boycott the usa

[Jared]

dam communist bastards, raising money to fund there illegal wars so they can justify the killing of innocent people worldwide

i propose we all boycott the usa,, don't go there, or buy stuff from there and most off all don't spend any money there or on american stuff cause you money will go to killing of inocent people, stealing of resourses, and enviromental destruction,, and now the impoundment of hemphry, our beloved bus, who was wrongfull confinscated by the u.s for thraffic marijuana (hwmp seeds)

chech out the whole store here

www.purehemp.com

[Del]

I'll give you a hand, send me all your shows from US based bands, don't forget to get rid of your cable (a lot of US TV shows...) stop listening to the radio, and quit eating any foods or drinking anything based from there... In other words, get real. Boycotting the US would be like boycotting air, we NEED them. If for nothing else, than to supplement my entertainment needs. I hate their politics and leaders as much as anyone, but there's too much good stuff over there... dude they have Reese's peanut butter... in a jar! Think about that...

[Jared]

really? in a jar? i haven't been i over 5 years now,, my family has a house in florda and i have never gone,, all i'm saying is do what you can,, don't help those bastards. i love phish and tons of other great bands and i still won't go see them

[ScottieMac]

I'm with you on not entering the US. I'm happy with staying in Canada for the rest of my life. As long as I smoke pot I'm not welcome there so fuck them and I refuse to ever spend money on a waiver just so I can enter the US.

[weezy]

The USA isn't Communist, it's Fascist.

CLICK HERE

[Jared]

good to see some people are thinking,, there is no way we need the us,, and i don't plan oin ever going back there or giving them my m oney untill they change their ways

[secondtube]

honestly, ya'll know it wasn't my choice not to be allowed to enter the U.S.of A. BUT, and i AM being honest here, i haven't had too much of ANY incling to get my waiver.

The people (Not all, just lots and lots) act very elitist. The bands are watered down. THere are some amazing bands, but you have to sort through tons of generic drab first.

And i haven't even mentioned all the shit they're doing with the world. If that isn't a reason, i dont know what is. I understand music is almost my life, but damned if i'm going to enter a country that wants to bust a fellow Canadian for something as stupid as hemp seeds. We should actually write something to a big u.s. newspaper.

Hey kung, put your writing talents together for once, make it readable (if ya can), and lets get this b.s. out to the American Public.

Not to mention, apparently they dont care about your past if you have a parent who's american. In theory, by that, they mean, we dont want you in our country because your bad. BUT, if you have a parent who's american, you can come in anyways. Thats freaking bull shit.

But anyways, sure i might watch some american TV. But its coming from a Canadian Cable company. Fuck, if i could, i should just steal an american companies sattelite (sp) signal.

Finally, if i do end up getting this waiver, more for employment reasons, i will be VERY cautious how and where i spend my money.

My thoughts are with ya YO. Fucking yankee bastards.

[colinw]

quote:

---

Originally posted by secondtube:

The people (Not all, just lots and lots) act very elitist.

---

Kind of like Upper Canadians??

[bradm]

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here and suggest that the best way to improve things is not to boycott, but to infiltrate.

The government of the U.S.A. has taken a stance against Canada, based on (among other things) a couple of significant issues: same-sex marriages, and the (propsed) decriminalization of cannabis.

Instead of isolating ourselves from them, I think the best bet would be to go down there, as we've been doing, and show them that Canadians are healthy, happy, cool people, with whom they can co-exist without problems. If we do this at a grassroots level (i.e., by interacting with average folks in average towns, and being nice to border guards and cops), we might be able to cause an upswell of support for a "Canada is Cool!" opinion. When Americans see how cool Canadians can be, even when "burdened" by our stance on controversial issues, they might consider adopting our stances on those issues, too. It'd also give us the chance to invite Americans up to Canada, to see how good it is up here.

(OK, I'm an idealist, and those who brave the turbulent waters of controversy by going down to the U.S.A. in these times may face some problems, but TANSTAAFL*.)

Aloha,

Brad

* There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

[snarfmaster C]

quote:

---

Originally posted by secondtube:

Not to mention, apparently they dont care about your past if you have a parent who's american. In theory, by that, they mean, we dont want you in our country because your bad. BUT, if you have a parent who's american, you can come in anyways. Thats freaking bull shit.

---

i don't know about that ---- my mom's a yankee and she tried when i was younger to get me and my sis dual citizenship, but they wouldn't let us. not that i've ever been denied entry, so maybe that's a whole other deal. when i've been pulled in for questioning my parents nationality never even came up.

