rabble book lounge boycotts Chapters/Indigo

[b]Outstanding.[/b] As a public service it may be useful to review some of the substantive arguments for the boycott.

1. Gabriel Ash, over at ZNet, notes the strong connection between the neoliberal assault on working people and support for the continuing atrocities of the state of Israel. As Ash puts it, "The nexus between assault on labor and social services and vocal support for Israel crawls up from under every stone one turns."

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Ash: The major argument for boycotting Israel is that it is the right thing to do. And it is. But for those of us who live off wages and depend on public services, it is also the smart thing to do — especially in Europe, where the BDS campaign is now facing a vocal onslaught. Support for Israel is an important pillar of an islamophobic, anti-immigrant and pro-war front, which includes many in the political leadership of Europe; their final prize is finishing off the welfare state.

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[url=http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=13175]Why Boycott Israel? Because It's Good for You. [/url]

2. The UK University and College Union Boycott Resolutions also provide some helpful information about why the boycott is so necessary:

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Congress notes that Israel’s 40-year occupation has seriously damaged the fabric of Palestinian society through annexation, illegal settlement, collective punishment and restriction of movement.

Congress deplores the denial of educational rights for Palestinians by invasions, closures, checkpoints, curfews, and shootings and arrests of teachers, lecturers and students.

Congress condemns the complicity of Israeli academia in the occupation, which has provoked a call from Palestinian trade unions for a comprehensive and consistent international boycott of all Israeli academic institutions.

Congress believes that in these circumstances passivity or neutrality is unacceptable and criticism of Israel cannot be construed as anti-semitic.

Congress instructs the NEC to
§ circulate the full text of the Palestinian boycott call to all branches/LAs for information and discussion;
§ encourage members to consider the moral implications of existing and proposed links with Israeli academic institutions;
§ organise a UK-wide campus tour for Palestinian academic/educational trade unionists;
§ issue guidance to members on appropriate forms of action;
actively encourage and support branches to create direct educational§ links with Palestinian educational institutions and to help set up nationally sponsored programmes for teacher exchanges, sabbatical placements and research.

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Which passed.

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Resolution 31 European Union and Israel
Congress notes:

1. That since the Palestinian elections in January 2006 the Israeli government has suspended revenue payments to the Palestinian authority (PA), and the EU and US have suspended aid, leaving public-sector salaries unpaid and earning the condemnation of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions;
2. That Israel is seeking to upgrade its relations with the EU to the same level as Norway and Switzerland, permitting free passage of goods, people and capital, while denying these freedoms to Palestinians.

Congress resolves to campaign for:
1. The restoration of all international aid to the PA and all revenues rightfully belonging to it;
2. No upgrade of Israel’s status until it ends the occupation of Palestinian land and fully complies with EU Human Rights law;
3. A moratorium on research and cultural collaborations with Israel via EU and European Science Foundation funding until Israel abides by UN resolutions

Congress instructs the NEC to encourage Branches/Associations to
1. raise these campaigns in their Institutions and
2. investigate the possibilities of twinning their Institution with a Palestinian University or College

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Which also passed.

This will of course be followed by a boycott of Iran and Pakistan whose leaders have actively called for the death of a writer.

I commend rabble.ca for taking this decision. I gave up television over a year ago and I read voraciously. A guilty pleasure for me is trips to the only big box I visit, Chapters, to browse and purchase books. I had no idea Chapters supported this fund. I have cut up my Chapters club card, and I will purchase on-line (there are no independents near me) from now on.

Coming out of the urban wilderness to comment on ohara's post.

Please have your facts correct.

TWB was not asked to sell buttons that read "Stop the Suicide Bombing". They were [b]told[/b], in fact, it was [b]demanded[/b] of them to give away buttons that read "End the Homicide Bombings".

For a whole host of reasons they refused. This was the right decision and it was supported by the staff, board and community associated with TWB.

Note that TWB did begin to carry buttons that read "Jews against the occupation" and "Jewish women against the occupation"

Here's an old link to the button story from almost 5 years ago. Note the image in the upper left corner, the Palestinian flag with an image of a woman's symbol with a closed fist in the middle, in the colours of the Jewish flag. This was the image on the button.

