Volumes could be written on the various misconceptions and consumerism run amuck with those words. It harkens back to the original use of ‘bride price’, and thanks to DeBeers’ ‘strategic marketing’ starting in the 1930′s-40′s was somehow transferred into the present. So a process started by well known bloody minded Imperialist Cecil Rhodes using industrial scale slavery in SW Africa to achieve his corporate ends, has been married to a efficient system of mass marketing, popularizing a previously very rare trade item into the well known consumer staple we see today. There are very few things you can actually buy and wear that represent such concentrated evil as do ‘blood diamonds’, save perhaps for the eviscerated skull of your ex. Now truth be told, I know you’d prefer to wear the latter, but we’re not going to begrudge you your own diamonds.

Still, one day, we might all come to the realization that buying or not buying any overly expensive bauble for the spouse, (including the hubby BTW), may or may not have anything to do with the depth of feeling, the true extent of sacrifice, or their overall willingness & ability to provide for the family in times good or bad. That’s just silly. It’s so very stereotypical too. May we all know the true luxuries of later life of happy children & grandchildren who are eager to visit and are useful to have around too. Cheers, ‘VJ’

Saying Oprah is kinda amazing is like saying that Tom Jones has an ok singing voice.

I did not want a diamond when I got engaged at age 28 and received a cheap gold bracelet. Now I know that a man’s ability and willingness to provide his fiance with an expensive piece of jewlery speaks volumes to his willingness to provide her with luxuries later in life.

You can boycott Passover chocolate, but the 15.00 or so dollars you don’t spend is not going to provide any help for any children. Why don’t you take that money and send it to the International Organization for Migration which helps children in Ghana or better yet, directly to Oprah’s Village of Hope Orphanage in West Africa which provides rehabilation for rescued child slaves.

P.S. I bet you’ll change your mind about the diamond when all your friends start getting engaged to men who have good jobs in corporations.

Ofri,
Truthfully, Oprah is the closest thing to a Redeemer of Women and Children of all races that the world has EVER known. She is on the cutting edge of raising awareness for the various problems suffered by women around the world. Her philosophy that we can change the world by helping MOTHERS is very wise.

I am not counting on her to fix the entire world, I am sure that if there is a serious issue regarding women and children somewhere in the world, she and her staff are working on bringing it to the attention of the viewing audience.

Did you read the article of the West African Fishing villages I cited? That was from 2006, long before this site took an interest in the child labor in that country.

Some problems run deeper than the Jews boycotting something. We certainly didn’t change Mel Gibson’s mind by not going to his movies.

blah. I’m boycotting kosher for passover chocolate!

I’ve got nothing but love for her, but if you’re counting on Oprah to fix the entire world, don’t hold your breath.

Down with Diamonds? What a huge load of shit that is, someday when you get engaged you are not going to want a fair trade espresso bean mounted in platinum.

I’m sure if boycotting Hershey’s was going to help free slaves in Africa, Oprah would have called for a boycott by now. It is not the simple answer to a very complex problem that stems from the culture of the country.

Here’s what she had to say on African West Coast Child Slavery in fishing villages and what we can do about it:
oprah.com/tows...

Diamonds are forever. If you try giving a future fiance a Moisannite I suggest you:
1) run really fast after she has it appraised to make sure she doesn’t scratch your eyes out with it ;and
2) renew your membership with Frumster.

(I’d be happy with just a piece of the Chocolate Jesus, but that’s just me).

As for Israeli companies who are large exporters of chocolate, well… Israel is a large exporter of many things. Does that give them a pass to not consider the moral implications of what they are doing? Any minute now I am sure the goons from Elite are going to be knocking down my door and dragging me away…

And finally, diamonds? Heh. The issue of blood diamonds aside, the whole industry is one big con run by DeBeers. Nearly undetectable and flawless synthetic diamonds are going to wreck that industry soon anyway. You can’t stop progress!

I have actually looked at the results. As awareness of this problem increases, large chocolate manufacturers have risen to the challenge and have made efforts to improve the situation – efforts they would never have made but for pressure put on them by posts like this one.

For instance, the Hershey company, while still not really acknowledging the existence of slavery and widespread child labor problems in West African cocoa farms, has nonetheless become involved in things like the International Cocoa Initiative which helps farm communities in West Africa better understand the kinds of farm work appropriate for children and also helps them build schools, recruit teachers and make other changes to improve the quality of life for young people. Hershey is also involved in the World Cocoa Foundation which does many of the same things done by the ICI and also provides cocoa farming families in West Africa with funds with which they can pay for their children’s education.

These and other efforts, which take into account the need to employ Africans, would never have gotten off the ground but for calls to boycott chocolate by people upset at the industry’s continued use of child slaves and child labor.

Now Joe, do you have a better idea?

Africa’s got lots of problems since the British divided up the continent however they saw fit, causing Jewish women to suffer without chocolate is not going to fix those problems. The next thing you know, you are going to be saying we should give up diamonds because they are mined by African slaves…don’t be ridiculous.