[Politics] Artists Boycotting Barclays...

[faoileán]

There's been a lot of band-wagon jumping and virtue signalling in recent weeks by artists first boycotting the Great Escape and now Latitude Festival because of Barclays sponsorship. The belief is that Barclays are financing the Isreali war on the Palestinians and that they invest in the defence companies that supply the IDF.
I have no affection for Barclays but a bit of basic research shows that like all major banks and financial services firms Barclays provides a service for their customers to invest. If a client wants to buy shares in a British defence firm then Barclays will execute the deal; Barclays themselves are not stumping-up the cash. You could argue that they are still involved in the financing process, but why single them out and boycott the events that they are linked to? Every bank/City firm will have clients invested in the same defence firms, and those banks and firms also sponsor the arts, sport, museums, etc. etc.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I have nothing against politically motivated boycotting, but in this case, the Israelis are completely oblivious to any potential impacts.

My Niece is recommending that all of the family cancel their Disney+ memberships as apparently Disney supports Israel.
I mean, does she really think Disney will notice, or Israel will care?
I love her dearly, but this is a prime example of "virtue signalling". Absolving yourself of any guilt, whilst not actually making any difference in the cause you support.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I have nothing against politically motivated boycotting, but in this case, the Israelis are completely oblivious to any potential impacts.

My Niece is recommending that all of the family cancel their Disney+ memberships as apparently Disney supports Israel.
I mean, does she really think Disney will notice, or Israel will care?
I love her dearly, but this is a prime example of "virtue signalling". Absolving yourself of any guilt, whilst not actually making any difference in the cause you support.

Bollox to that, I've been looking forward to watching the Acolyte

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

That Camden music series on Dismal + is the one half decent show on there in years. Great interviews with The Libertines, Carl Cox et al.

 

[A1X]

Surely once a company becomes big enough (and Barclays are one of the biggest in the world) then they have their fingers in so many different pies that they're bound to fall over something at some point in this way?

Personally I'm of the belief that political will is more important in this regard TBH, unless the company involved is a state-owned one (which Barclays is not)

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Reckon if you drill down deep enough into the sponsors of just about any tour or festival you're almost guaranteed to find someone or something to be offended by. This Is The Modern World

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

I have nothing against politically motivated boycotting, but in this case, the Israelis are completely oblivious to any potential impacts.

My Niece is recommending that all of the family cancel their Disney+ memberships as apparently Disney supports Israel.
I mean, does she really think Disney will notice, or Israel will care?
I love her dearly, but this is a prime example of "virtue signalling". Absolving yourself of any guilt, whilst not actually making any difference in the cause you support.

Walt will be spinning in his grave.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I have nothing against politically motivated boycotting, but in this case, the Israelis are completely oblivious to any potential impacts.

My Niece is recommending that all of the family cancel their Disney+ memberships as apparently Disney supports Israel.
I mean, does she really think Disney will notice, or Israel will care?
I love her dearly, but this is a prime example of "virtue signalling". Absolving yourself of any guilt, whilst not actually making any difference in the cause you support.

Is it 'virtue signalling' though if she cancels her Disney+ subscription? Or is it just considering her own moral conscience and applying that to her personal spending?

On a slightly less emotive level, I have a vehement dislike of Tim Martin. I dislike his stance on Brexit. I disliked his use of his in-house magazines as a political propaganda tool. I disliked his attitude toward his staff during covid. Because of those reasons, I don't visit Wetherspoons pubs. My 'boycott' as far as I am concerned, is not 'virtue signalling' - its simply that I do not wish to hand MY money, to somebody I really don't like.

Perhaps your niece just doesn't wish to hand her money to a company who's actions she doesn't like?

 

[Sussax]

I'm all for people protesting Barclays, it's their own time they're wasting. But to vandalise property, solely affecting the lower paid workers and elderly customers who rely on face to face banking is just mindless. And to do it in the name of dead Gazan children is an insult to their memory.

Barclays banks across UK targeted by pro-Palestine protesters

Windows were smashed and rocks thrown in the co-ordinated protests by the group Palestine Action.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[SeagullinExile]

Boycotting Barclays is pointless. I prefer to boycott purchasing Israeli produce, which I have done for many, many years now.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Is it 'virtue signalling' though if she cancels her Disney+ subscription? Or is it just considering her own moral conscience and applying that to her personal spending?

On a slightly less emotive level, I have a vehement dislike of Tim Martin. I dislike his stance on Brexit. I disliked his use of his in-house magazines as a political propaganda tool. I disliked his attitude toward his staff during covid. Because of those reasons, I don't visit Wetherspoons pubs. My 'boycott' as far as I am concerned, is not 'virtue signalling' - its simply that I do not wish to hand MY money, to somebody I really don't like.

Perhaps your niece just doesn't wish to hand her money to a company who's actions she doesn't like?

I used quotes on Virtue signalling myself as the OP had used them. I totally agree with anyone's right to boycott a company on their own points of principal.

