Wednesday, August 31, 2005

At the Green Place, It's All About Blue, White and Red

 

Over at Little Green Footballs, on Mr. Johnson’s open thread for Katrina conversation, the lizardoids are discussing which corporations, the red or the blue, are giving more to the rescue operations in the aftermath of the hurricane. Red? Blue? Is this like halal and haram? Kosher foods?

We lead a sheltered life at Gates. Living in the Middle of Beyond, sans media except for the internet and a few magazines (books don’t count as media. They are stacked everywhere. The Baron, who claims he can do anything that requires brains and no skill, has suggested we call someone with both attributes — i.e., a carpenter — to add more bookcases to our collection). Thus, we were not aware of the depth of the political polarization in our good country. The breadth is obvious, but the depth is disturbing. Corporations, it seems, are either Red or Blue.

At BuyBlue.org, there is an alphabetical listing that lists the colors various companies fly. Some are deep blue, some lighter. Some are blood red, some a bit pink. And still others are white; these evidently are neutral. BuyBlue has a motto: In today’s America there is a more powerful act than voting blue and that’s BUYING BLUE (their emphasis).

This is a fascinating balkanization. Do you remember when Christian groups were ridiculed by liberals for suggesting that Christians should support Christian stores and businesses? Now it seems the Politically Correct thing to do. Imitation remains the sincerest form of flattery, doesn’t it?

Things I noticed: my car insurance is deep blue. Geico is blood red. Google, upon whom these words are written, is deep blue — something one can see in their screening of news stories sometimes. If a rival to Goog rose up, would the Vast Right Wing fly off in their direction? Does it make you uneasy that Google is so very friendly with the Chinese government?

There was no need to check Walmart’s color. Just from the invective flecks of foam spuming from the mouths of the progressives (love that new term) one can surmise that Walmart is too, too red for words. Or at least that appears to be the reason for their irrational reactivity regarding Walmart’s very existence. While I don’t shop at Walmart — it’s depressingly large somehow — I do go there online, especially to compare prices. And they deliver by mail.

What do you think? Is the color of a company’s politics a good reason to buy there or to boycott those who support programs you don’t like? Or should you simply continue to go to those places which provide value and service?

What a strange divide. What a strange website. What a wild and wooly country. To BuyBlue I say, bring it on, Blueseys!

Hmmm…I wonder what color my shoe store is? And how did Amazon turn red? Jeff Bezoz, why did I suppose you'd turn up blue and cyanotic like Google?

12 comments:

airforcewife said...

Amazon is red? My goodness, I'm shocked pink!

For the most part, I buy what I need wherever has the best price for the most quality good. However, there are a few places I avoid on principle and a few places I shop at if at all possible.

Sometimes, I think, the only real sway we have is economic. It certainly has worked in the past - it just requires sustaining effort.

For instance: If at all possible, I will shop for things at Home Depot or Sears because these two companies have given deployed servicemember employees such amazing support at a cost to their bottom line.

I refuse to buy books from Borders because Borders employees were allowed to practice censorship of a form by hiding books whose political agenda they did not agree with (guess what that was...).

I also eschew Ben and Jerry's, because I don't want the money I give them going to support people who think my husband is a baby-killer (whether they say it out loud or not).

Finally, although my 13 year old likes country music, we do not allow Dixie Chicks CDs into our house. They can say what they want, but I certainly don't have to buy it. Sorry - no Bonny Raitt anymore, either. Thank goodness for Luke Stricklin!

In a true democracy/republic, we do indeed have freedom of speech. Freedom of speech, however, does not mean freedom from consequences.

Yashmak said...

Interesting. Most of the places I shop are indeed shown as red. I gather the results are arrived at by a review of politican donations?

airforcewife,
Now that you have mentioned the Home Depot & Sears support for servicemember employees, I will definitely be more apt to shop there.

To be honest though, I seriously doubt that it even occurs to the average shopper what political donations the stores they frequent make. It's never even occurred to me before today. And in the end, any boycotting of those stores is only going to hurt the average working employee. My guess is that their welfare never occurred to the folks at BuyBlue . . so much like the left to think of an idea but not its consequences.

Rick Ballard said...

Dymphna,

BuyBlue is a Rovian exercise, It's actually the Red boycott list.

The Dark Lord's hand is everywhere.

Lanny Nugen said...

I was wondering what's help intensity level leftist & liberal blogs given to Katrina's victim. I know some of them expressing strong opinion to help fellow Americans but I have a feeling that loathing America would incapacitate the majority of these groups. Nice if someone having the time to check on this. The Amazon message this morning indicates something about that corporation and it gave me a very bad taste of their stupidity.

Dymphna said...

Rick--

I shoulda known it was Rove. You're a slick one, you are.

Dymphna said...

lan nguyen--

a good question. I talked to a Leftie friend tonight for a long time and she never mentioned the hurricane, though we both grew up in FL and know the experience. I waited to see if it entered the conversation, but I didn't initiate it.

I didn't see anything offensive about Amazon. THey had essentially the same message up as for the tsuanmi. They try to provide privacy and if that's important you limit what you give. I can't afford $250.00 so it's moot.

Tell me what message you saw.

airforcewife said...

yashmak - boycott worked with the Dixie Chicks, most certainly! Its just a matter of people (1) caring enough to change their shopping habits, and (2) having the information necessary to know whom to avoid.

