I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
What I Learned From the #nestlefamily Drama? People Suck
photo credit: Darwin Bell
Everyday you are voting on what you want to see in the world.
No, really. You are. See every time you go to the store, or pay a bill, or buy something online, or even put gas in your car you are making your vote. That money travels from your hands to the big companies that are supplying the goods. For good or ill, you are stating with each purchase that you approve of the products and how those products come to be.
See, you’re not just buying a Butterfinger. You’re telling Nestle that yes, child slavery to make that chocolate bar is A-OK. You are casting your vote to continue child slavery .
(Yes, I know almost every other chocolate maker uses slave chocolate too. Nestle has been a main target of reformers because “unlike other chocolate manufacturers Nestle directly sources cocoa from West Africa and has direct control over its supply chain…” says ILRF.
Many other companies buy cocoa beans that include an assortment from non-African producers.)
Crunchy Domestic Goddess asked what we learned from the Nestle Twitter drama. What I learned was simple: people suck, a lot more than I previously thought.
While information was being spread far and wide about the unethical practices of Nestle, I began to see a trend. People stating on Twitter that they support Nestle more now because they feel offended that they had to listen to the truth.
Yes, they were basically saying that not only is child slavery great, now they want even more child slaves just because you dared to tell them that there was child slavery in the first place. If I had any faith left in humanity, it was stripped away from me last night.
Every penny you spend is a vote. When you send a company money you are telling them to keep doing what they are doing, that you support it in the most important way: financially. You support formula being promoted through lies and deceit in poor countries where babies die from lack of clean water and malnutrition because of expensive formula. You support the child slaves picking those cocoa beans. You support animal testing. You support exploitation of workers in poor countries. You support profit over everything else.
Hey, don’t tell me that you don’t support these things. Show me that you don’t. And show Nestle too while you’re at it.
It is great that so many more people are aware of Nestlé malpractice because of this. The event came to my attention because of the amount of traffic coming to Baby Milk Action websites from links people had posted on Twitter.
But campaigners need to learn from this too. The vast majority of posts I saw were providing information, responding to bloggers requests for questions to ask and correcting Nestlé misinformation relayed by bloggers. But some were over the top and there is a danger those will be used by some to avoid the issues and label campaigners and impolite etc.
There is already an obstacle to overcome when people take Nestlé’s hospitality – nobody likes to think or speak ill of a host.
It is best to assume people don’t know and provide information. We sometimes do that by demonstrating outside events and providing leaflets to those who decide to enter – though sometimes refusing to enter is a more effective statement. Often we are thanked for doing so.
More thoughts and links to evidence and images of Nestlé malpractice at:
http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/2009/09/nestle-family-twitters.html
Mike Brady´s last blog ..Nestlé family Twitters
I can not cast stones from my glass house. I think a lot of yesterdays conversations were mean and uncalled for. I can not say that I do research on every single company that a spend every single penny on. Can you? Although I try very hard to be educated and live sustainable for myself and my children, I also try to teach them to be kind and tolerant- which this whole situation has not been. I thinks it ’sucks’ when people are not open to discussion, but would rather name call and spew negativity.
Summer Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Can I? For the most part, yes. It’s not really that hard. Do you have a computer? The ability to use Google? Then do a quick search and you’ll find plenty of lists of comapnies that are bad news. Or buy a copy of the The Better World Shopping Guide. Presto, all the research is done for you!
By the way, I find it very hypocritical to say “Kids, be kind and tolerant. Except to those dumb slave kids., let them go on picking cocoa beans and being beaten. Yum, isn’t this chocolate bar great!”
Vegas710 Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I find it insulting that saying our methods are different automatically leads to you saying everyone condones child labor. If boycotting was the be-all, end-all of making our voices heard…why have people been boycotting nestle for decades? There ARE other methods.
Summer Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I’m sorry you find it offensive, but it is what it is. When you give moeny to Nestle you are supporting their practices and telling them you are OK with what they are doing. Why has the boycott not worked? Because there are less people boycotting then there are saying they don’t give a shit and buying that Butterfinger anyway. Money talks.
Her’s a question: if a guy was on the street selling candy bars. And you knew that the money he got from those candy bars went towards creating crack to sell to little kids, what “methods” would you use? Would you still buy the candy and just try to talk to him about it. What if everyone else was buying it? Are you just eating chocolate, not condoning crack or anything?
