Anti-Israeli groups are targeting Trader Joe's for its Israeli boycott:
The Trader Joe's grocery store chain finds itself in the center over a debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Organizers have called for a boycott of the chain because it stocks Israeli goods but no Palestinian goods.There's nothing wrong with voluntarily restricting your own choices, and urging others to do the same. At least it's not government preventing us from buying the couscous at Trader Joe's. But there's also nothing wrong with pointing out how idiotic it is to boycott Trader Joe's:
Now the anti-Israel maniacs want people to boycott "Israeli couscous" at Trader Joe's. What prejudice! Israel has problems, yes (why, I just posted on one such problem), but the hard-left boycott-Israel folks are so discriminatory it's repulsive. My recommendation: Head to Trader Joe's and buy anything made or grown in Israel. I hear the Israeli couscous goes well with grilled scapegoat, by the way.Let me list a few more reasons against the boycott:
- If the terrorists organization ruling over the Palestinian people would allow a free society, perhaps Palestinians would have products to make and export, and stock the shelves at Trader Joe's.
- Limiting the choices available to consumers won't improve anything.
- Trader Joe's is fantastic. I went a few miles out of my way to shop there when I was in DC. Great produce and prepared foods. Inexpensive beer and wine. If you're asking me to choose between you and Trader Joe's, that's not much of a choice. Unfortunately, the closest locations are in Massachusetts.
Hattip: Powerline
You point out the critical point. That anyone has the right to use their free speech to make an ass of him or herself. And the rest of us have the right to use our free speech to point this out.
ReplyDeletePhysically pulling products off a shelf to make a political point moves beyond boycott (i.e., not buying a product yourself and urging others to do likewise) in that this ACT (vs. speech) will likely require theft or vandalism (two criminal acts).
Most of this is moot since the few boycotters who attempted this bit of failed theater probably found nothing on the shelves since their threat of action created a response that caused a huge spike in the sale of Israeli products over the weekend.
More info on the subject (including some couscous recipes provided by my mom to help out those who bought out TJ's over the weekend) can be found on my anti-divestment blog www.divestthis.com.