Ben & Jerry's Faces Boycott Calls Over Founder's Stance on Ukraine Weapons

[ImNotGod]

Ben & Jerry's ice cream is facing boycott calls after co-founder Ben Cohen spoke out against U.S. providing military aid to Ukraine.
Cohen believes the U.S. should use its power to negotiate an end to the war instead of supplying weapons.
This isn't the first time Ben & Jerry's has faced backlash for its social views, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis taking a harsh stance against the company in 2021.

https://www.newsweek.com/ben-jerrys-faces-boycott-calls-over-founders-stance-ukraine-weapons-1788962

Ben Cohen has donated more than $1 million to a group campaigning to turn the U.S. public against President Biden's military support for Ukraine

Sounds like they are serving russian kool aid with their ice cream

[pwb]

1. Cohen should know Business and politics do not mix.

However he is entitled to feel strongly for Peace in the world. I will still buy his ice cream in the market on sale.

[Cha]

40. "Peace" isn't Negotiating with Terrorists.

Putin has committed Genocide and is a War Criminal.. Ukraine has a Humanitarian right to Defend itself FOR Democracy & I am Grateful our Country is Helping keep the GD Murderous Maniac from Taking Over Ukraine.

Besides reading the thread Ben Cohen doesn't own his GD ice cream anymore.

[ZonkerHarris]

2. Ben is a pacifist. Ben has used their company for many social causes. Ben is consistent.

Ben has a decades long history of supporting liberal causes.

[The Magistrate]

3. Putin Invading Ukraine Is Hardly A 'Liberal Cause', Sir...

Neutrality in a war is simply support for the side with the most artillery, and pacifist agitation directed at one party to a conflict aids the other side, at least to the degree it has any effect, and is always useful to the other side's propagandas.

[Jirel]

5. This.

A pacifist tries to prevent war. A pacifist does not passively accept a war of naked aggression by a nation with a habit of such things, then urge the defeat the invaded nation to create “peace.”

[ZonkerHarris]

6. everybody likes to dance when the war drums play that beat. Boogie down

[The Magistrate]

12. Even The Comic Strip Character Does Better Than That, Sir

You have made no point, only some noise.

Personally, not much inclined to drum solos. This is better:

[Cha]

42. Thank You!

[Celerity]

13. I am so stealing this (with your permission of course, lol)

everybody likes to dance when the war drums play that beat

Killing Joke - Wardance (1980)

Label: Malicious Damage – MD5.40
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Copyright Control
Country: UK
Released: 1980
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave, Punk

[Celerity]

22. I do not think that being anti-war (as a initial philosophical premiss) is 'leftist extremism'

Even a reactionary conservative imperialist like Winston Churchill said 'It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war’.


An aside, that quote is somewhat disputed as to the exact wording:

https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/respectfully-quoted/sir-winston-leonard-spencer-churchill-18741965-36/


NUMBER: 1914

AUTHOR: Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874–1965)

QUOTATION: To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.

ATTRIBUTION: WINSTON CHURCHILL, remarks at a White House luncheon, June 26, 1954. His exact words are not known, because the meetings and the luncheon that day were closed to reporters, but above is the commonly cited version.

His words are quoted as “It is ‘better to jaw-jaw than to war-war,’” in the sub-heading on p. 1 of The New York Times, June 27, 1954, and as “To jaw-jaw always is better than to war-war” on p. 3.

The Washington Post in its June 27 issue, p. 1, has “better to talk jaw to jaw than have war,” and The Star, Washington, D.C., p. 1, a slight variation, “It is better to talk jaw to jaw than to have war.”

[Crunchy Frog]

38. Nevertheless, he still chose to fight Hitler rather than surrender.

I'll never condemn him for making that choice, even though there's lots of other things to condemn him for. Nor will I condemn the US for choosing to assist him.

[Celerity]

44. of course, and that quote is from 9 years after WWII ended nt

[tblue37]

45. +1!

[Lithos]

11. His approach is correct if people were rationally discussing things

That time has passed. At this time, his no vote is a vote for the one who has the most munitions - which is Russia. Anyone who knows a thing about Russia means this is a tacit support of Fascism.

[nilram]

17. I disagree with Ben on this one but no boycott for me.

Because he is so usually on the right side of things. (By which I mean, the lefty side of things.)

[Cha]

41. Tell him to talk to Hitler.. I mean Putin

then..

Ukraine has an Humanitarian Right to Defend Itself against a Genocidal Invader.

I am Grateful our Country is Helping to Save LIVES in Ukraine and Keep Back Fascism from Spreading in that part of the world.

[renate]

4. ...? how does he think the world should respond?

I respect completely his consistency as a pacifist, but does he really prefer that invaded countries roll over and show their bellies?

I cannot imagine a reasonable person donating $1 million to essentially promote and encourage Putin's human-rights-violating invasion.

[ImNotGod]

30. we are at a point where hitler invaded Poland, if the Allies rolled over and played dead

the World would be a much dangerous place right now. There are times when you have to stand your ground to fight evil and putin is about as evil as they come. The ice cream man is being played like a cheap piano.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Switched to Mochi a long time ago

I was never going back anyway. Shove it, Ben.

[ZonkerHarris]

8. Let's leave the Twitter ignorance on Twitter please. In 2001, B&J was purchased by Unilever

Cohen is no longer with the company.
Hasn't been for decades
Fools on the internet

[edisdead]

16. thought it was only partially bought.

[ProfessorGAC]

33. From Forbes Magazine

Unilever owns 100 percent of the equity capital of Ben & Jerry's.Aug 23, 2022

[Greybnk48]

9. Lifelong anti-war activists. Those boycotting them are not their people anyway.

They don't know them at all, apparently.

[Celerity]

10. Cohen resigned as CEO of Ben & Jerry's in 1994, and Unilever bought them in 2000.

Cohen also left the Board of Directors years ago. He has no power at the firm.


Ben Cohen To Step Down as CEO of Ben & Jerry’s

June 14, 1994

https://apnews.com/article/fec419795f6371d6f8d2726d0d41645a


PASSING THE SCOOP; BEN & JERRY

Dec. 18, 1994

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/18/magazine/passing-the-scoop-ben-jerry.html

[Ms. Toad]

14. This is the group to which Ben & Jerry donated, as well as the experts on which it relies.

https://eisenhowermedianetwork.org/experts/

If you follow the link, you can see that the group relies on advice from people who are extremely familar with waging war. Likely far more familiar than those condemning Cohen for the donation.

[gratuitous]

15. I can appreciate his stance

But what is there to negotiate? How much of Ukraine Putin should be gifted for starting a war on Ukraine? That seems to be rewarding Russia for its military aggression, which I don't think Cohen wants to encourage. A complete withdrawal of Russian troops and mercenaries from Ukrainian soil (including Donbas and Crimea)? I think that's what most of the civilized world wants, but how to accomplish it?

Cohen and his Eisenhower Media Network outfit seem to say that the U.S. is providing too much military assistance to Ukraine, especially in light of the deficit (yeah, ). What then, is the proper amount of military assistance? Nobody seems willing to be that specific.

[liberal_mama]

18. I wish we didn't have to send weapons to Ukraine either, but we had no choice when Putin invaded

them. It's very unfortunate. I wish the money spent on the weapons could have fed the hungry and built tiny houses for the homeless, but we can't just let Russia attack Ukraine.

[WarGamer]

20. What if Russia had said "We can't let Bush attack Iraq"

And started supplying the insurgents with ToS rockets, MANPADS and Russian satellites guided Iraqi artillery attacks?

[liberal_mama]

28. I think Russia did provide some help to Iraq, but they did it on the sly

I'm worried about all this. Makes me concerned about WW3 happening.

[WarGamer]

19. I deeply appreciate his intellectual honesty and consistency...

Some "anti-war" folks are pleasuring themselves over Ukraine War "Helmet Cam" videos and pumping their fist in joy with each piece of war news... like an Eagles fan on Sundays.

[W_HAMILTON]

46. Did he call for "peace negotiations" between the U.S. and Iraq?

[Wingus Dingus]

47. Well, good people do want Ukraine to prevail, and stop suffering and dying.

Because they did nothing wrong, and are entitled to their nation and their borders. News of Ukraine having a victory or blowing Russian troops to pieces makes my day, frankly. But then I'm not always "anti-war", some wars must be fought, some defenses must be mounted.

Bad people want Russia to win. They're the ones getting off on the carnage, the torture, the death, the destruction. And Russia is 100 percent responsible for all of that.

[bif]

23. He sold the company ages ago.

So a boycott is pointless.

[rollin74]

25. I never liked that ice cream anyway

Unfortunately, Ukraine doesn’t have the luxury of choosing to be anti-war. They were attacked and invaded by a murderous dictator.

Supporting and helping the victim of this war to defend themselves is the correct approach. Morally,it’s the right thing to do.

Putin has the power to end the war today by withdrawing his damn troops.

[Raine]

26. Stupid statement. I haven't bought that ice cream

for years, I always thought it was way overpriced.

[brooklynite]

29. Which has nothing to do with the story, since Cohen doesn't make it.

[Raine]

31. Yes I KNOW they don't make it anymore & I KNEW it when i

responded it was just an aside, geesh!

[Crunchy Frog]

32. I'll never be buying their product again.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Then You're Boycotting The Wrong Company

Unilever bought 100% of the business 23 years ago.

[Crunchy Frog]

39. I know. Still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak.

[muriel_volestrangler]

49. Are you saying you have something against Unilever?

Or that you hold Unilever responsible for the present-day politics of someone they bought a company from 2 decades ago?

[Cha]

36. Easy Peasy.. it's not as if theirs is

the only Ice Cream.

ETA.. okay I just read Ben doesn't own his fucking ice cream anymore.

[Cha]

34. Wow.. WTH, Ben? there's Lots More

other Delicious Ice Creams, you know.

ETA.. okay I just read Ben doesn't own his fucking ice cream anymore.

[ProfessorGAC]

37. The Ice Cream Is Irrelevant, Cha

Unilever has owned the brand for 23 years.
Cohen has had nothing to do with it in a long time.

[Cha]

43. TY.. After reading the thread I

just ETA my two posts on this.

[Bmoboy]

48. Peace is a good thing

War!

(War, huh) Yeah!
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothing, uhuh
(War, huh) Yeah!
(What is it good for?) Absolutely nothing

Norman Whitfiled and Barrett Strong 1969

[Crunchy Frog]

50. Peace is a good thing. Territorial conquest through military aggression is not peace.

Military occupation that includes systematic rapes, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, disappearances, forced deportations, and large scale child abductions is also not peace.

Self defense against aggression has always been regarded as legitimate.