General politics

[biggentleben]

 

Not what I said. Though if people are going to boycott a store because of a particular person, they should do some research beforehand to see if that person is actually with the company they're boycotting.

The co-founder retired 15 years ago, is not on their board, and has no say at the company anymore.

 

He may have retired, but he still receives massive income from Home Depot. Hence, he is still benefiting from success of the company.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

This is where we're at in politics today. People calling to boycott Home Depot because their co-founder who RETIRED 15 years ago, showed support for Trump.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/07/09/home-depot-boycott-trump-tweets-support-co-founder-and-retailer/1689850001/

This has been happening for years because the co-founder of Home Depot is a real jerk who actively funded all sorts of far right groups and politicians.

 

Unfortunately, it's a giant misunderstanding because, as you said, he's long retired from the company. The modern Home Depot is actually somewhat progressive.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

He may have retired, but he still receives massive income from Home Depot. Hence, he is still benefiting from success of the company.

Home Depot is actually a decent company now. They even rated well on the list of best places for LGBTQ people work.

 

Don't let the actions of a long-retired jerk stain a company that has moved on since he left.

[biggentleben]

 

Home Depot is actually a decent company now. They even rated well on the list of best places for LGBTQ people work.

 

Don't let the actions of a long-retired jerk stain a company that has moved on since he left.

 

I'm not personally going after him. I'm just stating that there is a legit reason for people to protest Home Depot, if they are protesting his actions.

 

That is the issue, though. How do we separate those who benefit from the success of companies making an honest effort to improve who may truly be bad people from the company itself? It's not the same level of knowing that a pedophile or murderer could own Home Depot stock. He's got significant payouts that come from the business (though, the one article I read on Home Depot at his retirement stated he would get payouts at the same level regardless of the level of company success, so there is that).

[Vanimal46]

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/donald-trump-att-boycott

Like I said in the original post, this is where we're at in politics today. Has to find its way into everything. Sad, really...

[Vanimal46]

This has been happening for years because the co-founder of Home Depot is a real jerk who actively funded all sorts of far right groups and politicians.

 

Unfortunately, it's a giant misunderstanding because, as you said, he's long retired from the company. The modern Home Depot is actually somewhat progressive.

I ask because I haven't researched Bernie Marcus before today. Is the only reason he's a jerk because he funded far right politicians?

 

From what I read on NPR he's donated almost $2 billion to philanthropic charities, and plans on giving away 80-90% of his wealth to charity after his death. Maybe, just maybe, he has a conscious too?

 

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/10/740173176/home-depot-responds-to-calls-for-boycott-over-co-founders-support-for-trump

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I ask because I haven't researched Bernie Marcus before today. Is the only reason he's a jerk because he funded far right politicians?

From what I read on NPR he's donated almost $2 billion to philanthropic charities, and plans on giving away 80-90% of his wealth to charity after his death. Maybe, just maybe, he has a conscious too?

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/10/740173176/home-depot-responds-to-calls-for-boycott-over-co-founders-support-for-trump

Unless I'm thinking of someone else (can't check right now), I recall him making some pretty despicable statements over the years.

[Vanimal46]

Unless I'm thinking of someone else (can't check right now), I recall him making some pretty despicable statements over the years.

Maybe, not sure. Never heard of the guy until today.

[Mr. Brooks]

Maybe, not sure. Never heard of the guy until today.

I don't know a ton about him, but he did say that anyone who supports the Employee Free Choice Act, "should be shot; should be thrown out of their goddamn jobs."

[Squirrel]

If we could get the big money and corporate money out of politics, some of these issues would be resolved. As long as corporations can support political candidates with big money, or super wealthy owners can throw money at political candidates or buy their support on issues I don’t agree with, then what is wrong with me deciding where and on what to spend my money based on that? I’m not going to go out and organize boycotts, and I’m sure I shop and spend money at places whose corporate policies and political spending I don’t agree with ... sometimes it’s hard not to ... but I don’t find anything wrong with any individual choosing to be conscientious on where they spend their money, and if that includes not spending at some place where ownership is awful, good for them. That said, do your own research and don’t rely on the latest FB meme or alarm.

[Vanimal46]

If we could get the big money and corporate money out of politics, some of these issues would be resolved. As long as corporations can support political candidates with big money, or super wealthy owners can throw money at political candidates or buy their support on issues I don’t agree with, then what is wrong with me deciding where and on what to spend my money based on that? I’m not going to go out and organize boycotts, and I’m sure I shop and spend money at places whose corporate policies and political spending I don’t agree with ... sometimes it’s hard not to ... but I don’t find anything wrong with any individual choosing to be conscientious on where they spend their money, and if that includes not spending at some place where ownership is awful, good for them. That said, do your own research and don’t rely on the latest FB meme or alarm.

People can certainly elect to spend their money wherever they want. It may take a percentage point away from the co-founder's paycheck too! Their decision to boycott is only going to affect the 400,000 employees working for Home Depot. They may think they're sticking it to the man! But all they're doing is affecting the mother working 3 jobs to put food on the table. Less sales = less seasonal/hourly jobs available.

[Squirrel]

People can certainly elect to spend their money wherever they want. It may take a percentage point away from the co-founder's paycheck too! Their decision to boycott is only going to affect the 400,000 employees working for Home Depot. They may think they're sticking it to the man! But all they're doing is affecting the mother working 3 jobs to put food on the table. Less sales = less seasonal/hourly jobs available.

