Do boycotts actually work?

[DaveJ]

I get the feeling executives giggle when they hear about a people threatening to boycott. If it has any effect on income stream all they need to do is layoff some poor old schmucks. And if it did effect their personal bottom line, what, does their bonus go from $50 million to $45 million? Big deal. There must be legal ways to go after these evil corporations in a more direct and offensive manner, but again, within the law.

[LostInAnomie]

1. If they do it is very rare.

Most people do not have enough principle to actually stick to a boycott long enough to make it effective.

[Bitwit1234]

2. For republicans.

Remember when people were upset about the Path to 9/11 and threatened ot boycott. ABC went ahead correct. But do you remember when Whoopie Goldberg at a private party for the democrats was critizing and making fun of bush. Well republicans started emailing and calling SlimFast and within days they pulled here as spokesman.

That is what I can't understand. We know that the middle class is the one who reads newspapers, watch TV and consume the things they say they are going to boycott, but unless the republicans threaten they ignore it.