Like do they actually, reliably effect change in the way the activists intend?
Have they worked against Israel? Did they work against Apartheid South Africa? Could they work against Trump’s America?
My hunch is that they don’t, really, but can be a useful promotional tool for other issues. Like don’t buy American is a simple message. If people will listen to that, they may listen to reasons why, which maybe could build a movement.
But on the whole I am very sceptical, and would be interested in any reasons for or against boycotts.
It works, albeit imperfectly. In particular, it’s sometimes a difficult prospect for would-be participants who don’t have the luxury of choice. Also attention/bandwidth can limit participation since no one can sustain an endless game of whack-a-mole. Ultimately, it’s just one of many tools, but it has often been effective.
There’s VERY few services that the luxury of choice is not again for. A lot of the times that’s simply an excuse
Maybe yeah, I’m just talking about poor folks in rural areas who can’t boycott the only walmart or whatever.
Maybe a better example is Amazon. I have a rough idea how much it costs me to avoid that company and I know it might not be an easy option for someone on tighter margins.