On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 03:15:00 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .

If I were purely politically oriented, I'd not buy from HD. But when MY
budget is tested on a product or a project, I'll shop for best price (
period).

Shopping for the best price is a political choice, though that may not
be readily apparent. There are lots of folks who'd rather you didn't,
and lots of places where you can't.

I am probably more thrifty than most people. Still, I realize that the
price on the shelf tag or sticker isn't the only consideration. Plants from
a big box store aren't necessarily the bargain that they appear to be.
Often they have wilted over and over again. Items may be dumbed down,
look-alike products that are cheaper than what you might find for a little
more elsewhere. Sometimes the help you get from knowledgeable sales people
adds value to the product. From a political standpoint, you have to
consider if the money you pay for an item will eventually be used against
you or contrary to your values.

Yes, that true and every once in a while I go off on a personal
boycott kick of my own.

I stopped the not buying Chinese, buy American stuff long ago since I
would have had to go out of my way just to find the simplest items.
Its almost like nothing's made in this country anymore, which isn't
true but it sure seems like it sometimes.

I also went off the boycott French wines thing because well, its been
a year, I like French wines, and I don't particularly hate the French
despite their frogginess.

I don't want to buy Nike sneaks since I don't want to subsidize low
wage labor for factory workers and high wages for athletes, but I
can't remember if its better for people to have a low paying job any
job and if Nike has improved conditions any.

It tough to keep up with WMD's, chopping down the rain forest,
dolphins on my restaurant menu (or was it Chilean Sea Bass?), and does
anyone really care about the genocide in the Sudan anyway? Actually I
do, but who do I boycott in response to that, and how would it do any
good?

So eventually I calm down and realize that my boycott for some
perceived reason probably didn't do anyone any good, and just made
things difficult for me. They usually make me feel like I was doing
"something" about something for a while anyway, so they're probably
good just for that reason.

And as Vox and others have pointed out, cheaper is not always better,
and can be more expensive when all is said and done.

Swyck