Depending on what it was, of course. But money is... money. Nestle has enough of it

The right of the ownership is one of the fundamental rights. Just like the freedom of speech etc. Period. If Etiopian government wanted to size control over the factory, it should have paid a compensation. Instead they decided to steal. Nestle's claim is perfectly understandable.

Norway has it in the law that all timber-comapnies and other companies in foreign hands that use Norwegian resources automatically fall back to the Norwegian state after an amount of years. I cannot see how this is very much different, and Nestle bought the mother-company TEN YEARS after the incident in question.

This is none of Oxfam's businness. If they had 51% of shares in Nestle they could decide on the matter.

Is it not all consumers' business? I cannot see how Oxfam should be excempt. What is Oxfam, anyway?

Then the government should take actions that would eventually lead to eliminating the hunger. I can't recall Ethipian government trying to fight the hunger in the last 20 years. Instead they chose to start a war and purchase military equipment.

if you say so. I guess it is a good thing that Nestle have now said that they will put some of the money back into the country, but you can bet your ass that would not have happened if people had not been making a big fuss about it.

That's the best solution. The money invested by an independent company will not be wasted by the corrupted Ethiopian government and the people will have work.

see above

F*ck Oxfam. I don't interfere with their actions and they have no right to mess with Nestle-Ethiopia case.

why not?

Well, I bet you are buying some other products made by a similar company or maybe even by Nestle. You just don't know it.

If they are selling them under different names, perhaps (though I am aware of some and boycott them aswell). I do however check new products, and I am forced to abstain from one of my favourite chocolate bars because of them

PS. If you want to understand Ethiopia better, I honestly recommend a book by Ryszard Kapuscinski called "The Emperor" (Norwegian title "Keisaren" published by Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1986) - a real masterpiece. You ma also want to try his "Shah of Shahs", which is about Iran (Norwegian "Sjahen", Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1988 ). Or you just read any book by him. Any.

I will check it out some time, though at the moment I am so overloaded with books I have to read on religious history and classical history, there is not room in my head nor in my pocketbook or bookshelves for any more

Ryszard Kapuscinski is one of my favourite journalists and a wonderful, absolutely wonderful writer.


Magnus Alexander corpore parvus erat
Dissenting voice of wotmania
Frightfully stubborn pacifist

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent