Do U.S. consumers boycott products in response to international conflict? Two professors at the University of Virginia say that in the case of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the answer is "yes." Remember "freedom fries?" A brief refresher: As the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush was gearing up to wipe out what it called Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's "weapons of mass destruction," tensions were rising in the U.N. Security Council. France was deeply opposed to an attack and threatened to use its veto power to stop the action.
In the U.S., sentiment toward Paris plummeted, particularly among conservative Americans. Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly announced on the air he was boycotting French products and Capitol Hill cafeterias famously renamed French fries as "freedom fries," in an edible admonishment of the French government.
So talk of boycotts was in the air. But, as noted in a forthcoming paper in the journal Review of Economics and Statistics, measuring their economic impact has been a slippery affair.
"Most studies infer boycott behavior from indirect measures, such as bilateral trade patterns, abnormal stock market returns or consumer surveys, which are typically inconsistent with actual behavior," write associate professor of politics Sonal Pandya and business professor Rajkumar Venkatesan in their study, "French Roast: Consumer Response to International Conflict; Evidence from Supermarket Scanner Data."
It occurred to Pandya that supermarket scanners might offer some firm data on Americans' buying habits, so she and Venkatesan decided to dig deeper, studying weekly sales in 1,110 U.S. supermarkets in 50 regions across the country. For every week in 2003 they compared each store's sales of French-sounding brands to that same week in 2002. "Consumers' often use supermarket brands as an expression of their identity to others and also themselves," Venkatesan said.
[Paper]: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/REST_a_00526#.VUEShvBOKSp
[Source]: https://news.virginia.edu/content/study-tracks-us-boycott-french-sounding-products-during-2003-iraq-war
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @06:47AM
So if it where the danes you would have boycotted Häagen-Dazs?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Saturday May 02 2015, @03:47PM
So. Lesson? "PROPAGANDA WORKS".
It didn't matter if it were the French, Denmark, Argentina or tiny Monaco. There was a need to incubate rage and strengthen a "them or us" response. Necessary to de-position valid criticism of any US led involvement in Iraq, especially in violation of international law, with bogus justifications and false evidence.
So. It was the French - and these professors have a statistical instrument to quantify a significant correlation that demonstrates this.
BTW: Iraq campaigns from 2003 - 2007 were supported by the most intensive military use of global digital communications in history. Support of green zone, to "smart bomb" guidance. Who supplied a significant subset of that capacity? It was Dassault Systems - a French aerospace corporation, without whom operations in Iraq would NOT have been possible.
So. Propaganda works. But not on us! We're well-informed and rational!
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Saturday May 02 2015, @04:00PM
A minor self-correction: the satellite communications for logistics were provided by another subsidiary of Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault, not Dassault Systemes which is their industrial automation software company.
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday May 02 2015, @06:34PM
So. Lesson? "PROPAGANDA WORKS".
No it doesn't.
the week ending March 16, brands that consumers most strongly perceived as French saw a 0.4 percent average decline in store market share as compared to the same week in 2002,
The summary just stopped too soon.
They tried to compensate for any other influence, but they admit that they can't really do that. Further, it was a brief measure in time, and they never even addressed the prospect of everything else declining at the same time.
The only thing from France I might buy in a supermarket would be wine, and Australian, Argentinean, and South African wines are cheaper (and better IMHO), even after paying shipping, and California Washington an Oregon produce better wines domestically. I don't consciously shop by country of origin.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @09:59PM
In the break room, there was a nearly-full canister of French vanilla coffee creamer.
Over the French, I put a piece of masking tape with Freedom written on it.
The overwrite didn't last out the day.
Apparently, there was a literalist there who didn't share my twisted sense of humor.
-- gewg_
(Score: 4, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Saturday May 02 2015, @04:40PM
So if it where the danes you would have boycotted Häagen-Dazs?
Yes, apparently so.