[TonyRage]

The problem with a grassroots effort or infiltration of the States is in the fact that there are 300 million of them. Far too many to reach through word of mouth. The US goverment and their puppet media groups can reach almost all of them instantly with clear and simple messages. We have socialized health-care. We support the use of marijuana. We do not support American troops. We condone homeosexual relations. These are strong and emotionally-pulling statements that can be refuted, but the process of refuting these claims is much to dry and long-winded to pierce the MTV-dulled senses of your average American. The lucky thing is, that this same inability to keep attention on any one thing for more than 15 minutes also means that the Americans will forget about their "dodgy" neighbours to the north and start worrying about the next threat/thrill/escape/pacifier. Bopycotting the states will allow individuals to feel ok about themselves, but will have no real affect unless we convinced our status-quo fellow citizens to do the same. I think it is best to focus on Canada's conntribution to the destruction of our environment and the subjugation of 3rd world countries. We can fix problems at home and be an exmaple to the other nations of teh "1st" world. Write your MPs, MPPs, and MNAs. Run for office. Bring the message out and help find practical solutions that will allow the lazy and unmotiovated and exceptionally comfortable citizens of this country to make the right choices to save the future. Bio-plastics, alt-fuels, hemp etc are our salvation. God is within each of us and we can recreate the world. It will take more than a week this time though.

[MarcO]

Fuck this, I'm not boycotting the USA because someone got unfairly treated at the border. Life isn't fair, get over it. The other arguments supporting a boycott of the US are extraneous. The US has always had atrocious foreign policies. And Canada's hands are not clean, let's not get too self-congratulatory here.

The one thing that struck me from Yo's account was:

I purchased three kilos of toasted and salted hempseeds from a shop in Monteral. The owner advised me not to bring hempseeds over the border, reminding me of America’s “zero tolerance” and I said “whatever, hempseeds are not banned in America.”

I sincerely wish this fellow all the best in getting his vehicle back, charges dropped and cleared and an apology.

But you always have the option *not* to bring seeds and papers over the border. If you want to test the limits of what "zero tolerance" is, fine, but you may end up in the situation we have here.

Why is everyone pretending to be so shocked that this happened??? What, you didn’t know that the US border guards can reject people at their pleasure, seize what they want, and that they can’t be counted on to take a sophisticated view of the difference between hemp seeds and pot seeds?

Damn, I feel weird wearing a hemp necklace over the border. Not gonna let that stop me from one day experiencing Beale St in Memphis, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the American Rockies, New England snow crabs and the Californian Redwoods. Calm down.

[TonyRage]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarcO:

Why is everyone pretending to be so shocked that this happened??? What, you didn’t know that the US border guards can reject people at their pleasure, seize what they want, and that they can’t be counted on to take a sophisticated view of the difference between hemp seeds and pot seeds?

Damn, I feel weird wearing a hemp necklace over the border. Not gonna let that stop me from one day experiencing Beale St in Memphis, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the American Rockies, New England snow crabs and the Californian Redwoods. Calm down.

---

There is no chance in hell that anyone would have had to go through this even a year ago. I go over the border plenty and I wear my hemp with pride and have even been complemted on wool hats and heady beads. And if you are nervous about wearing a hemp necklace, what does that say about the US. It is pure discrimination. Charges and hassles for those who don't have the same political colours as the powers-that-be, and those political colours are judge based soley on appearance. Marko, you can have your opinion, but I can have mine too, and In my not-so-humble opinion, you are dead wrong.

and fyi- Border guards are trained to know what to lok for. If you can't tell teh difference between fresh seeds and seeds that have been roasted and salted, then I don't know what to say. You can smell the difference. the problem is also that the border guards must have falsified a test to find any THC in the papers, seeds or twine. Those are legal products and cannot be counted as contraband.

[MarcO]

"In my not-so-humble opinion, you are dead wrong."

That's ok with me, but dead-wrong about what?

(btw, the last thing I want to do is get crazy about this, I respect your opinion, dude, I totally respect it.)

[TonyRage]

Dead wrong that we shouldn't be surprised that yo got into trouble for roasted hemp seeds and papers.

The only way I wouldn't be shocked is if they turned him back for trying to sell stuff in the states without a Visa. ut even then, you don't lose your vehicle and face criminal charges.

(No problem, I never get excited)

[larry jr.]

Why generalize about Americans when most of them who bothered voting voted for Gore last election (nevermind the Nader votes)? Every single one of us knows "cool" Americans, so nobody should equate the Bush gang with all the people. I hate their foreign policy too, and I can't stand religious wing-nuts of any religion, but look at what the U.S. has contributed to film, literature, music, etc. (not to mention Curb Your Enthusiasm).

And like hell we don't need them. Right or wrong, and it's wrong, our economy is so heavily dependent on the U.S. that we would go into a catastrophic depression if they weren't around to trade with us.

Personally, I would say boycott selectively if you can (U.S. oil companies, WalMart, McDonalds, Coke and Pepsi, the other huge multinational machines...).

Also don't forget that a lot of Americans are genuinely scared these days because of 9/11 and seeing their flag burning everywhere. You know what Yoda said about fear...

BradM's advice is on the mark. If everyone works to isolate them more and show them hostility, things will just get worse.

Now everyone on three...love, love, love (you know you love the Beatles).

[MarcO]

tonyrage - fair enough bro. Don't think for a moment I don't find it shocking that Yo got busted for hemp seeds - hell, I put those things in my yogourt in the morning, they are absolutely delicious - just not surprising. I just don't give the US border the credit to be fair or knowledgeable, which is why I'd be extra cautious, as the guy who sold him the seeds advised.

