No law should ever be passed that prohibits boycotts, their morality on the other had is dependent on the situation. Furthermore, just because it's possible that no small guys will be hurt, in a hypothetical long term situation, doesn't mean that no small guys will, in practice, be hurt, in fact there are already many cases, where this has happened. Guest lecturers who make a living that way have been hurt, so have the people who wanted to listen to them. There have been people who's life's work went up in smoke because a group has decided to boycott someone and it's not always possible to remedy it.
Many of these types who get involved in boycotts remind me of union members, in that they often run to the government to help enforce their boycott or they deny other people the right Not to boycott by getting entire events shut down. In theory no libertarian should be against unions either, but because unions, like these activists, take it beyond freedom to negotiate collectively, they are not accepted by many libertarians.
If these activists were not running to Uncle Sam or their local Authorities then I'd say they are fine, if they were not also disrupting other people who want to see events or listen to speakers they would be fine. But they cross that line, almost every single time because they are rarely content to just boycott. Unions are rarely content to leave other people out of it either.
Morality Vs Legality. At no time should a law be passed prohibiting boycotts, but not everyone who gets involved in them acts morally, not even close and yes they do hurt small guys who are often just trying to make a living.
thanks for your comments. they deserve to be worked up and published
a boycott is a refusal to associate with someone. it should always be legal. it is not always moral
Dear Patrick: Thanks, Walter
No law should ever be passed that prohibits boycotts, their morality on the other had is dependent on the situation. Furthermore, just because it's possible that no small guys will be hurt, in a hypothetical long term situation, doesn't mean that no small guys will, in practice, be hurt, in fact there are already many cases, where this has happened. Guest lecturers who make a living that way have been hurt, so have the people who wanted to listen to them. There have been people who's life's work went up in smoke because a group has decided to boycott someone and it's not always possible to remedy it.
Many of these types who get involved in boycotts remind me of union members, in that they often run to the government to help enforce their boycott or they deny other people the right Not to boycott by getting entire events shut down. In theory no libertarian should be against unions either, but because unions, like these activists, take it beyond freedom to negotiate collectively, they are not accepted by many libertarians.
If these activists were not running to Uncle Sam or their local Authorities then I'd say they are fine, if they were not also disrupting other people who want to see events or listen to speakers they would be fine. But they cross that line, almost every single time because they are rarely content to just boycott. Unions are rarely content to leave other people out of it either.
Morality Vs Legality. At no time should a law be passed prohibiting boycotts, but not everyone who gets involved in them acts morally, not even close and yes they do hurt small guys who are often just trying to make a living.
Well done.