How to Boycott China, Redux

You’d think that because I’ve ghostwritten a dozen books on financial planning, the first thing on my mind when writing about boycotting China because of their mass slaughter of dogs would have been: Go through your portfolio and sell companies based in China or that make their products in China. So sorry. But better late than never.

Here’s what to do:

• Read every mutual fund prospectus you have, and comb through the list of companies. Research them further if you think you don’t have sufficient information. Call them. If you have a financial advisor, tell that person you want to boycott China, and they’ll choose your investments accordingly. I know, I know, it’s a pain in the ass. But aligning your actions with your beliefs is often inconvenient, and sometimes expensive.
• When it comes to consumer goods, there are oodles of websites to help you with this particular boycott, because China has had such an abysmal record on human rights for so long. There’s even a website called boycottmadeinchina.org, and there’s a site with a pledge form to sign regarding your boycott (and other interesting goodies) at the site for the China Boycott Union.
• Don’t forget that the 2008 Olympics will be in Beijing–and let me just say that at first I thought that was due to some masterful economic and political Jedi mind trickery on the part of China. But then I realized: No capitalist country can afford to ignore China, so if we’ve got to give them the Olympics to make them happy, we will. We have an astounding capacity to compartmentalize what others do, and
  then to ignore the things that make us look like hypocrites.
• The mere fact that the Olympics will be in China doesn’t spell complete defeat. After all, you and I  don’t have to go there (and give them our dollars)–or even watch from home. Remember, the Olympics can be a major television ratings bonanza, but if we all write to NBC and tell them that we’re not going to even watch, then the effects of the boycott spread.
• Finally, if I knew an Olympic athlete, I’d even urge that person to organize their team members to boycott.

And that, my friends, would be a true test of anyone’s conviction.