Reeces peanut butter eggs was the item that prompted it.
Decided not to take the easy option of MacDirty's for a quick lunch whilst doing various kids sport runs today.
TBF we had some pasta leftovers that needed eating, but the not eating at a symbol of US consumer culture added a tiny bit more satisfaction.
I will be keeping an eye out for American grocery type things, but we don't consume that much that is American. Their beer is shit, my wife doesn't normally drink Californian wine and we try to eat a bit healthier than your average American food export in any case.
Dyson, Spoons and Brew Dog already on the list. The last vacuum cleaner we bought was 'anything but Dyson'. I wouldn't be seen dead in Spoons in any case. I did used to like Shore Leave from Brew Dog - but I won't buy it now.
Does is make any difference? Probably not. But it makes me feel a tiny bit better versus the way the western world is going.
Their beer is shit, my wife doesn't normally drink Californian wine
Other than Brazin Zinfandel, which is utterly gorgeous and I only buy when discounted, and Apple products I can't put my finger on anything American in the house. Oh I have a Martin guitar but I got that 50 years ago.
I can't put my finger on anything American in the house.
What with this being a mountain bike forum, I reckon you wouldn't have to look far in terms of bike kit, though...
May I suggest, there is no real reason to buy American Zinfandel (unless it's a very specific producer who you like), as it is the same grape as Primitivo. Generally grown in Puglia (Italy) its often thought to be the superior wine. (I do prefer it had a bottle over the weekend)
Give your money to Europe not America!!
May I suggest, there is no real reason to buy American Zinfandel (unless it's a very specific producer who you like), as it is the same grape as Primitivo. Generally grown in Puglia (Italy) its often thought to be the superior wine. (I do prefer it had a bottle over the weekend)
Give your money to Europe not America!!
Thank heavens Santa Cruz are dutch.
yosemitepaul
Give your money to Europe not America!!
Username does not check out 😆
May I suggest, there is no real reason to buy American Zinfandel (unless it's a very specific producer who you like), as it is the same grape as Primitivo. Generally grown in Puglia (Italy) its often thought to be the superior wine. (I do prefer it had a bottle over the weekend)
Give your money to Europe not America!!
Italy also have a far right government.
Italy also have a far right government.
But Italy's government is not threatening to annexe any neighbouring countries or betray our allies to Russia.
But Italy's government is not threatening to annexe any neighbouring countries or betray our allies to Russia.
To be fair nor are the American people. I am not sure that it is appropriate or reasonable to punish a whole nation because of the behaviour of its leader who will be gone in less than four years anyway.
As a general rule I am not a huge fan of boycotts. There are exceptions where they are appropriate imo, such as the boycott of apartheid South Africa because in that example the aim was to apply maximum pressure, and in every way possible, on a regime with the goal of bringing about its collapse (a goal which was obviously achieved) But that really isn't applicable to the United States.
I can understand the emotional angle of not wanting to buy from a country whose society and values you strongly oppose, that's how I feel about the apartheid regime in Israel, but I don't think most people on here strongly oppose American society per se and will presumably be happy to buy American once Trump has gone.
Well whoever his successor is they are unlikely to want to annexe any neighbouring countries. I think Trump might be the first US president since the Mexican American War, almost two hundred years ago, to have that stated goal.
Sorry Ernie, but the American people knew who he was and still elected him. My brother is an American citizen and I have had some fabulous trips to the US but will not go whilst Trump is in power, and didn’t last time. If they are shunned they might take a little more interest in their politics. They do not deserve my money and spending my or your dollars there or Israel or taking cheap holidays to South Africa back in the day validates them, especially the US that tends to measure everything by money.
No need to apologise, boycott American goods and services if you feel it is something useful. But the world has too many political leaders which I don't approve of for me to go down that road.
Edit : For any boycott to be vaguely effective would require the backing of governments, ie sanctions. There is zero chance of that because the United States is so vital to the global economy.
In other words anything vaguely effective is out of the question. So the only thing you can focus on is what will have no effect, which doesn't sound particularly useful.
In other words anything vaguely effective is out of the question. So the only thing you can focus on is what will have no effect, which doesn't sound particularly useful.
Useful is a subjective term. It might be something as banal as just feeling a little bit better about oneself. It all helps (or at least can help).
Sure I get that ^^
To be fair to the right wing Italian government, they've stayed firmly behind Ukraine.
I'm intrigued how far Trump has to go before governments start to consider boycotts and sanctions. What does he have to say or do on Ukraine, Canada, Greenland before he is beyond the pale?
Maybe I'm unduly optimistic, but I think if enough Europeans stop buying US products, then Trump will have to pay attention.