However in this case, the The Disney+ account(s) are not my niece's.
She has requested the family members who have them should consider cancelling.
My assumption is that she feels teh more people that do this, the more likelihood is of making a positive change in perceptions to this issue (if not making policy changes in the Israeli government)

The point I had meant to make., was that there is a movement towards political activism just revolving around one's own conscience.
My personal view is that isn't effective in the short term and therefore in this case, a fairly pointless gesture.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Reckon if you drill down deep enough into the sponsors of just about any tour or festival you're almost guaranteed to find someone or something to be offended by. This Is The Modern World

Precisely.

There is a big difference between being 'connected' via the labyrinth of the modern world, and being an active campaigner for Likud.

I resigned from my union a few years ago after it passed a motion to 'boycott' Israel and anyone who has any connection with Israel. I complained at the singling out of one nation and not others, and was told if I wanted to put forward a motion to boycott China, Russia, Zimbabwe, Yemen, Iran or whoever I could do so. As if that makes it right. As it happens the motion, which was passed by the local 'chapel', by around 20 votes to 5 (there are over 1,000 people in the chapel) was rejected by the national executive.

Sadly an element of yoof left, representatives of whom were singing 'O Jeremy Corbyn' at Glasto, are suckers for boycotting Israel. And Barclays bank. When I was a student in the 70s we were urged to boycott Barclay's then because they invested in South Africa.

This particular element of yoof left are a bit of an embarrassment, and are causing needless consternation, and irritating the 'sensible' left (of which I count myself as a member). I am sure it wouldn't take much digging to unearth an anti-Semitic agenda in there.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Bollox to that, I've been looking forward to watching the Acolyte

Me too.
And then I saw the first episode...


Boycott Disney!!

 

[CheeseRolls]

A number of major UK based banks have fingers in pies here, which doesn't necessarily let Barclays off the hook here.

They may not invest their own money as per the PR spin, but their loan book to arms manufacturers IS substantial and has increased significantly in recent years.

The old and cynical can choose to do nothing, some have options to redirect their pension investments. Many of the young just have their ideology and holding big business to account via boycott seems a legitimate response.

 

[jcdenton08]

Out of interest, who should I bank with - HSBC? They’re notoriously ethical.

All the major banks have shady shit in their past (and undoubtedly many in their present). Where does the line get drawn?

Doing business in Russia? China?

It’s absolutely pointless. By all means take a moral stand if it makes you feel better, but realise it’s only for you and nobody else gives a shit.

 

[rippleman]

I have nothing against politically motivated boycotting, but in this case, the Israelis are completely oblivious to any potential impacts.

My Niece is recommending that all of the family cancel their Disney+ memberships as apparently Disney supports Israel.
I mean, does she really think Disney will notice, or Israel will care?
I love her dearly, but this is a prime example of "virtue signalling". Absolving yourself of any guilt, whilst not actually making any difference in the cause you support.

I don't buy Nike products because of their use of forced / child labour. I don't use Amazon because they are tax evaders. Do Nike and Amazon care? Absolutely not. But I can rest easy at night knowing that I am doing, in my view, the right thing.

Would I like the rest of the world to boycott these organisations? Yes, of course I would but I know it is never going to happen. But just because I'm in a tiny minority should I just accept I can't change anything and bundle in with everyone else? Well, that's never going to happen.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I don't buy Nike products because of their use of forced / child labour. I don't use Amazon because they are tax evaders. Do Nike and Amazon care? Absolutely not. But I can rest easy at night knowing that I am doing, in my view, the right thing.

Would I like the rest of the world to boycott these organisations? Yes, of course I would but I know it is never going to happen. But just because I'm in a tiny minority should I just accept I can't change anything and bundle in with everyone else? Well, that's never going to happen.

Agreed.

But you aren't expecting your actions to change those policies are you?
You are also taking a direct stand against the company you disagree with.

In this specific case we are talking about trying to stop a state from committing war crimes.
Cancelling a Disney+ subscription is not impacting Israel in the slightest.

 

[Eeyore]

I used quotes on Virtue signalling myself as the OP had used them. I totally agree with anyone's right to boycott a company on their own points of principal.

However in this case, the The Disney+ account(s) are not my niece's.
She has requested the family members who have them should consider cancelling.
My assumption is that she feels teh more people that do this, the more likelihood is of making a positive change in perceptions to this issue (if not making policy changes in the Israeli government)

The point I had meant to make., was that there is a movement towards political activism just revolving around one's own conscience.
My personal view is that isn't effective in the short term and therefore in this case, a fairly pointless gesture.

I don't agree with that at all. I think it's excellent that we have a new generation which is so questioning.

Me refusing ever to buy or read The Sun newspaper has made no difference to its profits whatsoever. But I still refuse to buy it. It's just a personal standard, not virtue signaling

As regard smashing in Barclays windows, nope, I don't agree with that. It's a criminal act

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Being an ethical consumer is hard right? Every company leaves some sort of undesirable footprint.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Companies care deeply about their reputations (well, most do). If there's no consumer pressure to behave ethically and to consider the social and environmental impacts of their behaviour, they will start behaving even worse.

My approach. If a company is acting in a way you don't like. Boycott them. Tell everyone who you're boycotting and why and ignore the what abouters of this world and definitely ignore anyone who tells you that you're virtue signalling. The way I see it, if you're going to virtue signal, you need at least some virtue to signal.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Me refusing ever to buy or read The Sun newspaper has made no difference to its profits whatsoever

But it has hasn't it?