I’m cheering!
My faith in humanity hasn’t been shaken by the #nestlefamily drama, I hope it’s been an opportunity to bring the message of the Nestle Boycott to a new generation.
I have a friend who is one of the Nestle Moms. She had NO IDEA about the boycott or the long standing charges against Nestle. We had a dialogue where I explained why I try to boycott Nestle when I can and she asked a lot of questions.
But to your wider point, I just feel we have a responsibility to vote with our spending, to support the kind of world we want to see. And I don’t want to see the kind of world that Nestle promotes.
Azucar´s last blog ..Up the Mountain at a Canter
I’m in 100% agreement, and also more aware of the whole Nestle thing now. Hence, I’m going to be much more careful about what I buy.
My husband doesn’t want us purchasing Nestle products anyhow, since it isn’t made in the U.S.A. But now we have ethical reasons not to.
People do suck, because they can’t open their minds to see the otherside. They get all defensive and jump on others, rather than taking a moment to check things out; people are too proud to admit they are wrong.
That is the big problem. The internet makes our opinions very public, and when they are shown as being detrimental to others, people don’t want to change because they feel foolish.
Hm, so, no, I don’t actually think people suck. No, I take that back. I think they are insecure and just don’t want to admit that they DO feel bad once they know the facts.
Wendy Hawksley´s last blog ..Dirty Talk, Mrs. B and Domestic Witch!!!
First let me say I don’t always agree with everything Summer says here- but I respect her to the ends of the earth.
First off she could have takin her anger out on Twitter- called out “People Suck” on some #- but she put it in her blog- in her room to get angry and vent out her frustrations…so thank you for being respectful Summer!
Boycotts are always a great way to prove your point to companies- and a lot of times any groups first choice…”Go to the Mattresses!” Hit em’ were it hurts…in the bottom line.
No I am not aware of every single product I buy- but yesterday before checking out at the grocery store I saw Tollhouse morsels in my cart and put them back on the shelf. Sure my small $2 purchase won’t mean much to Nestle but my conscious is clean. Selfish I know- but knowing 95% of the worlds population is selfish maybe that is the way to go- don’t do it for the slave-children or the dying babies do it for yourself and that lil’ grasshopper reminding you of all the things that are wrong with the Nestle corp..
Susan´s last blog ..Because I Say it Better on other People’s Blog
I DO support animal testing. 100%. And I like Butterfingers. GTFOI. YOu aren’t going to save the world.
Not everyone is as perfect as you THINK you are. I don’t have time to research every single company I buy stuff from. I worry about MYSELF and MY children. Call me selfish, and maybe I am. But that is my main concern.
People in Africa and other countries are REALLY none of my concern or worry.
Vegas710 Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Yuck. That is ugliness at its ugliest. Curious, what worldview do you ascribe to that allows you to shrug off the sick and the poor and those dying around you? I can’t think of any religion that would support it, perhaps it’s something new?
Vegas710´s last blog ..My Confession
Summer Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Well, at least you have the guts to admit it. Sadly most people really don’t give a shit about anyone other than themselves but try to put on a show that they care. (I sat yourself because really, with you attitude, you’d toss your own kids to the wolves if it got you a free trip and a couple candy bars.)
No, I won’t change the world. Because the world is too full of people like you. Frankly, nothing short of extermination is going to save the world from the cockroaches pretending to be human.
amyday Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Me? Toss my kids to the wolves for CANDY? You are the morbidly obese one lady, not me.
And where do you buy the cheap clothes and shoes you have your kids wear? I would almost bet those are made by 3rd world country six year olds that get paid 10 cents a day.
Summer Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
You were the one who admitted you don’t care about anyone else. You stated that you love chocolate more than you care about kids in third-world countries. Take that to the next step. If Nestle came waving another free trip in your face if you just left the kids out the woods somewhere, you would. Call you selfish? Why yes, I am.
And wear do we buy our clothes? Second hand at the community thrift shop where my money goes to local charities, not to the clothing companies.
Frankly, you are boring me. You’ve already admitted to being a selfish piece of trash. You’re just not good enough to comment on my blog. Bye.
Good for you, Summer. Let her spew that venom elsewhere.
Vegas710´s last blog ..My Confession