That’s why I said I’m not going to organize a boycott, but as an individual, I may take into consideration certain things before spending money somewhere, and I think that’s fair.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

That’s why I said I’m not going to organize a boycott, but as an individual, I may take into consideration certain things before spending money somewhere, and I think that’s fair.

As do I. While I grudgingly shop at Target, I will not shop at Wal-Mart. There are a dozen or so chains that I refuse to do business with but I generally do it quietly. I'm not really an "organized group doing something" kind of person.

[Mr. Brooks]

People can certainly elect to spend their money wherever they want. It may take a percentage point away from the co-founder's paycheck too! Their decision to boycott is only going to affect the 400,000 employees working for Home Depot. They may think they're sticking it to the man! But all they're doing is affecting the mother working 3 jobs to put food on the table. Less sales = less seasonal/hourly jobs available.

Presumably the person is still spending the money though.

They are spending it at Lowe's, or their local hardware store instead of Home Depot. So any negative effect they have on employees at HD, is balanced by positive effect on employees at wherever they shift that spending to.

[Mr. Brooks]

As do I. While I grudgingly shop at Target, I will not shop at Wal-Mart. There are a dozen or so chains that I refuse to do business with but I generally do it quietly. I'm not really an "organized group doing something" kind of person.

Same. I refuse to spend money at Walmart.

I understand my few thousand dollars a year has no impact on the Walton fortune, but I still just can't do it.

[Craig Arko]

On a list of political problems the U.S. has to handle, I’d put this higher than worrying about a relatively small-scale boycott.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/11/politics/trump-darroch-ambassadors-washington/index.html

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

On a list of political problems the U.S. has to handle, I’d put this higher than worrying about a relatively small-scale boycott.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/11/politics/trump-darroch-ambassadors-washington/index.html

I just can't figure out how America doesn't see the man in the White House as a menace.

 

For example, while Trump's view on China isn't terribly different from my own, the US cannot face down China by itself. We need basically all of western Europe on our side because things may get ugly at some point. Weakening those alliances in Europe and the rest of the world is just one example of how the man has absolutely no idea what he's doing on a daily basis and shifting policy hourly is making everybody else nervous. Nervous is bad in international diplomacy. These were iron-forged alliances that spanned decades and he's undermining them in just three years.

 

Meanwhile, Saudi is basically bombing and starving children for sport and Trump is basically "YAAAAAASSSSS".

[Badsmerf]

The rest of the world laughing at us, while being slightly scared at the same time.... is exactly what I imagined.

[ewen21]

I ask because I haven't researched Bernie Marcus before today. Is the only reason he's a jerk because he funded far right politicians?

 

From what I read on NPR he's donated almost $2 billion to philanthropic charities, and plans on giving away 80-90% of his wealth to charity after his death. Maybe, just maybe, he has a conscious too?

 

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/10/740173176/home-depot-responds-to-calls-for-boycott-over-co-founders-support-for-trump

 

 

You're post about this being a little much is entirely reasonable.

[PseudoSABR]

Acosta resigns

[Badsmerf]

Acosta resigns

Good move. That scandal is nasty. Better to remove yourself from every part of public scrutiny.

[PseudoSABR]

 

Good move. That scandal is nasty. Better to remove yourself from every part of public scrutiny.

He should have done so before the Press Conference honestly.  That wasn't a good look for him.

[howeda7]

 

People can certainly elect to spend their money wherever they want. It may take a percentage point away from the co-founder's paycheck too! Their decision to boycott is only going to affect the 400,000 employees working for Home Depot. They may think they're sticking it to the man! But all they're doing is affecting the mother working 3 jobs to put food on the table. Less sales = less seasonal/hourly jobs available.

How do you figure? Aren't they just creating a new job at Lowe's and putting more food on the table of Lowe's employees?

[howeda7]

 

He should have done so before the Press Conference honestly.  That wasn't a good look for him.

As with many of Trumps couple dozen Cabinet resignations/withdrawals, a decent vetting would have stopped the process in Acosta before it started.

 

They're either incompetent or don't care. Or both.

[Badsmerf]

As with many of Trumps couple dozen Cabinet resignations/withdrawals, a decent vetting would have stopped the process in Acosta before it started.

 

They're either incompetent or don't care. Or both.

Well you know which category Trump falls in... But yeah, they don't care. I thought Trump was going to hire the best people? Seems like he hires a bunch of sleazy swap monsters to me. I wish his voters would pay better attention. I listened to conservative talk radio this week in Texas, not one mention of this.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Well you know which category Trump falls in... But yeah, they don't care. I thought Trump was going to hire the best people? Seems like he hires a bunch of sleazy swap monsters to me. I wish his voters would pay better attention. I listened to conservative talk radio this week in Texas, not one mention of this.

 

his voters are getting mostly the policies they want. I think sometimes people forget this......

[PseudoSABR]

 

his voters are getting mostly the policies they want. I think sometimes people forget this......

Only the uber rich have gotten the policies they want (beyond some immigration red meat).  I don't think that's who makes up Trump's base.

[howeda7]

 

his voters are getting mostly the policies they want. I think sometimes people forget this......

They got a tax cut, a SCOTUS that will overturn Roe v Wade and possibly gay marriage and migrants being treated brutally at the border. Other than locking Hillary up, it's nearly perfect. I mean the average Trump voters life isn't any better, but at least others lives are worse and libs are upset. 

[ewen21]

I mean the average Trump voters life isn't any better, but at least others lives are worse

You sound upset

[ashbury]

You sound upset

Would you like others to describe how you sound?

 

Don't do that to others.