It will affect the stock market (already is) and will also affect US companies (bourbon manufacturers are already mourning the loss of Canadian sales). I don't like it - there are loads of great companies with fantastic products, and lots of places to visit on holibobs. But I have to do something, however small it might be.
So no more Heinz tomato ketchup for me.
Trump has already got annoyed by the tesla boycott
Looks like we're not alone.
Switching out Patriot for SAMP/T, a bit spendier than ketchup but the same idea:
https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-to-eu-colleagues-stop-buying-american-buy-european/
“What difference would I make?” said 500 million people.
I'm intrigued how far Trump has to go before governments start to consider boycotts and sanctions.
Honestly effective sanctions against the United States would have a devastating effect on the global economy, that is why there is absolutely no chance of it happening.
I wish it wasn't the case but right now that is how it is. The United States can basically do whatever it wants and there is very little that the rest of the world can do.
Any significant change in that situation will take a very long time to develop. Although I totally agree that the process should begin now without delay, in fact it is very important that it does, something which particularly European countries are beginning to appreciate.
Edit : It's hard to find any serious analysis but this is what Claude reckons :
If global sanctions were applied to the United States, the consequences would be extraordinarily severe and far-reaching, affecting both the global economy and geopolitical landscape.
Economic impacts would include:
Global financial system disruption, as the U.S. dollar is the world's primary reserve currency and central to international trade
Severe reduction in global trade volumes, triggering supply chain breakdowns worldwide
Major financial market instability, likely causing stock markets to crash internationally
Economic recession in countries dependent on U.S. markets for exports
Dramatic price increases for commodities like oil that are typically traded in dollars
For the United States specifically:
Sharp economic contraction and rapid inflation
Major unemployment spikes as export-oriented industries collapse
Potential shortages of imported goods, including certain medicines, electronics, and raw materials
Financial system instability due to frozen overseas assets
Decreased standard of living for average Americans
Geopolitically, such sanctions would:
Fundamentally restructure international relations and power dynamics
Accelerate the development of alternative financial systems that bypass U.S. dominance
Likely lead to increased military tensions or even conflicts
Create new alliance structures as countries position themselves in a post-American-dominated system
Such comprehensive sanctions would be historically unprecedented and would require extraordinary coordination among major powers. They would effectively end the post-WWII international order and create tremendous uncertainty and instability globally.
They would effectively end the post-WWII international order and create tremendous uncertainty and instability globally.
Which seems to be what Trump is doing at the moment anyway.
I agree it's unlikely he'd actually go far enough for the RoW to take sanctions. Interesting "what if" scenarios though.
May I suggest, there is no real reason to buy American Zinfandel (unless it's a very specific producer who you like), as it is the same grape as Primitivo.
I'm well aware of Primitivo and I enjoy it. I haven't found one yet which I would rate above Brazin. But as I said I only buy it when it's discounted. My normal tipples are Italian, Spanish, Portuguese.
What with this being a mountain bike forum, I reckon you wouldn't have to look far in terms of bike kit, though...
Ah.... You appear to have me there. I'll have to check the house for other products now.
Meanwhile in the interest of removing "radical propaganda" Trump moves to close down Voice of America.
Interesting article - seems the Canadians do feel threatened by Trump’s 51st state rhetoric.
I assume Trump’s talking tough to get them to beg over his tariffs, but I can't help feeling with this and his Greenland talk, some wiser heads need to very publicly tell him to tone down his language as threatening or coercing independent nations is not helpful to global security
BBC News - Lyse Doucet: Symbols and substance in Canadian leader's first foreign visits
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c798je778n4o
The Post-WW2 International Order was great while it lasted, but it's pretty much dead in the water. I (amongst 99% of people in all likelihood) took it for granted that it was the inevitable consequence of some kind of global conscience arising from the ashes of the worst conflict in history. Which was wishful bollocks.
Actually it was the consequence of technological advances making enough people who held enough wealth happy. And it lasted about 45 years before population growth and the results of rampant consumerism became apparent. The golden autumn of the age was that period of around 1990-2015. When governments largely decided they would do something about climate change, dwindling resources etc. The Iron Curtain was down. Anything seemed possible.
But then it all started to appear a bit too difficult. So it became easy to seed the notion that global security, global cooperation etc was actually "someone foreign taking the piss out of us". And here we are.
Obviously this post-WW2 order exploited an entire continent (Africa) and large parts of other continents. It wasn't some amazing age of holding hands in a global circle. But it was good enough. And now it isn't.
He's trying to void Biden's pardons...
Even by my most pessimistic predictions, I did not imagine how much of a shit show this would become and how quickly it would happen
He’s a day nearer death. Just a tiny ray of sunshine.
This is what happens when you elect known felons to high office.
assume Trump’s talking tough to get them to beg over his tariffs,
Why do you not assume that he's talking tough because he genuinely intends to take over Canada?
