# Should corporations that do business in and with dicatorships be boycotted?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-corporations-that-do-business-in-and-with-dicatorships-be-boycotted/569331>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 28, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-corporations-that-do-business-in-and-with-dicatorships-be-boycotted/569331 "2011-01-28T20:11:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-corporations-that-do-business-in-and-with-dicatorships-be-boycotted/569331/21 "2011-01-31T03:25:29Z")

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> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> I’m not advocating either, either.
> 
> I’d advocate boycotts of companies that sell single-purpose tools of repression. So if a company sells waterboards and tear gas to Algeria, they’re doing something evil. But building a phone system is something different, unless only the oligarchs get to use the phone system.

Gotta agree. It’s not like any other company could do better. If ComptaPhone sets up business there, they’ll have to deal with the Egyptian government too. Better the Egyptians have some phone than none.

What’s really needed is improved and cheaper satphone access. Let’s see those bastards try to censor Geo-synchronous orbit.

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**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-corporations-that-do-business-in-and-with-dicatorships-be-boycotted/569331/22 "2011-01-31T16:40:56Z")

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Well if this is about companies that sell single use for oppression goods to dictatorships (tear gas, e.g.), that’s not unreasonable, but I don’t think that’s a huge supplier list. Actually that might make it more effective, although as one can produce most of such goods perfectly well in China or another supplier that doesn’t really give a bloody fuck, not sure what the point would be. And considering it’s American tear gas supplied I believe via official channels, the real problem is US Government, not a private supplier.

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