Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Me and the Mini

I try to boycott the Nazis like a good member of the horde. But it gets so confusing. Take for example the Mini Cooper. They're owned by BMW (Bavarian Motor Wee-hicles) but during the war, the Cooper people were on our side. Should I buy my Mini as a show of thanks to the brave British lads who fought alongside the allies during World War II? Or, should I boycott because some of the profits might end up in the bank account of a person of German descent?

And where does it end, presuming it ever does? My 401(K) might own real estate in Munich. Should I divest? Disney might have a board member named Horst. Should I skip the Magic Kingdom the next time I'm in hurricane country? Becks beer is delicious, and according to the people who bother with such lists, they never employed slave labor or profited from the extermination of Jews, but stil, they arel German. Must tasty beer be banished from my refrigerator simply because having it might offend someone who is unaware of the facts?

CWY is weighing similar issues.