Boycott Starbucks

[bornhere]

And don't forget: Clay goes to Starbucks. Gotta be like Clay. Gotta do what Clay does.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Umm. yes! see Montgomery Bus Boycott

UmmmmOranges! We're talking apples.


The Montgomery case is something civil rights leaders took to the Supreme Court. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott was about unconstitutional segregation, not semantics in an argument about a sports team. This is a boycott of a multi-national behemoth chain of coffee stores by people in a city with a scant handful of their stores here. They could probably close every store in this state and it wouldn't be more than a larger than average blip in their stock price. Not to mention that this "boycott" has nothing to do with people getting actually harmed or having their basic human rights violated, unlike in Montgomery.

People that don't have a direct interest in the situation (see: 90% of the population) won't give a crap, and will continue to buy their double venti on the way to work every morning and the baristas won't even notice a dip in sales.

The Southern Baptist Convention called for a boycott on Disney a few years back...How did that work out?

People have been trying to boycott Exxon for decades, yet they still make money in piles.

That's just how I see this. I'm not trying to denigrate anybody wanting to boycott them...More power to them. I just think that it's going to do about as much good as me ranting and trying to change their mind on an internet message board

[venture]

This is about as smart as boycotting buying gas for one day to show the oil companies we are tired of it...i mean, we can just go get gas the next day anyway so it doesn't interrupt our lives. :-P

[donuteyes]

well of course people in OKC work at starbucks, but they get paid weather i go or not.

[drumsncode]

The whole Clay Bennett/Aubrey McClendon thing stinks to me. You know they bought the team with full knowledge that they'd move it here, and their emails proved it. Anyone could see it coming.

The fact that our government is willing to give the farm to these millionaires in the form of all the tax breaks is supremely insulting to all the Oklahomans that work their butts off and have to pay full taxes. As the Joker said in Batman, "This town needs an enema." We need to start with Mick Cornett.

[OKCCrime]

UmmmmOranges! We're talking apples. ...

To be fair, you asked

Have silly boycotts EVER worked for anything more than give a warm fuzzy to those doing the boycotting?

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a successful boycott. Thus the answer to your question is yes.

That's just how I see this. I'm not trying to denigrate anybody wanting to boycott them...More power to them. I just think that it's going to do about as much good as me ranting and trying to change their mind on an internet message board

You seem really to be making the point that consumer boycotts aren't effective. However, that isn't necessarily true. Combined boycotts, advertising and protests can be an effective way to produce change even at large public companies. For example:

From: Office Supply Superstore Staples Inc. Agrees to Historic Endangered Forest and Recycling Policy

"The Staples Campaign - which involved more than 600 demonstrations at Staples' stores nationwide and tens of thousands of letters and calls to the company's CEO - is over following the office-supply giant's announcement today that it will meet The Paper Campaign's goal of moving the company towards environmentally-preferable paper sales."

I'll say again, however, that proposing a boycott of Starbucks because of Shultz's personal behavior (i.e. the lawsuit) and not because of Starbuck company policy, isn't just.

[OKCisOK4me]

W O W !

I think this is the first successful thread I've ever started. Let me clear some things up:

1) I don't do Starbucks because I do not drink anything coffee! (although I have had the refrigerated Frappachinno (I don't even know how to spell it) from 7-11 once or twice in my life).

2) This is not a 'HA we've got your former team now'. If you're pointing this out, then it leads me to believe that you 'war party' with the mongers up in Seattle so take your opinion to their threads as they will probably welcome you with arms wide open.

3) I said boycott Starbucks for as long as you can. Not forever. Forever works fine for me because I do not do coffee...but YOU can supplement your needs somewhere else until the time comes that you can't stand not drinking their prices anymore--cause I guess it's just that delicious! In that time you might find a place that has better coffee products & at a cheaper price. Granted, this new place probably won't have a drive thru window and you'll be condemned to getting out of your car...but are you really that lazy? No wonder our mayor has to challenge his city to lose 1 million pounds--save that for another subject.

I've got to go to work!

