Cultural criticism vs. Collective Politics

[W. Kiernan]

Carrol Cox wrote:
> 
> Nathan Newman wrote:
>
> > It is the height of individualism to say, because I can't personally
> > evaluate each and every act of exploitation, I can't worry about
> > purchasing decisions.  Boycotts are specifically not about
> > individual evaluation but about collective political action.
> 
> Nathan, in the passage quoted below, has said all that needs to be
> (or ought to be) said about politics and purchasing decisions. When
> there is a well organized boycott of a specific product for a
> specific reason, it should be honored. When no such formal organizing
> is underway, it is mere priggishness to base purchasing decisions on
> allegedly "political" grounds. Personal decisions not linked to a
> collective action are are *at best* merely a-political.

Hello Carrol!

As soon as I found out that Adolph Coors was bankrolling the far right,
I immediately quit drinking his beer.  That was at least fifteen years
back, and until just now I didn't know that anyone else was formally
boycotting Coors.  I would have refused to buy any Gallo products if I
had known before today they were union-busters, boycott or not.  I don't
buy stuff from Blockbuster and I refuse to eat at Outback Steakhouses or
Dominos Pizza because their owners are all big financial supporters of
the right-wing; but as far as I know no one else is boycotting them.  

I just do it because I'll be damned if I'll contribute to the profits of
guys whose politics I loathe so much; after all, there are plenty of
other places to buy pizzas and music CDs.

Now you're telling me that I'm wrong.  Why am I wrong?  Would you prefer
that I swell these right-wing millionaires's bank accounts with the
profits from my purchases, small as those profits may be, so they can
turn around and contribute even more cash to the Republicans?  I don't
get it; please explain what you mean by this.

Yours WDK - WKiernan at concentric.net

**  As he points to the poor red thing mewling behind plate-glass,  **
**  He says with professional, observant disbelief:                 **
**  "You mean you think that's full of Original Sin?"               **
**                                               - Randall Jarrell  **