Also, in the very pro-military town I stayed in during hubby's deployment, Home Depot was inundanted by servicemember families because of their policies.

Yashmak said...

True airfocewife, but there's a big difference between public support for a boycott of a band which blatantly disrespects our nation in general, and boycotting a store simply because it provides more political donations to one party than to the other.

It's easy to get people to care about the former. . .the latter? I'm not so sure.

Lanny Nugen said...



Amazon.com to Gulf Coast: Drop Dead
August 31, 2005 12:37 PM PST

UPDATE: At 2:45 Pacific, we heard from Amazon that the company has changed its mind. Some one must have gotten around to asking Jeff Bezos.


One of the most staggeringly insensitive and stupid corporate statements ever made, from Amazon.com, where I used to buy a whole bunch of stuff:


But mainstream Web sites that had jumped to pull in money for the tsunami victims showed no evidence of repeating it here in the U.S. for Katrina's. Amazon.com, which raised more than $14 million for the American Red Cross in January via a donation link on its home page, didn't have one as of mid-day Monday. Nor did Google, Yahoo, MSN, or eBay, all of which hustled earlier in the year to put up donation links on their portals. (Google slapped up an "Information about Hurricane Katrina" link on its Spartan home page, but that led to news sources and stories.)

An Amazon spokesperson said that the online retailer had no plans to post a donation link on its site. "Each case is different," she said. "The Red Cross has essentially given over its entire site to donations. The tsunami came out of the blue, so it was an 'all hands on deck' situation, but the Red Cross has been getting ready for this and getting its message out there for several days."


HT: Instapundit.


This will get a lot of my airtime today. To quote Glenn, let's hope Amazon's execs will "change their minds."



I got this from Hugh Hewitt site before the update. After people started writting to their corp's headquater, they changed their stand. But I don't forget.

Dymphna said...

lan nguyen--

What was your position about Amazon before this mistake?

I have strongly positive feelings about the company; it's innovative, energetic, and has a good employee relations record.

Currently, it's running a contest for innovative non-profits...for example.

When I sold the Baron's Boy's textbooks, I got the best deal with the least hassle on Amazon. It is one of the most user-friendlly places I know.

Here's my take: Amazon and some of the other corporations may have been feeling the same hesitation about this that I did.

For one, our infrastructure and our governmental setup for emergency relief is very good.

For two, the recognition of how bad is was didn't sink in immediately. The tsunami was dramatic, unique to us. But hurricanes? That's just September for you.

For three, and this is a big one for me, there was a wait-and-see attitude because of the horrible waste of money and resources that went on in the aftermath of the tsunami. I remember resolving that next time, rather than respond out of horrified compassion, I would wait and see what might be best to do.

So out of all that came my hesitation and I'm not going to let Amazon's less-than-perfect reaction ruin what has been a good relationship for me.

BTW, one place I am considering is the one you have on your website. The way he describes it (she?) it sounds as though even donations are problematic since there is no way to have things delivered. What do you want to bet that UPS and Fed Ex will be up and running before the post office. Sad but true.

Anyway, my inclination is to give to small places or to places that have meaning for me. New Orleans, et al is going to need help for a long, long time.

I hope you will relent re Amazon. There are so many other places more deserving of your ire.

Lanny Nugen said...

Dymphna,

My position before Amazon today is a mixed feeling.

1) They do just fine as a business, not much better than others but with a free shipping they are a little bit cheaper to others. Their service is fine, so it's convenient for me to buy everything from them. So in business standpoint, I have no problem with them, as you do.

2) At one time about 2 years ago, I think, they are trying to set up something either like a news or blog news and they loaded my page with all leftist liberal blogs (the idiotarian kind). I wrote to them to complain that I do not want to read those junks and I want them off my page. I have not receive any reply for awhile while the page keeps display the idiotarian rants so I just deleted my page compeletely. I don't even care what has happened then (I think they canned the project). Instead of acting as a business catering to both sides of the house, they were acting like Air America for one side of the aisle. That's my first distaste with Amazon and it leaves me some lingering questions about Amazon's culture.

I don't know if you really read the Amazon's statement in Information Week but I got that from Michelle Malkin then track back to Hugh Hewitt (I always make a habit to check everybody's words even though I have a very high respect for both of them). The doesn't look like "we have not known what to do with it yet" but rather, it is "we don't do because somebody is doing it". Or worse, it is opened to interpretation "they can take care of themselves, but tsunami victims can't". The inference is there, making connection is depending on one's previous experience. Without the previous experience, I would just probably ignore this remark (or give it the first negative mark). However, my previous experience reinforces my belief that past behavior predicts future behavior. 2 strikes will soon have another strike in the same direction. We will see. I am not boycotting Amazon just yet, but I won't forget.

Lanny Nugen said...

Dymphna,

I don't know what website you meant I have. My website was closed after Nov, 2004 once Kerry defeated. I am one time political activist and did what I could do to help defeating John Kerry, with a bunch of Vietnam Veteran friends, liberal & conservative who couldn't stand the smell of that ugly duckling. If Kerry comes out again, we will come out again from our closet. That's a promise. He never understand why soldiers despite him as evidenced by his comment to the SwiftBoats.

PS: Clue for you that some young men having same name as mine: If I have fought in Vietnam then I am not young. Not even in the 40s.