It's effectively boycotting businesses and people who you don't feel a personal connection to. It's not their fault you didn't want to make friends with them.
I wasn't aware I was under an obligation to make friends with everyone. I can, and do, boycott a whole range of businesses and products - businesses that engage in labor practices I find horrendous, corps with histories of poor environmental stewardship, any company that produces "pro-biotic" foods or any other pseudo-scientific crap products like them, and companies who make commercials that irritate/piss me off.
It's my money, and I'll spend it where and on whom I want. This idea I have some obligation to make nice with everyone is not something I would subscribe to.
Imagine you were selling some amazing product that was cheaper and better than all the competition. But half the world refused to buy it because they don't like America's foreign policy so they want to hurt American companies. Wouldn't you feel a bit annoyed? You'd certainly lose a lot of money, and people everywhere would miss out on your superior product.
And? It is my responsibility to sell my product - if I fail to do so that is my fault, not the fault of my potential customers.
PS: I'm not an American, not that its relevant...
Buying local is a small stab in the side of free trade, economic growth and fairness. The overall effect is to make the world operate more wastefully. Nevermind the harm it causes poor farmers in the 3rd world who depend on selling you things to keep themselves alive.
A few points here:
1) Free trade doesn't exist, especially in the area of food production - all western nations hugely subsidize their agricultural industry.
2) Those subsidies prevent 3rd world producers from competing with us - the only 3rd world products that can compete are ones which cannot be produced locally. Buying local doesn't prevent them from competing - paying farmers a subsidy so they can produce food below cost does.
3) Where is the evidence it makes the world work more wastefully? In the west, 40-50% of all food destined for the grocers is thrown away. The worst offenders are bannanas, of which ~60% that are harvested are thrown out. That alone would suggest that 3rd world food imports are more wasteful than domestic products.
4) Domestic farmers also depend on the sale of food products to make their living. Why don't you take their needs into account? Or does being in a 3rd world country magically make your welfare more important that someone in a developed nation?
Bryan
