If anyone cares to boycott: (Michelin, Uniroyal and BFGoodrich ARE French, as is Dannon, DKNY, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS and the list goes on...) Air France Air Liquide Airbus Alcatel - Based in Paris France Allegra (Allergy Medication) - Produced by Aventis Pharmaceuticals based in Strasbourg, France Aqualung (Including: Spirotechnique, Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest) AXA Advisors Bank of the West - Owned by BNP Paribas Beneteau (boats) BF Goodrich - Owned by Michelin BIC (Razors, Pens & Lighters) - Started in 1945 by Marcel Bich. Originally based just outside of Paris. Began trading on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. 40.5% Publicly traded. Bich family still owns 33.5%. Biotherm (Cosmetics) Black Bush Bollinger (Champagne) Car & Driver Magazine Cartier Chanel Chivas Regal (Scotch) Christian Dior Club Med (Vacations) - Owned in part by Paris based CDC (Caisse des Dpts et Consignations) Culligan (owned by Vivendi) Dannon (Yogurt & Dairy Foods) DKNY - LVMH acquired 100% of Gabrielle Studio Inc., the privately owned licenser of Donna Karan trademarks back in 2001. Dom Perignon Durand Crystal Elle Magazine Essilor Optical Products Evian Fina Gas Stations Fina Oil - Billions invested in Iraqi Oil fields First Hawaiian Bank George Magazine Givenchy Hennessy Houghton Mifflin (books) International Herald Tribune - 181 ave Charles-de-Gaulle - F-92521 Neuilly - FRSource:World Business Council for Sustainable Development '00 [Domain Registration], [Corporate Profile] Jacobs Creek - Owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989 Jameson (wiskey) Jerry Springer (talk show) Krups (coffee and cappaccino makers) Lancome Le Creuset (Cookware) L'Oreal (Health & Beauty Products) Louis Vuitton Marie Claire Martel Cognac Maybelline Mphisto (Footwear & Apparel) Michelin (Tires & Auto Parts) - Their phone number is: (33) 1 45 66 15 53 in France Mikasa Crystal and Glass (purchased by ARC int'l in 2001) Moet (Champagne) Motel 6 - 33, Avenue du Maine- 75755 Paris Cedex 15 France Motown Records MP3.com Mumms (Champagne) Nissan (Cars) - Majority owned by Renault Nivea Normany Butter Parents Magazine Peugeot (Automobiles) - Pronounced "Pooh Joe", must be French Pierre Cardin Playstation Magazine ProScan - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France Publicis Group (Including: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising) RCA (televisions & electronics) - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France Red Magazine Red Roof Inns - Owned by the Accor group based in France Renault (Automobiles) Road & Track Magazine Roquefort Cheese - All Roquefort cheese is made in France Rowenta (Toasters, Irons, Coffee makers, etc) Royal Canadian Salomon (Skis) Seagram's Gin Sierra Software and Computer Games Smart & Final Sofitel (Hotels) - Owned by the Accor group based in France Sparkletts (Water) - Owned by Danone, based in France Spencer Gifts Sundance Channel Taylor Made (Golf) Technicolor T-Fal (Kitchenware) The Glenlivet (Scotch Total Gas Stations UbiSoft (Computer Games) Uniroyal Uniroyal Tires - Owned by Michelin Universal Studios (Music, Movies & Theme Parks) - Universal Studios is owned by Vivendi-Universal, headquartered in Paris France USFilter Veritas Group Veuve Clicquot Champagne Vittel Vivendi - Vivendi Headquarters, Paris France Wild Turkey (bourbon) Woman's Day Magazine Yoplait - France-based Sodiaal owns a 50% stake of Yoplait Yves Saint Laurent Zodiac Inflatable Boats
You know this is America and I have the right to not like anyone I want and the French has been pissing me off even before I was born. Good idea posting that list man. :TU: It will be hard giving up my Bic which I'm sure is only good cause its made in America. Cheap lighters just don't last as long or light every time. Matt uzzled:
Maybee we should stick to boycotting only French Imports. I don't know about you but I'd hate to see good Americans be out of a job just because the American plants are owned by some French weenies. Yeah, some money makes it to France... but most stayes right here in the USA in the workers pockets. Just My .02
If you were to fully ahear to that list, your wives would look like they do in the morning all day long, they'd be wearing non-trendy cloths, your kids would wonder why their closet is empty, you wouldn't have as much good booze in the house, no good champange, you'd be using razors that are animal tested, you'd be ditching all your home a/v stuff or at least the cabling that hooks it all up, you'd loose a few car mags, your wife would loose her collection of womens mags, you'd stop going to discount grocery stores, and you'd also ditch a good quarter of your movie collection. The list could go on, but you get the idea... sounds like a plan to me.. uzzled:
The one that gets me is BF Goodrich. I had my heart set on some 245/60TA's and now I'm screwed.:af: Oh well, there's always Goodyear.
