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instantmelanie

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Posts posted by instantmelanie

  1. Or you know enough about the conflict that you know the BDS movement is focusing on a one-sided narrative that blames Israel for everything and is just a front for anti-Semitism.

    Like soda-stream for example. They had a factory which was dedicated to providing jobs for Palestinians and employed close to a hundred Palestinian workers, who all lost their jobs when the BDS movement forced soda-stream to relocated their factory.

    But that didn't matter for the BDS movement. They just wanted to punish Israeli companies where or not out would hurt Palestinians also

     

    It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that BDS is simply a "front for anti-Semtism" and you know that. And neither is anti-Zionism the same as anti-Semitism. Maybe 10 years ago you could silence discussion on Israeli's policies in the OPT by brandishing the anti-Semitism argumnent, but no longer is that the case. As a global grassroots movement it is not without its fair share of problems, iconsistancies, and venal and opportunistic stakeholders. But an anti-Semitic front it is not. As for the argument that to hurt Israel is to hurt the people that Israel occupies, that is true, but not a very persuasive argument against BDS. It's like saying do not throw the slave master in jail because then his slaves will be out of work. Clearly the end of Israel's occupation implies economic emancipation for the Palestinians. Loosing a couple of jobs in the process is a small sacrifice considering what is to be gained. In any case its up to the Palestinians to decide what they will sacrifice for their freedom.

     

    Anyways, the point I was trying to make is that the "don't know, don't care" attitude is a moral disengagement from the world. So the answer to the question

     

    When I buy my morning coffee, am I complicit in a system of slavery?

     

    is: if you're asking the question then yes.

  2. Do costumers have a moral obligation to the people they buy from?

     

    I like what Randomizer has said: "You buy at Wal-Mart to save money because you don't have it to spend." If you're going to hold people responsible for all direct and indirect consequences of their buyings, then consider that many people honestly do not know better or can't afford otherwise. The only reasonable thing to do is hold accountable those people who know better and can afford to purchase elsewhere. The real villains are the people who are perfectly aware and who have the wherewithal to vote with their wallet but instead choose to take the options that are convenient only to themselves ethical and moral considerations be damned.

     

    Theory in practice: the BDS movement. If you have no idea what the BDS movement is or for that matter are clueless about the larger Israel/Palestine conflict then I don't blame you for buying products that either are produced by or directly support Israeli companies. What reason would anyone have to pay attention to such details anyways. If, however, you are informed about Israel's brutalistic inhumane military and political polices and despite this awareness you go buy a SodaStream machine than yeah you are a dirt bag because you know where your money is going.

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