[kmf563]

and you'll be condemned to getting out of your car...but are you really that lazy? No wonder our mayor has to challenge his city to lose 1 million pounds--save that for another subject.

haha. YES! I am that lazy. I have a work out time, and it's not walking from my car to places I'm ordering a drink. And I weigh about a buck o five when wet, so I really don't think I need to worry about it.

BUT - I would be more willing to support local coffee shops if they were available to me without going out of my way to find one. I don't drink Starbucks on a daily basis, I get free coffee at work and at my house. Well, I bought it from the Nazi store that put the mom and pop grocer out of business..but let's put that aside.

I get coffee driving from point A to point B. There aren't any local coffee shops between the two. With the hours I work - I need my coffee! And I want it strong.
I just believe in picking my battles, this one is yours to have...I have my boycott in place against walmart and dillards to uphold. It won't do anything to hurt their business, but I feel better about not contributing to either.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

To be fair, you asked


The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a successful boycott. Thus the answer to your question is yes.



You seem really to be making the point that consumer boycotts aren't effective. However, that isn't necessarily true. Combined boycotts, advertising and protests can be an effective way to produce change even at large public companies. For example:

From: Office Supply Superstore Staples Inc. Agrees to Historic Endangered Forest and Recycling Policy

"The Staples Campaign - which involved more than 600 demonstrations at Staples' stores nationwide and tens of thousands of letters and calls to the company's CEO - is over following the office-supply giant's announcement today that it will meet The Paper Campaign's goal of moving the company towards environmentally-preferable paper sales."

I'll say again, however, that proposing a boycott of Starbucks because of Shultz's personal behavior (i.e. the lawsuit) and not because of Starbuck company policy, isn't just.

Points taken ...But I still think this one is going to be about as effective as a fart in the wind. Just a little noise and nobody is going to smell it.

[Misty]

I am so glad you are back Oh GAWD! I'm a complete Oh GAWD e-groupie, I missed your posts!

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

You just like my fart jokes.

[Misty]

I love all your jokes. I love you like a fat kid loves cake.

[OKCisOK4me]

haha. YES! I am that lazy. I have a work out time, and it's not walking from my car to places I'm ordering a drink. And I weigh about a buck o five when wet, so I really don't think I need to worry about it.

Glad to hear. I'm also glad to hear that I'm not the only one with boycott issues. I know we won't make a dent in the earnings but it feels good to be against something so greedy.

[so1rfan]

I hate Starbucks. Why? Because I never know what to order. The first time I went I had no idea what the difference between a latte and a frappachino was and apparently if you ask, the fifty impatient people behind you who are waiting for their caffienated crack fix get pissy and then even if you order a simple cup of coffee the order taker will snarl and give a look at you like "what is that?"

So I asked a friend that frequents the place and he told me what all the different things they have are so I thought I would give it another try. This time I walk up to the counter (wary of the crackheads behind me) and order a "large carmel macheeto with an extra shot" of which the order taker then proceeds to snarl at me (while the fifty crackheads behind me all collectively snicker) and says "you mean double grande caramel machiato" with a tone of annoyance.

I went twice more and it doesn't matter, whatever I order the counter staff always corrects me, the people in line have zero patience, and the double mocha latte grande frappachio machiato isn't all the great anyways, plus the fact that I can buy two gallons of gas for the same amount as 20 ounces of liquid means I'll just find my plain cup of coffee elsewhere.

[Laramie]

[B]"I am a man possessed, the boycott is on... " The fight has just begun![B]

[Karried]

that I can buy two gallons of gas for the same amount as 20 ounces of liquid means I'll just find my plain cup of coffee elsewhere.

lol, I feel the same way.. I have no patience for coffee snobs who think because they know the proper way to order a cup of coffee that it elevates their social status.

Here's a hint, save the $5 - $10 bucks per day on your java, invest that same amount religiously and really become what you are pretending to be.

[donuteyes]

try the new coffee at mcdonald's, it's awesome, and the large is only $2.99. and it's way bigger than the starbucks large, whatever it's called there...

[donuteyes]

wait, i meant $1.99. not that i'm schilling for mcdonald's, but it's cheaper and just as good.