FTA: Most of the brands shoppers think are French are actually not. Approximately 10 percent of the sample, 850 products, was rated as “highly French.” By comparison, France-based companies owned only 50 brands, and only 27 brands were French-owned U.S. trademarks.
And, Haagen-Dazs is actually from New York. [wikipedia.org]
If this comparison was intentional AC deserves some funny mods!
(Score: 2, Funny) by aristarchus on Saturday May 02 2015, @06:56AM
According to GW Bush, the French do not even have a word for entreprenuer!!! (Hint for Republicans and less educated libertarians: "entreprenuer" is, in fact, a French word.)
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @10:19AM
No, the French word is “entrepreneur” ;oP
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @01:12PM
That story is a myth, as anybody smart enough to read Snopes could tell you, Republican, libertarian, or not.
Did you also believe the photo where Bush is answering an upside down phone? SPOILER ALERT: that's a Photoshop job (and a rather poor one, I might add).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @01:53PM
Why the fuck should I trust Snopes?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @10:03PM
The one I liked best was him 'reading' from "My Pet Goat" with the book upside-down.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 03 2015, @03:36AM
Hint for Republicans and less educated libertarians: "entreprenuer" is, in fact, a French word.
Why Republicans and libertarians? There are plenty of uneducated people who identify as liberal. A grand majority of people who vote for republicans or democrats are unintelligent and uneducated.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @06:57AM
And then American idiot voters elected Barak Saddam-Hussein Obummer. They didn't boycott Iraqi-sounding names, now did they? It's such a terrible shame that Americans didn't all choke to death on their "freedom" fries.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by aristarchus on Saturday May 02 2015, @07:07AM
"Hussein" is in fact the name of the grandson of the prophet Mohammad, which you would know if you were not a complete and total ignoramus. He is the founder of the Shia branch of Islam, another fact you did not know. May I specualate, given you extreme intellect on matter is international politics, that you can tell us what the sum of the interior angles of an isoceles triangle is? My god, you are dumb. You are so stupid that if it were not for respect for the freedom of speech as deliniated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I would think that someone should shut you up. But here is the rub, one I do not expect you to understand, and it is the principle of free speech, if you say stupid things, no one will believe you and it only makes you look stupid. So, obvious solution. Stop saying stupid things. *(I have no hope of this advice taking, so until then, you will be mercilessly modded down, not because people here disagree with you, but because you are stupid. As a wise man once said: "you are not even wrong". )
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @07:11AM
"Hussein" is in fact the name of the grandson of the prophet Mohammad, which you would know if you were not a complete and total ignoramus. He is the founder of the Shia branch of Islam, another fact you did not know.
I know many irrelevant facts that you likely have no chance of knowing. So what? It's meaningless.
May I specualate, given you extreme intellect on matter is international politics, that you can tell us what the sum of the interior angles of an isoceles triangle is?
You can speculate all you want about the person you're replying to, but you will look illogical for speculating randomly.
I sincerely hope you're not one of those rote memorization 'geniuses' that think that because they've memorized random knowledge about some subjective, that they are intelligent and/or truly understand why and how it all works. Those things are unrelated.
My god, you are dumb.
Why even ask a question if you're not interested in the answer?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @07:18AM
I do not like you. I do not like what you are saying. I do not like your hypocritical abuse of logic. I hope you are modded troll.
I sincerely hope you're not one of those rote memorization 'geniuses' that think that because they've memorized random knowledge about some subjective, that they are intelligent and/or truly understand why and how it all works. Those things are unrelated.
My only consolation is the certainty of which your hope has been and will continue to be dashed against the rocks of Samos.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Saturday May 02 2015, @08:01AM
My only consolation is the certainty of which your hope has been and will continue to be dashed against the rocks of Samos.
