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Holidays by Hasbro, Transformers from Hell - Freedom is Not the Right of All Sentient Beings?


BaCon

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Okay, this is a tough subject but I'm ready to add my two cents. I've been considering the issue of tariffs and trade reform for a long time now, but from the standpoint keeping jobs in the U.S. I believe that more would be accomplished with reform than boycotting.

Alot of the justification for this argument is based in assumptions but I do start with fact so hopefully I won't look too much like an ass before I'm done.

Boycotts are generally ineffective, and specifically more so here, due to lack of awareness. Certainly a good portion of that ignorance is willful, and that is a societal problem. Regardless of the cause, people who don't know can't care and can only hurt a boycott. Therefore, let's take a look at those who are aware.

The fact I start with is that (as was mentioned earlier) this report didn't get a lot of exposure. Do a search (I did) and it mostly shows up on sites like this. This means exposure of the probem is limited to Transformer fans who wish to share their love of this hobby online. From here I will use tformer.com as a reference since this is the only fansite I visit.

TFormers.com has around 26,000 registered users. Let's pare that number down to somthing more realitic. Cut out spammers, people with multiple profiles, and anyone who is inactive for whatever reason and about 1/8, or around 3500 members, are active at any give time. I feel, for the record, I am being generous in my estimation.

Regardless, of that estimated active member amount this story was viewed 614 times, with the same people being counted more than once I'm sure. Of those views maybe 20 people saw (and possibly cared enough?) to comment.

Now based on my experiences with other members on this site I'd say 95% are really decent people. That would leave 5% who would carve their toy parts from the bones of those Chinese workers so long as they got their Transformers. Okay, I exaggerate, but I firmly believe at least 5% don't care about this issue at all.

Another 20% probably do care but are so fanatical they'll buy whatever Has/Tak cranks out.

Of the remaining 75%, I'd say a solid 60% are genuinely concerned with this problem, and are willing to work on a solution, but won't let it affect their buying habits. I count myself in this group, as are Blitz, Rob, and Onslaught, who I personally know as decent guys I'm proud to call my friends.

So that leaves 15% of the "hardcore" Transformer fanbase that may be willing to participate in a boycott, although posts in this thread put my estimation closer to 10%.

Hasbro already very readily acknowledges our group as well in the minority of their target audience. By my admittedly flawed and incredibly rough calculations that's 2 to 3 people out of 3500 willing to vote with their dollars. For those playing along at home, that's a minority within a minority within a minority. Even if Hasbro did care, the motivation isn't there to care enough to change their practices..

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Ah, the precursor to statistics... kinda humanizes the undertone of the proceedings. Facts: Kids like toys. Communist slave labor likes food. Win/win. Delve any deeper than that, and you are a fool because everyone knows it, it is successfully beneficial to all parties, and it is the way it will always be. Conclusion: Boycott is a fools errand. Quite sound, but a little cold.

 

It's difficult to admit; I'm not a kid anymore, and need to stop playing with toys and other kids. Sure was fun while it lasted.

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If it's between a largely symbolic boycott and enacting real trade reform then a boycott is absolutely a fools errand, though I'd be reluctant to call anyone a fool.

It goes back to awareness. Few parties are aware and willing to target Hasbro specifically for perceived abuses of workers rights. A much larger group is aware that workers in other countries are suffering to provide wealthier countries with the cheap goods they crave. The problem with a boycott of those goods comes from the fact that if cheap foreign goods are boycotted, well, that doesn't leave a whole lot of goods (some more necessary than others) left to buy.

In my opinion, when a problem is this prolific, actions within the existing system will never be as effective as altering the system itself. It may come off as cold, but I want to see a difference made as much as any and more than some. I just feel that tariffs and trade reform are the way to do it.

And for the record, I would gladly pay more for my Transfomers if it would change anything, but as my wage wouldn't increase any in the process I'd just have to buy less of them.

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