. I have found it works just as well, if not better than Viagra.

      Now, to be honest, I have used these supplements recreationally rather than for medicinal purposes. I'm just a plain horndog. The big differences between the two are:

      1. You don't get that flushed face and headache Viagra can often give you.
      2. Not only does it give you a better chub than Viagra, but it also acts like an aphrodisiac. I like me sex and like to be a big energetic dawg during it. Think of the size of a Great Dane with the energy of a Jack Russel.
      3. You don't need a prescription for it. And I think it's safer, though don't quote me on that.

      Unfortunately it's not cheap and pretty hard to find. I did a cursory search on the Internet for it and found a relatively okay price for it: $29.99. But that gives you two small bottles of it, with two doses in each bottle. That's about $7.50 a dose compared to Viagra's usual $10 a dose (though I think that price has cum down.)

      Anyway, I really recommend it. Like Krusty the Clown says: "Hey, hey, boys and girls, it's fun!"

      I live in my own little world...but it's okay. They know me here.

      by John Campanelli on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 05:44:16 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  BTW, with many who take SRI anti-depressants... (none / 1)

        There's no shame in getting back some of the groove those pills take away. I'm talking Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors -- Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, etc. As those who have taken these anti-depressants know, they can greatly inhibit your sex drive.

        Unfortunately, Big Pharmaceuticals usually make these products, too. But unless you can find a Big Pharm not in the GOP's back pocket, you may have to dilute your boycott. Or listen to Tom Cruise and join Scientology. Either way -- going off your meds altogether or joining the TomKat brigade -- I fear you may slit your wrists.

        I live in my own little world...but it's okay. They know me here.

        by John Campanelli on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 06:02:37 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Agree about antidepressants. (none / 0)

          They have saved many a life. There are medications to offset the sexual side effects of the antidepressants. Talk to your prescribing doc.  If your choice is coming off the meds and going into the spiraling darkness of depression v. another drug to offset the side effects, I'd go with the latter.

          No shame in being a horndog - I'm one too, and I'm a woman. (?horncat) :p

          by grayscale on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 08:47:39 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Drug reactions are interesting (none / 1)

          I had the exact opposite effects from SSRI-type drugs, an increase in my sex drive by a factor of 10 or more.  Which is less enjoyable than you might think - it was like I was 13 again, and I'd have to hold my books in front of me every time a girl walked by.  

          by drmonkey on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 10:39:10 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  lucky you (none / 0)

            I took Paxil and loved it, but I'd rather be vaguely anxious than have no sex drive--and have impaired ability to enjoy what little energy for sex I could muster. If Pharma could make a Paxil that didn't have those effects, I'd be a happy gal indeed.

            by blue speck on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 12:42:20 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  The makers of Vim say it works for women, too (none / 0)

              Now, I have never talked to any women who have used it, so I can't give you any anecdotal evidence that it's true. For myself, I truly found it quite effective. Therefore, while women may not want increased size, the increased desire and sensitivity sure as hell can't hurt. Well, unless it drastically breaks the 4-hour rule.

              I live in my own little world...but it's okay. They know me here.

              by John Campanelli on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 01:27:32 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  Actually, it was Paxil (none / 0)

              That was the specific drug that gave me the aforementioned reaction.

              There were other side effects, too - dry mouth, jaw grinding, an inability to not say whatever inappropriate thing entered my head, etc.  The worst one, though, had to be the fact that I wasn't able to sleep more than 2 hours a night the whole time I was taking it (6-7 weeks), whatever the dosage.   This was early on in the drug's lifetime, and I think they tend to use it to treat anxiety and OCD now, more than depression.  And I know my reactions are in the minority, and probably due to whatever makes me intolerant of all the other antidepressants I've ever tried.

              by drmonkey on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 03:58:26 PM PDT

              [ Parent ]

      •  Valarian Root (none / 1)

        I'm pretty sure Valarian is the namesake for Viagra.  GF made me some tea one night - had a combination of really nasty herbs - which, if I can be graphic for a moment, had my balls literally spinning in their sacs.

        Krusty was right!

        1/20/2009 will mark the end of an error.

        by winstnsmth on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 06:08:30 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Great Dane, eh? (4.00 / 3)

        Braggart.

        Just kidding. We need a spinoff called "Daily Kossex" or something.

        by blue speck on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 09:19:49 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  A '4' (none / 0)

        because it's been too long since I've heard the slang 'chub'.

