Moreover, all the stuff you buy is generated by exploitation (duh that's how capitalism works), and much of it by oppression. Do you drive a union-made car, eat only food produced by cooperatives, wear only UNITE-labeled clothes and avoid stuff made in China, Indonesia, Myanmar, or North Carolina? Do you invest (if you have a 401(k) or a 403(b) you invest) only in socially conscious funds or shares? I thought not.
I don't see the point in trying to be pure for the sake of purity. If there is an organized boycott for some reason that makes a difference. And there's a personal conscience issue, but if you avoid "blood diamonds," for example, you have to recognize that the owners of the mines don't really care what you, personally do, and it makes no difference to their practices unless there is organized opposition. I use an NLG American Express card, I think the Guild gets a little bit of money from that, otherwise, it's just AMEX. I count going with Credo (who are apparently hypocrites and liars as well as guilt-trippers) or Working Assets or a NLG Amex Card as a personal-conscience thing.
--- On Tue, 5/20/08, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] If you support AT&T - you support Bush
> To: "Don Hazen" <dhazen at alternet.org>
> Cc: "lbo-talk" <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 1:18 PM
> Don -
>
> I don't know how much they're paying Alternet for
> this, but did you
> do any research before you signed the endorsement?
>
> Credo doesn't have a network of its own - it contracts
> with Sprint
> (which is busily losing customers because of poor
> coverage).
> According to OpenSecrets
>
> <http://opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00089342&cycle=2004>
>
> Sprint's PAC gave 65% of its money to Republicans in
> the 2004
> election cycle.
>
> In the 2006 cycle, it gave 54% to Republicans
>
> <http://opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00089342&cycle=2006>.
>
> In the 2008 cycle so far, it's given 39% to Republicans
>
> <http://opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00089342&cycle=2008>,
>
> though obviously they're following the polls.
>
> In the 2004 cycle, AT&T gave 64% to Republicans -
> almost exactly what
> Sprint did. In 2006, it was 65%; in 2008, 58%. Their latest
> numbers
> are more Republican than Sprint's, but really, the
> claim that there's
> a major difference between Sprint and AT&T is fanciful.
> I'm
> distressed to see Alternet doing a corporate endorsement
> like this.
>
>
> Doug Henwood
> Left Business Observer
> 38 Greene St - 4th fl.
> New York NY 10013-2505 USA
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>
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> viewPodcast?id=73801817>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
> download my book Wall Street (for free!) at
> <http://www.wallstreetthebook.com>
>
>
> On May 20, 2008, at 11:34 AM, AlterNet wrote:
>
> > Dear Reader,
> > Are you aware that AT&T has been a strong
> supporter of the Bush/
> > Cheney agenda? The role this phone company has played
> upsets me
> > very much. If it upsets you, on principle, then why
> not consider
> > CREDO Mobile, the progressive alternative? CREDO
> Mobile makes it
> > easy for you: they will pay your early termination
> fee, give you a
> > free phone, and you can keep your current phone
> number.
> >
> >
> >
> > Don Hazen
> > Executive Editor, AlterNet.org
> >
> >
>
>
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