[url=http://nonprofitnet.ca/wao/wao.php?show&613]WAO[/url]

Women Against Occupation is now called Women For Palestine, fyi. In the article they also got the text of the button that was demanded to be carried incorrectly, btw.

P.S. To Petsy: How about you make a donation directly to HESEG and also boycott Chapters? That way you can support a cause you believe in, [b]and [/b] you don't contribute to the downfall of Canadian bookselling and Canadian publishing? Win-win.

How stupid is it to believe that a button means everything or anything. Who gave this "man" the auhtority to decide others views on major issues based on a button?

It's basically the "have you stopped beating your wife?" routine and it's being continued in this thread.

I'd like to object to the contributions of Petsy and ohara in this thread. The comments about being petty, suggesting that it was by viture of being a Jewish organization they refused the buttons which is just a thinky veiled accusation of anti-semitism and then we get accusation that some how by not giving into bullies over a button they must actually support suicide bombings. It's pretty much slander.

I dont quite get it. How can anyone DEMAND anything from the Women's bookstore?

I certainly remember this fiasco and I still believe that the button issue was nothing more thatn a political spat. Trouble was that Israelis were being killed in the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and many believed that the Bookstore by refusing to stock the buttons against suicide bombing was blaming the victim by insisting that "it was the occupation stupid"!!

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Originally posted by Michelle:
[b]Easy. You say, "We demand that you carry our stupid buttons. If you don't, we're going to organize a boycott against you."

Just because you make a demand doesn't mean it will be met. But it's still a demand.[/b]

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And they have every right to organize a boycott if they want, as babble book lounge is doing until/unless chapter/indigo meets rabble's demands in regards to its choice of charity fundraising.

Max, you can be so obtuse

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Originally posted by Michelle:
[b]I'm going to make an effort to buy only from indies. I haven't heard of the two you mentioned. Are they in Toronto?[/b]

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Nicholas Hoare is a beautiful shop on Front Street, just west of the St. Lawrence Market. They carry everything, but I find they have especially good selections of history and politics.

The Sleuth of Baker St. is a shop which (surprise!) specializes in mystery books. They are world-reknown, extremely good at what they do. I haven't been there in a while, but afaik they carry new & used titles. They're on Bayview Ave.,

The thread below, of indy book stores, has got a pretty decent list of what Toronto has on offer!

Charlotte

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Originally posted by sourrazz:
[b]I'm curious whether you're going to propose a boycott of Mt. Sinai Hospital's Emergency Room next, since that's also supported by Riesman/Schwartz funds.[/b]

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Unlike Chapters/Indigo, the Mt. Sinai ER doesn't generate any revenue for Riesman/Schwarts thus using it does not result in funds being made available for them to donate to soldiers of a foreign military.

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Originally posted by aka Mycroft:
[b]

Unlike Chapters/Indigo, the Mt. Sinai ER doesn't generate any revenue for Riesman/Schwarts thus using it does not result in funds being made available for them to donate to soldiers of a foreign military.[/b]

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What a hypocritical position.

Well no more going to movies then either since Onyx (Gerry Schwartz) owns ciniplex and galaxy theatres.

Oh yes and let's not forget Eastman Kodak's medical imaging unit, now owned by Onyx as well. This would mean boycotting any MRIs by this company that might image clots and tumors.

Or are there excuses for these as well?

[ 04 July 2007: Message edited by: ohara ]

[ 04 July 2007: Message edited by: ohara ]

That's really good FM but is no real answer to my question. If you are not going to be a hypocrate then why would you not boycott the Eastman Kodak imaging units? And do you plan to stop attending any cinemas owned by Onyx?

Given the Wal-Mart like predatory business practices of Chapters the boycott is a no-brainer anyway. Chapters has successfully destroyed many small publishing companies in Canada - precisely the kind of companies that would publish the sort of thing that rabble would support.

As an example, Chapters has in the past bought up most of the copies of particular books, preventing smaller sellers from getting any copies, and then returned the bulk of the books to the publishing companies, driving the latter out of business. Chapters has been able to impose the onerous conditions (returns, etc.) in much the same way that Lowlaws used to swallow up small manufacturing companies by insisting on an exclusive arrangement and then forcibly "re-negotiating" the price from a position of strength down the road.