Sigh. Ok, so boycotting has always been a good way to make a political point. It is the one thing that the common man can do to feel as though they are making a difference. The problem here is that by boycotting some of these companies, you are screwing Americans at the same time. Many of these companies have offices and facilities here. Some with hundreds of employees. For example, there is no way I'm going to boycott Nissan, because many of their cars are designed right here in California. And many of their cars are built right here in Tennessee. There are plenty of other French-related or French-owned companies that are in the same boat. Why hurt these Americans just to prove a point? That said, I agree with being disappointed about the whole France situation. The problem is that I don't think a boycott is the best way towards a solution. Please take no offense. I just think it's a "feel good" measure at best.
Well, showing support for the US is good, but many citizens here make their living from multi-national businesses. My old company works with Airbus a lot- Europe is more accepting of composite major structure for new aircraft. I'd temper the desire to boycott French goods with the knowledge that it potentially hurts business at home, and the stock market isn't at it's best, and that the common guy over in France isn't nessecarily anti-US, it's their dummy government, and they always do the wrong thing concerning us. That said, I only drink unblended Scotch whisky, from Scotland, the only place that really makes it, so it's Glenmorangie when I drink Scotch, Tanqueray (I had a dog named that) when I drink gin, and Jim Beam when I drink Bourbon. The Glenlivet is pretty awful, but I didn't know that a French company owned it. They can't move the distillery, because then by law it isn't Scotch. I'm not burning my T/A Radials, Moet is horrible and overpriced, Jerry Springer deserves to be French, and Car and Driver ain't what it used to be, so no big loss.:laugh: But I also feel that if I need a small inflatable boat, for example, my not buying a Zodiac hurts France a little, and my local merchant a lot. Just how I feel.
Yeah, but doesn't it feel extra good burnin' those French tire treads with some good ol' American iron. Dick
I'll keep my BFGs. The small amount of money they get from half of the companies that are French originally (especially the ones that manufacture goods here) wouldn't really deal much of a blow to their economy just by us boycotting. That is like stopping drinking by banning liquor... it just won't work. On the contrary... as someone already said, boycotting is about the only thing the normal man can do to really make a stance on his dislike about another country. If you want to do it, more power to you, thats your free right. Burning my tires feels good no matter what, so long as I didn't just buy them. I'm in college, I don't have a lot of spare money! That is why I use the cheapies on the stock rims as burnout tires :grin:
Yeah, but doesn't it feel extra good burnin' those French tire treads with some good ol' American iron. Dick Sorry I don't know why this showed up a second time.....Dick
My burnout tires are Michelins that I got FREE with the car on the stock rims so... yah... I guess you could look at it that way.:laugh:
I see from your list above you listed my former employer Publicis Group (Including: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising). I used to work for a privately held advertising and communication company. Publicis bought the company for $3 billion ($1.5b cash and $1.5b stock). Shortly after they buy-out, a massive lay-off occured and I lost my job (5 months ago). I disliked the French then, and more so over their position on Iraq. Just yesterday, I heard from my buddy that Publicis executed another RIF (reduction in work-force) in the U.S. after the postings from first quarter. It just goes to show you can't trust a dirty Frenchman... Erik 71 Buick GS 455 Convertible
Don't think the Dunlops would look quite right, though I'm not sure... Tires will be my last big purchase for the year. I'd sure like to know that most of the money stays here.
Well those of us who are willing to boycott are just simply going to make due. I like many of the liquors listed above... but hey there is plenty of good booze made here too. So if I dont drink Black Bush or Jameson for a little while, its not going to kill me. JD is classic and our friends to the north and south of us make some nice alternatives as aswell (Knobb Creek and friends to the north.... Herradura to the south). While Im not really against the french people, i am in opposition to their govt. Especially when we are finding missiles dated to 2002, which is in clear violation to the UN mandate. :af: Im not going to stop going to French resteraunts..as long as they are locally owned. Sure people will get hurt, but that is the price to pay. Just like we dont want the little kids of Iraq to die (by our hands), yet we are willing to allow those casualties for the greater good.
I have to agree that as Americans we owe it to the world to do our best to put France in it's place. I have been and will continue to boycot any products or services that I am aware of as entirely French. I won't boycot a product that will put Americans out of work. Our own economy should not have to suffer because of the French. Many apologies to our friends in France who don't feel the way their leadership does. Do something about it! Dick
