American Boycott

The LA Times ran a piece about the religious right's boycott of all sorts of American goods. The story has a smarmy edge to it, but it raises good questions: Will the RR boycott everything? Are boycotts effective?

Throughout the lengthy article, though, is one glaring omission: Is boycotting the right thing to do? Is a person morally compromised if he purchases a product, knowing the proceeds will promote, albeit in a small way, immorality? This question requires each person to look at his own situation ("Can I afford to boycott a cost-effective product?) and the level of immoral complicity of the company (if Yahoo! donates just $5,000 to Planned Parenthood, that's almost an insult to PP more than a donation).

For me, boycotts are the great American way: using consumer choice to avoid companies that spit in your face. That being said, I don't boycott very much. Most of my boycotts are "soft," meaning that I avoid certain brands in general, but I don't drive to the next store to find what I need or spend 20% more to get a competitor's brand, unless the company is particularly bad. It's not a bright-line criterion, but it's the best I can do in a culture where the potential to support immorality laces the shelves of every grocer and retailer.