Funny you should mention this. The first funny thing is that you know I am from Samos, and that there are less than inviting beaches there. But I have to point out, that although my teacher, Pythgoras, may have attained more fame by moving the land of the Latins, ultimately he was wrong about most things. The Theorem, yes, we have to give him that. But have you not heard of recent detections of exoplanets, orbiting distant stars? Now that is what I was talking about. Now you are welcome to question my accuracy as regards the stupidity of the American people, and I definitely look forward to any evidence to the contrary, but your assaults as an Anonymous Coward (emphasis on the second word) fail to hit the mark. Please try harder. And, I do like you. You have a pretty mouth.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @03:05PM
Wait, so are you Greek or Turkish?
Because if you're Greek you should probably go get a job you lazy bum.
Because if you're Turkish you should probably go get a sense of humor you humorless cod.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Saturday May 02 2015, @07:38AM
Because we are coming for you, idiot. We are going to tax you. We are going to force you to have health insurance! And we are going to force you to know the capital of Assyria, just in case it ever become relevant. Idiots are a drag on the well-being of a society. Just look at what they have done to America, and England! (Wait, why do all the really stupid countries speak either German or a dialect of German? Hmmm. )
I am not speculating randomly, I am responding the the irrationality of idiots who post here on Soylent News with no knowledge of what they speak! This shall not stand? We will have no idiots here! (Well, except, evidently, for Ethanol_Fueled.) So there it is. In objecting to my post you either are and idiot, or a sympathizer of idiots? Which is it? I am actually truly interested in you answer! Who knows? You may just be a shill instead of a total and complete ignoramous!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @07:52AM
Because we are coming for you, idiot. We are going to tax you. We are going to force you to have health insurance!
What?
I am not speculating randomly
But you did. I have no idea why you'd bring up some nonsense about triangles in response to that person's comment.
In objecting to my post you either are and idiot, or a sympathizer of idiots? Which is it?
Neither, because that's a false dichotomy.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @08:10AM
Tax you can force, health insurance you cannot. Not without a constitutional amendment, which was written to permit taxes (the 16th amendment). Some stubborn people still do not have health insurance, and they are not even required to have it. They simply forfeit a tax deduction which they would receive by having health insurance.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Saturday May 02 2015, @09:01AM
Tax you can force, health insurance you cannot.
Oh, yes we can. Bend over! We will cover your medical costs, because we are your people, and there is nothing you can do about it. The least you could do is say "thank you" you ungrateful wretch!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @10:16AM
Cover the costs? WHAT costs? People go the emergency room and demand medical care and then leave without paying. It's the American way.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @02:42PM
Its the "American way" because they have no choice except to do that (well, or die, but that's not really an option). America has become so set on fucking over the poor that even debtors prisons have been brought back, more than a century after being abolished.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @07:03AM
...boycott french kissing or did you just rename it?
(Score: 4, Touché) by GungnirSniper on Saturday May 02 2015, @07:18AM
This audience wouldn't know. They think systemd is a libre build of msconfig.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @08:13AM
I want a libre build of Windows with my msconfig! Can I get the whole package for libre?
(Score: 3, Touché) by meisterister on Saturday May 02 2015, @06:06PM
Is it wrong that I would actually rather have a libre build of msconfig?
(May or may not have been) Posted from my K6-2, Athlon XP, or Pentium I/II/III.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by AnonTechie on Saturday May 02 2015, @09:52AM
MuckRock has obtained a whole stack of Stingray-related documents [muckrock.com] from the FBI. As is to be expected, there's not much left said by the agency, which is at least as protective of its own Stingray secrecy as it is with that of law enforcement agencies all over the US. There's nearly 5,000 pages [amazonaws.com] of "material" here, most of which contains only some intriguing words and phrases surrounded by page after page of redactions.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150501/09393330847/fbi-hands-over-5000-pages-stingray-info-to-muckrock-redacts-nearly-all-it.shtml [techdirt.com]
Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @10:43AM
It’s pervasive and started after the Conquest (1066).
Have you noticed that in fiction, a great bunch of villains have French-sounding names?
The evil Normans nobles against the good, oppressed, Saxon common people?
