I'd like to talk about "Buy" in "r/BuyFromEU"

First of all, thank y'all for this amazing community! Keep going!

Now, let's talk about the word "buy" in "BuyFromEU". From time to time, I see comments here debating ethics behind different companies. While those discussions are valid, I think it's important to remind folks that there is no such thing as "ethical consumption": any product that was manufactured, packed, and delivered; takes its toll.

Does it mean that we all need to return to monke? I certainly won't. You may think this is a good idea, though. I'm not here to debate you. I'm here to point out that the "reduce reuse recycle" principle still applies: if you have a perfectly functioning Kindle or iPhone, or KitchenAid, keep using it.

It also means that a way better change is to switch to services from EU, especially those that require recurrent fees.

The second thing I want to point out is that being from EU doesn't make any business a saint. A good example here is Nestle. The company is headquartered in Switzerland, so technically not EU, but there are no doubts that it's European. And yet, it has a higher body count than a warlord of a developing country, and their corporate history makes many movie villains look like elementary school bullies.

The opposite is also true: there can be US counterparts that better align with your values than EU alternatives. I'm sorry, but if you happened to care about the environment and have just landed that sweet job at an investment bank, Patagonia is still probably the best choice for you, despite being an American brand. At the end of the day, there are always multiple criteria to evaluate when buying a thing, European origin is only one of them.

This is it. This is what I want to share. It's a good thing that we are doing here, just let's be realistic.

UPD: Thank you for your comments! I think I failed to share my points clearly. So, in nutshell:

• Ofc, one needs to buy things from time to time. When you need something- buy from EU. Just don’t buy shit you don’t need, you’ll be better mentally and financially this way.
• IMO it’s Ok to discuss ethics on this sub, but it’s not the main goal.

UPD2: Also, there are occasions when there’s either no viable EU alternative, or the alternatives are not suitable for you because of your specific circumstances. That’s fine. Being conscious about the origin of goods and services you consume is already a big win in my opinion.