I think it was the general drift towards slandering the people of the US as opposed to their government got me riled up. Please, carry on, this is a good thread.

[snarfmaster C]

i'm not shocked that this happened. that's just it. it's a messed up place where stupid shit like that happens. yeah, there's some cool stuff that goes on there and some awesome people and beautiful parks and landscapes, but there's all that up here in canada too, and in lots of other places around the world. i don't think canada is an ideal country as far as politics go, but i have way more of an ability to make change here since this is my home. it's up to individual citizens in their own country to contribute their words, actions and votes to make their country work the way they believe is right. and i think not supporting something you don't believe is right is a part of that - whether it's in your own country or by choosing to not engage in another countries ways.

i don't think infiltrating as bradm suggested is too effective-- yeah, be subtle and friendly and we get a good name, but that doesn't change anything - the majority of the public have a very short attention span and will forget that one anomaly friendly canadian when their trusted news anchor tells them we're illegally restricting their right to our water.

[snarfmaster C]

in case you haven't -- check out the link weezy posted earlier in this thread.

[AdamH]

Lord almighty I am so tired of this kind of rhetoric about the U.S. On one hand we want U.S. bands to tour here, on the other we suggest boycotting the U.S.

Tonyrage, I'm confident in saying I have nothing against you personally but you're out to lunch when you say that cutting out the U.S. would result in "a small cut in our standard of living"

Canada is rich in natural resources and poor in just about everything else, and we rely on imports from our neghbours down south far more than they rely on us. Our growth rate is always hedged against the U.S. growth rate, so when their economy takes a spill (9/11, latest tax cuts, etc) we suffer as well, if only in a virtual sense through the bank of canada and interest rate-setting by said bank. Having a strong canadian dollar seems nice when you're buying a phish t-shirt in a parking lot but it hurts our imports because the U.S. can compete for better prices elsewhere: Mexico for example. Our proximity to the U.S. means that any catastrophe that scares away foreign investment there will scare it away from here too.

To do what Jared is suggesting, a boycott of the USA, is impractical if not completely impossible. Short of maple syrup, you'll be hard-pressed to keep yourself fed, clothed, entertained, clean, or on drugs without dipping into the U.S. Economy (black market, grey market, etc). You might not even be typing on your computer if you closed off trade with the U.S.

Negotiation, and radical action to elect a new President is waht's required. Closing doors on perfectly good people who are, in fact, identical to you in almost every way, is not. I love the fact that Canadians can watch american tv, wear american clothes, drive american cars...and when the camera points at them talk fiercely about how independently "Canadian" they are.

[TonyRage]

I was not suggesting that we can cut ourselves off from the States under our current economic and political conditions. I believe in revoltionary thinking and new technologies. I firmly believe that all you need is resources and know-how. The problem is our needless addiction to the "capitalist" system. People say there is no other way to go about things, but no one has tried. Fuck it, I can't argue this point in a brief manner. Just keep in mind that the vision for Canada I would expound has at it's core some very different beliefs and a radically different infrastucture. And also, we cannot be pussies and expect to make any changes to the course we are on.

PS - I am not a communist

[Schwa.]

Too many friends and good times in the US to even consider a boycott. Get real. Just don't drive a microbus with marijuana painted on it across the border and you might not get hassled

[snarfmaster C]

i think it's exactly the attitude that ahess expressed that is a HUGE problem in canada. we do not need to be as dependent on the states as we are. we do NOT need to eat american food (we'd be better off if we didn't!), wear american clothes and listen to american music. this attitude is keeping our own industries down. we need to support the local organic farmers, canadian textiles may not be big business, but the us is not the only option for imports, and support the canadian arts scene. like crazy!! it can be done. who the fu@k likes american tv anyway? (simpsons excluded, ok) they've got a strong music scene because of the huge population available to support it. if we'd quit heading south i bet it'd make a real difference.

it's like you said - it's very much a virtual connection --- many of the ties are not tangible and could be changed... we just need the global push to change the way the economy works. i think you're wrong to say that excluding the states wouldn't work ---- yeah, they'd be pissed off, but i think they got it comin. we all know they (gov't) don't respond to reason. i sure as hell don't want to see their behavior continue and grow. and i do believe it's all about balance - for sure we should not cut them off entirely, but trade and policy has got to be fair!

canada needs to take our awesome resources and talent and put them together - quit exporting the raw goods - make something of em, increase the value in the market and reap the rewards.

i think larry jr. is on the right track with selective boycotting - don't let mcraunch or coke have your 99cents. they don't deserve it. the farmer that put time and energy into the apple tree that produced the smaller but tastier juice for 99cents - that's where it's at!

[secondtube]

earthfreak, i had said that in regards to my good friend toolys situation.

his father is an american...tooly doesn't even have his citizenship, but they let him across even though he has a much larger record than myself.

Its crazy how that country works.

[TonyRage]

Damn skippy!