It would make him the greatest (for some value of "greatest") US president of the modern era, and seal his place in the history books. It would provide a direct stepping stone to Greenland. And a huge bigly amount of cash would come his way.
It is exactly what Putin has done with Ukraine so not without precedent.
Some people would die fighting but they would likely be poor people, so no biggie.
First step would be to weaken Canada economically with tariffs.
some wiser heads need to very publicly tell him to tone down his language
Those wiser heads will find themselves on the wrong end of his wrath if they try anything as stupid as that.
He's trying to void Biden's pardons...
You have to bear in mind all the time with Trump that everything, absolutely everything he does is driven not by any sort of strategy or long term vision or policy but of with whom he bears personal animus. From the Kennedy Centre board to the newspapers that he doesn't like, to Biden to Zelensky...everything.
Those wiser heads will find themselves on the wrong end of his wrath if they try anything as stupid as that.
So do we just let it play out till he invades a NATO country? Are we happy to ignore the lessons of the 1930s and 2014 in case shouty man gets more shouty?
Pain now or worse pain later.
some wiser heads need to very publicly tell him to tone down his language
There are no ‘wiser heads’ left within a hundred mile radius of the Oval Office. It’s nodding dogs like Vance egging him on and unhinged lunatics like Musk. All the media owners are prostrating themselves before him
The only hope I think anyone has is the corporate interests who bankroll the Republicans can’t be enjoying the lack of stability causing chaos to their balance sheets and might want to have a quiet word. But I can’t see anyone within the MAGA cult that used to be the GOP being in any mood to listen to them
But then it all started to appear a bit too difficult.
I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist but this all starts to go to shit about the time social media takes over our lives.
the Republicans can’t be enjoying the lack of stability causing chaos to their balance sheets
The little bit of me that enjoys conspiracy theories can't help but remember that there's always someone somewhere who makes a fortune out of market uncertainty, and 'never letting a good crisis go to waste' is a thing...
I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist but this all starts to go to shit about the time social media takes over our lives.
It's a key part of it too. Not only did the populists realise that you could reach millions of people in a kind of personal way...
They also realised you could use algorithms to targets specific groups and then...
That you could tell tailored lies to each subset - sometimes even lies that were incompatible with the other ones.
It has been said a lot, but should humankind ever get to a place all of this can be studied, unregulated social media will be viewed like we currently view cigarette companies being allowed to advertise freely, including using cartoon characters. It will seem of another age and 'unbelievable'.
There are no ‘wiser heads’ left within a hundred mile radius of the Oval Office.
Sorry I wasn't making my point very well - I was referring to other NATO/international leaders setting out the facts. Trump's statements are a threat to international peace and security, he either reins them in or he has to be treated as a threat in the same way we view China/Russia/Iran etc.
Letting him get any real momentum in continuing the threats or God forbid turning them into action can't continue to be an option.
I was referring to other NATO/international leaders setting out the facts
Trump has made it pretty clear what he thinks of NATO.
The only international leader with any sway over him is Putin.
Pain now or worse pain later.
Both of those.
I think it's pretty clear now that Trump is colluding with Putin to decide how to dismantle/carve up Ukraine in their own interests, in a bi-latteral manner without consultation or agreement from those it actually affects.
This will be devestating to Ukraine in the long run, and by proxy, devestating to Europe as a whole, The UK included.
I think it's pretty clear now that Trump is colluding with Putin to decide how to dismantle/carve up Ukraine in their own interests, in a bi-latteral manner without consultation or agreement from those it actually affects.
This will be devestating to Ukraine in the long run, and by proxy, devestating to Europe as a whole, The UK included.
It's been clear for a while and I believe Europe has to be prepared to support Ukraine if they choose to refuse the deal if it doesn't deliver for them.
The precedent it would set for rewarding aggression and war crimes is too big a price. Have I mentioned that I think it's time Trump was called out on it?
Even by my most pessimistic predictions, I did not imagine how much of a shit show this would become and how quickly it would happen
He learnt his lesson last time, this time they are going in quick.
I think they’ve picked up on the fatal flaw with democracy, it’s ran/policed by salaried people so I think they’ll just sack enough people for people to keep their heads down and let them do as they want.
Any time trump has someone go against him his strategy is to paint a big target on their back with his followers.
Don’t forget the ‘50s when they had McCarthyism that ruined peoples life, history doesn’t repeat it just sort of gets repackaged/recycled.
Some people would die fighting but they would likely be poor people, so no biggie.
If you remember season 1 , Trump (bone spurs) really doesn’t think much of people who go in the army.
When Nam was on he was happily living the playboy lifestyle when the poor were being conscripted.
TBF it wasn’t uncommon amongst the rich.
