Ask Lemmy

It kind of depends on the reason for the boycott and how widely it's understood. Like I for sure judge anyone who buys a cybertuck today.

Buy a new Tesla now? You're a piece of shit. No exceptions.

I've learned that the vast vast vast majority of people don't care. I can spend all my time hating everyone for being lazy and ordering daily items from Amazon, or eating Chick Fil A, or whatever, but I'll end up hating 99% of the population. I don't have time for that.

All I can do is focus on myself and what I spend my money on. Sure I educate where I can, but you don't want to be the preachy person either, because they'll just start ignoring you. Do what you can, but if you're going to judge people for buying things - you're going to judge everyone - and then that's more on you.

Everyone saw that Hitler salute in 2024. There wasn't a person on the planet who didn't see that. I highly distrust anyone driving around in a 2025 Tesla, the new ones with the knockoff versions of the Lucid light bars. Creepy AF to see, especially in a theoretically "progressive" area. Salute aside, he's an enemy to just about everyone on the planet for multiple reasons.

At least we know now.

I think people should boycott entities that they feel deserve it, but only to the extent that their financial situation warrants it. For example, I try to not buy from Amazon. I think everyone should do this, but I have the luxury of being able to afford paying more for the same thing bought elsewhere. Some people don't, and that's OK.

Everyone has different values, different pieces of information (and different amounts of time to do research), and different resources.

No, I don't judge people for not boycotting something I'm boycotting, though I'll mention it if it's going to cause a problem. For example, a friend is a massive fan of seeing things in theaters, including re-releases. If they want to see a re-release of Harry Potter, I'll decline, saying that I'm boycotting Rowling, and offer an alternative.

However, if they've been saying that they're really for/against something and seem to be going to buy something from a company that opposes that view, I'll mention, "Hey, I don't know if you know, but they support XYZ." If they still have to get it, then it's none of my business: everyone has different needs and different resources.

Yes. My son has a genetic disorder and receives care from my country’s socialized medical system. Donald Trump has threatened to annex my country. I would not be able to afford the treatments that keep my son alive under Trump. I boycott American goods like my child’s life depends on it. People need to understand that Trump’s threats towards the USA’s former allies imply deadly consequences. Fuck Trump, fuck maga, and fuck anyone who supports them by buying their shitty goods. Unless you have absolutely no choice, don’t buy American.

Sometimes. If somebody claims to be a gay ally, but then eats at Chick-fil-A and shops at Target or Hobby Lobby, they’re not really being an ally. You’ve gotta put your money where your mouth is if you want any change in this world. Stop giving money to people that hate you.

Only if they do something really crazy like willingly using Microsoft Teams.

I boycott businesses whose practices I oppose, but I won’t necessarily judge others for not doing the same unless they are deliberately supporting harmful ideologies and practices. Sometimes financial or geographical constraints prevent access to ethical alternatives.

Nah. People are more ignorant than they are evil, and ethical consumption in capitalism is at least difficult. I'm sure I'm doing something that inadvertently helps an evil cause somewhere in the world...

Thinking anyone is a terrible person is a great first step in making sure you will never win them over to your way of seeing things.

We all have different priorities in life. I'm far from perfect so I'm in no place to assume moral superiority over someone just because of a product they purchased.

I judge people who claim to be boycotting something they were never planning on purchasing. That's like not collecting stamps as a hobby.

I didn't used to, but I'm getting more judgemental as time goes on. I'm an ally and involved in LGBTQIA orgs and I can't tell you how many gay friends and acquaintances I have that still go to Chick-fil-A and Walmart. I'm harsher with those two, but now, I'll speak out against folks going to Target as well. Even without Target, Walmart and Amazon, I still have no trouble buying anything I need without inconvenience. The only language large corporations speak is money and if you can't even boycott a company that makes mid fast food that's spending money to take away your rights, it seems pathetic to me.

Depends, because often times people need to survive and can only afford/don't have another choice than to spend their money on a bad company (I.e. Walmart), but if they are buying a Tesla, then yes

Yes, but generally not really harshly. I just assume they don't know any better or don't have the determination to live up to their ideals.

Unless of course they genuinely are awful people, but in that event, there are signs far more relevant than merely not sharing my boycotts.

It's the internet. People get worked up over pizza toppings. Boycotting won't solve this crisis, it's a personal preference thing as far as I'm concerned. I do it like I try to keep waste to a minimum. I don't want to be a part of the problem where possible but I don't expect to cause a detectable impact. If I and others do - even better.

