Boycott of American Goods Over Iraq War Gains By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) - No more Coca-Cola or Budweiser, no Marlboro, no American whiskey or even American Express cards -- a growing number of restaurants in Germany are taking everything American off their menus to protest the war in Iraq. Although the protests are mainly symbolic, waiters in dozens of bars and restaurants in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Bonn and other German cities are telling patrons, "Sorry, Coca-Cola is not available any more due to the current political situation." The boycotts appear to be part of a nascent worldwide movement. One Web site, www.consumers-against-war.de, calls for boycotts of 27 top American firms from Microsoft to Kodak while another, www.adbusters.org, urges the "millions of people against the war" to "Boycott Brand America." Consumer fury seems to be on the rise. Demonstrators in Paris smashed the windows of a McDonald's restaurant last week, forcing police in riot gear to move in to protect staff and customers of the American fast-food outlet. The attackers sprayed obscenities and "boycott" on the windows. In Indonesia, Iraq war opponents have pasted signs on McDonald's and other American food outlets, trying to force them shut by "sealing them" and urging Indonesians to avoid them. In the Swiss city of Basel, 50 students recently staged a sit-down strike in front of a McDonald's to block customers' entry, waved peace signs and urged people to eat pretzels instead of hamburgers. Anti-American sentiment has even reached provinces in Russia, where some rural eateries put up signs telling Americans they were unwelcome, according to an Izvestia newspaper report. A German bicycle manufacturer, Riese und Mueller GmbH, canceled all business deals with its American suppliers. "Americans only pay attention when money is on the line," director Heiko Mueller told Reuters, whose firm buys $300,000 worth of supplies from half a dozen American firms each year. "We wanted to make a statement against this war and told our American partners that unless they renounce what their government is doing we won't do any business with them anymore." --click link above for complete article
Just as I found people boycotting French and German goods absolutely r****ded, I find this equally as stupid.
EQUALLY? Demonstrators in Paris smashed the windows of a McDonald's restaurant last week, forcing police in riot gear to move in to protect staff and customers of the American fast-food outlet In the Swiss city of Basel, 50 students recently staged a sit-down strike in front of a McDonald's to block customers' entry In Indonesia, Iraq war opponents have pasted signs on McDonald's and other American food outlets, trying to force them shut by "sealing them" and urging Indonesians to avoid them. Anti-American sentiment has even reached provinces in Russia, where some rural eateries put up signs telling Americans they were unwelcome EQUALLY as stupid?
A mutual boycott of products by th US and Germany would certainly punish Germany more than the US. We send 4% of our export to Germany, while it send 11% of their exports to the US. They are also much more dependent on their exports than we are, and we are their second most important trading partner (based on dollars). As a percentage of our GDP, exports to Germany account for 0.3%. As a percentage of the German GDP, exports to the US account for 3.0% of their economy. Add the impact of the US bases on their economy, and it could be a very very slow recovery for the German recession if they were to pursist.
Pretty safe to say that US troops in Iraq now wouldn't go back to their German bases. At least Poland and Bulgaria are grateful.
I don't get it. When the US does something wrong, you criticize it. When another country does something wrong, you defend it by pointing out something similar the US has done. What's your point? And I think in America it's mostly few cases, while in several countries it's a growing trend.
Were we supposed to be boycotting something? I must've missed it while I was out buying freedom fries & not listening to Dixie Chicks.
In a word, bullsh*t. Please provide an example of "When another country does something wrong, you defend it by pointing out something similar the US has done". I'd like to see it. If you don't like what I post, don't read. Peace...out!
Honestly I couldn't find another example of you using this argument...but I'll keep looking In any case the argument doesn't make any sense. I'm sure you don't want me reading your posts and pointing this out!
I'm boycotting boycotting. I think all of these boycotting countries need to go to "time out" until they can learn to play together.
The French have stepped over the line. French find comfort in discomfort of invaders However, a mood of ¡°we told you so¡± is palpable in the spin and presentation of the ¡°Anglo-Saxon¡± conflict, and the official allied version of events is treated with the same scepticism as that of Baghdad. Bad news for the coalition is being tacitly seized upon as a vindication of the French stand against war. ¡°A black day for the Anglo-American forces,¡± the headlines said on yesterday¡¯s main early television news bulletin recounting the allies¡¯ losses and self-inflicted casualties.