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That's really good FM but is no real answer to my question. If you are not going to be a hypocrate then why would you not boycott the Eastman Kodak imaging units? And do you plan to stop attending any cinemas owned by Onyx?

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But I have never used a Kodak imaging unit and I do boycott Cineplex ever since the projectionists strike way back when. You don't?

Just as a plug, I buy online from these guys: [url=http://www.powells.com/]http://www.powells.com/[/url]

Great prices on used books and the delivery cost is affordable. I will admit I will miss Chapters a little bit but I found a downtown magazine store with at least as good a selection and an indedent coffee store across the street.

[ 05 July 2007: Message edited by: Frustrated Mess ]

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Originally posted by Frustrated Mess:
[b]
But I have never used a Kodak imaging unit.

[ 05 July 2007: Message edited by: Frustrated Mess ][/b]

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Well I hope to God you never do because then you will have a real choice to make not something as airy fairy as not buying a book.

And continually Sleepy, your comments are I believe well intended and I support them. I think though you will find that Babble will do nothing that in any way supports or gives credence to the Jewish state of Israel.

[ 05 July 2007: Message edited by: Petsy ]

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Originally posted by quelar:
[b]

Continually Sleepy's comments are filled with half truths and one sides arguements that seem to indicate that Israel is this poor little nation constantly under threat by it's neighbours. I'm certainly not going to defend the more radical of the middle east, and I would certainly hope you wouldn't try to defend some of the Israeli's extremist views, as there have been some in the government advocating the 'removal' of the palestinians from Greater Israel, however none of the countries in the middle east have a chance in hell of defeating the Israeli army, and the IDF's actions have been far more confrontational than the places you mentioned.

Israel has the right to defend itself as does everyone, which is WHY the Palestinians have a RIGHT to defend their land as the Israeli government pushed the settlements further and further into former Palestinian territory.[/b]

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Thanks goes to quelar for giving me the benefit of the doubt in his comments above as I don't support many of the actions of Israel or the IDF. However, I must take issue with some of his comments.

My comments were one sided because that's what I feel the boycott statement is. I was hoping to point out the Israeli side of the argument in the hopes of bringing a little more balance to the statement, which I found presented the IDF as conducting its crimes without any violence being conducted on the other side. While it may not be poor, Israel is under close to continual threat. Now there may not be a danger of imminent attack, but with people like the Iranian President calling for the country's destruction, I'd be a little worried if I lived there. Also, my point was not whether Israel could defeat its enemies. My point was that it has enemies, and so is justified in keeping an army. What it should do is have that army act in a more humane way.

I also must take objection with your statement that Israel has been the aggressor. In recent years, Israel has unilaterally withdrawn from the Gaza stip and Lebannon. Their reward? Rocket attacks from both. Furthermore, last summer's conflict with Lebannon was started when Hezbollah seized an Israeli soldier. Did Israel respond with disproporionate force? Yes. Did Israel cause civilian casualties? Yes. But so did Hezbollah - both by shooting rockets into Israel and by locating its rocket launchers in civilian areas, making it very difficult for Israel to defend itself without causing civilian suffering.

Finally, I would urge you to be more precise in your statement about Palestinians having the right to defend themselves against Israeli incursions. As mentioned above, the Hamas responded to Israel's withdrawal from Gaza by stepping up its rocket attacks against Israel - which certainly is not self defence, but rather the targeting of civilians. Yes, Israel has acted in bad faith by trying to expand its territory with the West Bank wall and settlement expansions. But the story is not one sided. Secondly, there is the question of what kind of defence you are supporting. Since earlier you stated that you oppose all kinds of violence, I'm not quite sure what kind of defence you are making reference to.

Besides, Chapters/Indigo is already struggling under Reisman's mismanagement so a boycott of them is more likely to have an effect. As well, if Chapters/Indigo goes under there would be a real social benefit in that it would give independent bookstores and smaller chains that have been hounded out of business or to the edge of bankruptcy a chance to revive.

Boycotting Chapters/Indigo is a no-brainer really.

If it were, that would be a huge problem. Thankfully it is not though it has to deal with neighboring states who routinely deny women their rights, summarily murder gays and lesbians, do not permit Jews their civil rights, denigrate Christians. Indeed it is a tough neighborhood.