Depends on the situation and who is being boycotted. If you can't get the things and you need it and you can only get it from x, then sucks but understandable. If you have alternatives and know about the boycott and why it's going on and still get the thing because you just want it? You're a selfish prick.

Here in Canada, the products we're boycotting have been marked down because people wouldn't buy them otherwise. Someone that has less money than I have might need to buy the cheaper products so I'm not going to judge them for that.

If you don't have to support terrible people and you knowingly do anyway, it's not going to be easy to make a discernment personally.

I think a lot of people haven't come to the awareness that there is NO such thing as ethical consumption under our current systems tho (and you can't boycott everything bad without causing a lot more worse stuff.)

Yes, but only silently

I dont Judge unless the person actively talks about hating that thing. For example if someone is constantly going on about how they big tech and they havent even made a single step towards moving away then yeah im going to judge. Stand by your morals.

I know someone who is always going on about how bad fast fashion is and she buys all her clothes from Shien to wear a few times. Like come on you cant expect your words to hold any weight when you say one thing and do another. I'd never say I support gay people's rights then give money to a gay people rights crushing machine.

No.

The holier-than-thou consumer nonsense becomes a tad silly when you realize you're typing out your judgement on a computer assembled with child or slave labor. And every single one of us is using a device in that category.

I appreciate people trying to be conscientious, but judging other people's consumer choices is silly to me.

Context matters quite a bit here. Not all boycots are created equal.

I used to be the guy who wandered into Target every other week to get one thing and left with an $150 cart full of junk I didn't plan on buying. I joined the boycotting over their DEI policy shift. I wouldn't judge someone for continuing to shop there. Though I would encourage them to spend less. I view that boycott as an important lesson in respecting all stakeholders and not bending the knee to authoritarianism, but hardly an existential crisis for anyone or anything but Target.

I'm not sure if I'm technically boycotting Tesla because I've never done any business with them. However, it's my firm conviction that someone who buys a Tesla today, is a piece of shit. Someone who knowingly invests in Tesla is a piece of shit. If they're someone I continue to interact with after that they're very likely to hear about it.

Tesla, in my opinion, is complicit in everything Elon does. It has proactively financed, and propagandized oppression and undermined democracy and the functioning of a government that is supposed to serve and represent me. Anyone who buys a Tesla today is also complicit.

No, it's the same with vegans / vegetarian, I think what they are doing is noble and I try to do as much as they, but I don't look down or judge people for not being able to do it.

There's enough shit in the world to worry about to start putting people down for not following every single boycott.

That said, fuck Nestle.

Depends. Not every boycott is equally easy to pull off. Apparently the CEO of Nestle doesn’t believe in the basic human right of clean water. Makes me want to boycott them but… where do you even start. That’s about 1/3 of our supermarkets stocks. Also Amazon has the market cornered in a lot of ways / places. I’ve been able to not order but I know people who have 0 viable alternatives for things they need.

Then again if it’s something like people picking Starbucks over the local coffee shop next to it while preaching moral superiority… yeah, then I’ll judge.

Oh I bet the wealthy love it when the working class are at other's throats over what brands they should boycott.

Yes, even myself.

Family member wanted to go to a store that was in the same strip mall as a Hobby Lobby and I was sitting in the car hating everybody that I saw going into that Christofascist rat den. Those assholes are part of the reason healthcare and insurance is so fucking abysmal and hostile to women.

If they're doing it out of ignorance, I'd tell them what's wrong with X and let them decide for themselves.

If they're doing it out of necessity, I'd help them look for viable alternatives, and leave them alone if there are none.

If they're doing it out of support for X after I specifically told them why X is bad, then yeah I'd judge for a bit, then leave them alone.

First of all, I would ask them if they're familiar with the boycott and the reasons why it is happening. If they are, ask them them if they have a reason not to participate. Based on that, and how serious the cause behind the boycott is, I would judge.

Of course.

Well, no, not everyone is equally informed to begin with. And you can't make such a blanket statement as "if you don't live like I do you're a terrible person", reality is nuanced, always.

However , I will judge the hell out of them and add them to my mental lists of People Who Do This Or That. But no, they're not necessarily terrible persons

Nah, there's already enough to try and keep up with no need to add to the pile. If its friends I might just comment why I dont. I wouldn't expect them to change though if they didnt care.

If they know, and it's not vital, and they don't care, then I think less of them.

Some people have less self control than a toddler