Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management, began compiling a list of companies exiting Russia. In an interview he compared the voluntary boycott as equivalent to that which caused the fall of apartheid in South Africa.
Almost 400 companies have pulled out completely and another several hundred have suspended operations in or with Russia. So what are the companies without a conscience that have neither pulled out, canceled franchises or suspended operations?
You would be surprised at the list. Other than the usual suspects like Koch Industries and Halliburton, known for supporting war and violence, there is Reebok. And there is Dunkin’ Donuts, claiming that it cannot pull franchises. Well, McDonald's did. How can we buy products from companies that still fuel Russia’s war machine? Morally, we cannot—and we should tell those companies why we will not buy their products.
Prayer for the Day
We know that you have searched us and known us, O God,
And we are unable to pretend we are something we are not.
Forgive us our despair, our hopelessness, and our fear,
For we know that they close the doors to living faithfully.
Awaken us by your Holy Spirit to a fuller dimension of faith
Leading us to find new opportunities for justice and peace.
In the name of him who taught us a new way to live,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen
Thoughts for the Day
History shows us that all protest movements rely on symbols – boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, flags, songs. Symbolic action on whatever scale from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to wearing a simple wrist band is designed to disrupt our everyday complacency and force people to think.
- Hugh Evans, Australian founder of Global Citizen
We live in a capitalist society. So our power to consume is significant. I boycott companies who make stuff in sweatshops that end up in landfills.
- Corinne Bailey, Rae, singer
Blessed be the Lord who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124: 6-8