Voldemort? (Death robbing (could be Death flight but I think he cheated death, no?))
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @12:38PM
Harry Potter shops at VoldeMart.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @01:16PM
Bill O'Reilly told his viewers that he happened to be in Paris covering a story, when a local businessman, owner of a large factory producing French Fries, threatened him over loss of business stemming from the boycott. The businessman waved a pistol and fired wildly at O'Reilly's cab, hitting the driver.
O'Reilly got out from the passenger seat, scrambled to the driver's side while dodging bullets, took over the wheel and managed to get the driver to a French hospital.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday May 02 2015, @03:06PM
I can't find any reference to this story in the French news and, while I do not doubt your sincerity, I'm not convinced that it is a true and accurate report. The French exporting fries oversees seems unlikely but, again, I cannot prove or disprove it. But perhaps my experience in rural France doesn't reflect life in the major cities here.
Shootings in France are far less frequent than in the US, and every incident tends to receive major news coverage. It sounds, at best, to be an exaggeration by O'Reilly which shows him in an heroic and brave light and might just be a story that has grown with repeated telling.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @03:28PM
Sorry, it was a joke. I thought that was obvious (French Fries imported from Paris?), but I guess not.
GP
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/03/oreilly-cameraman-disputes-falklands-account-204729.html [politico.com]
(Score: 3, Funny) by janrinok on Saturday May 02 2015, @05:04PM
(Score: 2) by tibman on Saturday May 02 2015, @03:46PM
I remember a completely different reason. Saddam bought a shitload of weapons from France on credit. France refused to consent or help the "coalition" invade Iraq because a dead Saddam would be a huge loss for them. That was why people were boycotting French stuff. If i am remembering correctly : )
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(Score: 4, Informative) by janrinok on Saturday May 02 2015, @05:29PM
The French Air Force were in the first few aircraft to attack Iraq, although they took a little persuading to do so.
Iraq had the recently-purchased Crotale SHORAD missile system from France and, initially, France refused to give the necessary classified war-only parameters for the system to other members of the coalition. They felt it would compromise their ability to sell the system to other countries. This meant that the coalition Electronic Warfare (EW) would be working a little on guess-work and would not be able to program automated jamming pods to respond with maximum effectiveness. The solution was to put the French aircraft in the first wave to ensure that the Crotale system would be targeting the French before anyone else, and to give the coalition time to collect the EW data in order to program their own pods. The French were not keen on this idea - although they did not refuse (as I'm sure someone will try to suggest) - but, after political pressure, they eventually delivered the wanted data in sufficient time for the entire coalition to make use of it. They still took part in the first day of air action.
Of course, the entire gesture was more a way of showing the French that they were either part of the coalition or not, and that business interests would have to come second. Most jamming pods can cope without knowing every parameter of potential threat radars unless the war-only modes are considerably different to those in normal everyday usage.
An additional problem that the first Gulf War presented was that the west had spent years collecting data on the old soviet/Russian-designed radars that were (and still are) in common usage in the Middle East, but had not had to face western designed equipment in any major combat operations prior to this war. (The main exception to this was the UK during the Falklands Conflict.) Tactics had been devised, tested, modified, re-tested and eventually taught to western forces which would, in some degree or other, need changing again for use against our 'own' systems. There were some problems but, in the main, the level of training and our equipment proved good enough for the task.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 02 2015, @10:06PM
The US State Department has its own band of spys and analysts.
They told Secretary of State Colin Powell that the Dubya/Cheney folks were lying about WMD but Powell [google.com] stuck with the party line and spouted the warmongers' bullshit to the UN.
The French also had better spooks and analysts and they also got the answer right.
Trusting their own guys, they chose to ignore the USAian ideologs.
-- gewg_
(Score: 4, Informative) by tibman on Sunday May 03 2015, @12:33AM
I was so disappointed in Gen Powell over that. It just seemed so against his character and was unforgivable. That guy could have run for president if he would have done things a little bit different.
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