        America: Arsenal of Democracy

        by YukonJack on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 01:20:47 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Googlng (4.00 / 5)

      is that what you kids are calling it these days...

      by timelad on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 06:15:47 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  You know what you gotta do... (4.00 / 7)

    Need a parallel diary of products in each class that are 'bluer'.  My family has moved in the direction of more 'raw' foods, particularly in quantity of fruits and vegetables, but we are in a remote spot in a northern climate, so packaged/frozen products find their way in every day.

    I am going to print these out and think before I buy.

    Boca Burgers?  Damn.

    "War is the calculated and condoned slaughter of human beings". Harry Patch, age 109, WWI veteran.

    by skwimmer on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:31:19 AM PDT

    •  A-frigging-men (4.00 / 2)

      I would love to be able to buy only blue products - unfortunately, I live in a very poor, rural, not very diverse or educated area of one of the reddest states. For a lot of products, including some necessities, a long (90 min. one way) drive to Jackson, Mississippi is your only bet, unless you order online and have things shipped. Fedex has yet to locate our address, and UPS screws up repeatedly (delays, failure to deliver to the right place, leaving packages beside the mailbox, etc).

      This is especially fun when you are frequently shipped drugs that must be received promptly and refrigerated immediately.

      Give me options! Don't just tell me what not to buy.

      And there's no way I'm giving up shells and cheese. I think it's laced with heroin.

      "Eschew Ofbfuscation." - Mark Twain

      by windsngr on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 05:59:43 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  We must live near each other... (none / 0)

        I have to make trips to Tuscaloosa or Jackson to buy products, or get them on line also. I have begone making much of my own stuff, including trying sausage this year... no, I'm not a luddite, or a crawl-in-the-hole type, just a cussed progressive who hates paying money to big businesses' coffers!

        I have had to read the riot act to Fedex before-- they KNOW where I live now, but no problems with UPS or the postal service here. Good luck buying blue! It isn't easy in the southeast...

        "Many people did not care for Pat Buchanan's speech; it probably sounded better in the original German," Molly Ivins, 1992

        by jeffinalabama on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 07:47:19 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Boca burgers (none / 0)

      have hydrogentated or partially hydrogenated oil.

      Is Morningstar Farms blue? Or, at least clear?

      Left is the new center.

      by Exclamation Point Brian on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 08:40:54 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Morningstar Farms (none / 0)

        Owned by Kellogg. Check buyblue or the list above. Maybe not a good thing, since I saw Grape-Nuts on that list above, which I believe is Kellogg. Most of these corporations have "good" and "bad" products, though.

        Packaged soy/veggie products are healthier alternatives to eating animal products or other junk food. I'd still use sparingly  because they are processed foods. You can make lentil "burgers" from scratch that are easy and yummy (and probably cheaper).

        by grayscale on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 09:19:44 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  List is (sadly) too broad: (4.00 / 8)

    A boycott might work better if targeted on one or two of the major products.

    Wonder if Sununu's fired now.

    by Republic Not Empire on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:40:38 AM PDT

    •  It's not a boycott. (4.00 / 2)

      It's voting with dollars. Just as we vote on many things - candidates and issues at the local, state, and federal levels - so we need to be aware of the full import of how we vote with those dollars across the board. Corporatist forces are insidious and at work at all levels. There are only so many ways to fight back.

      What's so hard about Peace, Love, and Truth and Progress?

      by melvin on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:46:51 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Boycotts (4.00 / 3)

      You are kind of right. But let me point out that the right wing go around boycotting everything and threatening boycotts all the time and people often listen to them. Why? Because they don't go around talking themselves out of boycotting. They just do it.

      Focused is better. So let's focus on Exxon/Mobil. But focused doesn't rule out broad as well.

      Another factor that I think you are ignoring is that a boycott can be from the heart rather than the head. Who cares if it works? I don't want my money going to these people. So I will boycott them for THAT reason.

      Read the PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT Newsletter

      by mole333 on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 05:55:20 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  wait up (none / 1)

      Yeah, if people were to boycott Warner Bros studio, they will undermine the efforts of liberals in the film industry. Joel Silver, Natalie Portman, and the Wachowskis (the Matrix) are trying to bring "V for Vendetta" to theaters in March.  This is an important, subversive film that already has strong opposition from those who don't want the story to be told.  

      Click my sig to read more about the film.

      Veterans for Peace: Life is Precious

      by CalNM on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 06:02:35 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Whole Foods Market (3.66 / 3)

    Hope I'm not preaching to the choir, but Whole Foods Markets have 180 locations in the following states:
    AZ · CA · CO · CT · DC · FL · GA · IL · KS · KY · LA · MA · MD · MI · MN · MO · NC
    NE · NJ · NM · NV · NY · OH · OR · PA · RI · SC · TX · VA · WA · WI
    More specific location information here

    They care about their communities and environment and you don't see all of the "corporate" brands listed above.  It is a myth that this automatically means higher prices. I've noticed that my local "corporate" store: Harris Teeter is often more expensive than Whole Foods.  In fact, so many people do grocery shopping at warehouse stores these days that I feel mainstream grocery stores function as a glorified convience store and their prices are iching up to reflect that.

    John McCain wants a 100-year occupation of women's uteruses

    by oslo on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 04:43:11 AM PDT

    •  Harris Teeter is a rip off (none / 1)

      I shop at Whole Foods for fruits and veggies and some specialty items.  Their meats are a bit pricey, but at least you know they aren't shot up with hormones and crap.

      I've found that Harris Teeter is significantly more expensive than other grocery stores in my area (Giant, Safeway, etc).  I only shop there if I'm desperate. I'd hate it if Harris Teeter were my only shopping option.

      Check out & buy my work at Meredith Klinger Photography

      by mlk on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 05:32:34 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Forget them shop your local Co-op. (4.00 / 2)

      Then you get a real community based experience.  If you local co-op is membership owned then usually purchasing a membership will give you a discount.  Volunteering will also get you a discount.

      Go Co-op!

      In the fight to prove that you are right, don't forget to be nice.

      by tarminian on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 05:45:18 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  yeah, the bigger picture is... (4.00 / 2)

        ...to stop supporting big corporations as much as you can - inevitably, almost all of them wind up supporting the big-business agenda (be it D or R), which just ain't good for us folk.

        Ideas:


        • as mentioned above - shop at farmers markets & coops whenever you can
        • join a credit union - the nonprofit alternative to banks
        • look for the smaller & more local brands in anything you consume (i.e. local microbrews)
        • if there's no alternative, check BuyBlue for the bluest company you can find in that category (Progressive for auto insurance, Working Assets for long distance, etc.)(full disclosure - I'm employed by Working Assets)
        • look for the small independent shops.  I'll gladly pay a 5-10% premium to keep a hardware store alive in my neighborhood.

        by Will Easton on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 07:31:36 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Natural Foods Co-op (none / 0)

        recently opened in my town.  Delicious breads made from obscure grains, environment-friendly cleaning products, eggs from happy chickens, Brown Cow yoghurt that tastes 10 times better than the well-known alternatives, and Friday night dinners on the patio with live music.  It promises to be a real community gathering place.

        "Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance." Samuel Johnson

        by Rona on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 08:30:42 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  The flip side (3.50 / 2)

      is that Whole Foods is a union-buster.

      I'm not sure whether Wild Oats is any better, if you have one of those in your area.

      "The great lie of democracy, its essential paradox, is that democracy is first to be sacrificed when its security is at risk." --Ian McDonald

      by Geenius at Wrok on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 05:56:54 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Wild Oats (none / 0)

        I believe these are franchises and I haven't been back to Norwalk, CT since I started school at the end of August, but...

        The Wild Oats on the Norwalk/Westport border had serious problems with union-busting, to the degree that local restaurants had signs up asking people not to shop there.  Also, the unions had a big inflatable rat that they would blow up in the parking lot.

        I do not know if that has since been resolved..

        Connecticut Local Politics: Our Primaries Are Better Than Yours!

        by TheKickingDonkey on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 08:22:52 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Wild Oats.... (none / 0)

        ...Is a very progressive company, they pay above standard grocery wages in our community. They have liberal bennifits which include health insurance for same sex significant other. It is true they are shy of unions and will try to keep unions out of thier stores. From what I gather, as far as collective bargining goes, the employees aren't in dire need of a union. However a union grievence procedure may be in order as it seems any dispute with management seems to put people in the doghouse. I am a long standing union employee and I would not reccomend boycotting Wild Oats at this time.

        -4.50, -5.32

        by roastedcoyote on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 09:41:44 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Earth Fare (none / 0)

      They are giving Whole Foods some decent competition in places. Their new store in Chapel Hill, NC puts WF to shame in many ways including price and quality of products.  Even so, the local co-op always gets first dibs on my food purchasing. That would be the Durham Food Co-op, aka People's International Food Conspiracy in NC, and the Silver City Food Co-op in NM.  

      by drofx on Sat Oct 29, 2005 at 06:58:56 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]