[monochrome]

I realized long ago, if you start boycotting everyone who deserves it, you're not going to buy anything from anybody, except maybe the Amish, and they're practically a cult so I'd have to boycott them eventually.

Actually Norm, if Iam to be true to my expressed values, I should boycott breathing in protest against some past offense I'm quite certain I committed some time in the past. Or maybe even in the past week. .

[arnold]

In South Africa (and elsewhere in Africa) we have a huge and very well documented problem of Vietnamese demand orchestrating and driving the wholesale killing of Rhinoceros for their horns, in the belief that powdered Rhino horn cures cancer, makes the user more virile or speeds recovery from drinking alcohol. Just this week, for example, two Vietnamese nationals were sentenced to 10 years in jail here in South Africa for their part in Rhino poaching. Of course they're aided by local and Mozambican collaborators, but the public demand in Vietnam is what's behind the slaughter.

I have a dilemma. I love Pentax but hate the fact that their lenses are assembled in Vietnam. It's so uncool to have anything Vietnamese these days and I'm ashamed that many of my Pentax lenses come from Vietnam.

What do I do, kind Pentaxforumers?

The problem here is cultural. These are Asian cultural beliefs which one hopes will die out as Western ideas take over. Those who make lenses are doing the right thing and should be encouraged in this way of life. The war should be against the ideas involved, and unless you can establish a link between making lenses and killing rhinoceros', don't stop buying the lenses. We need to encourage modern ways, and manufacturing is better than hunting.

[Vylen]

You have old fashioned Chinese people who mercilessly kill sharks, tigers and virtually every other animal for herbal purposes...

Are you going to boycott a world superpower because of their deeds?

May as well live in isolation and fend for yourself - everything you own and touch has been "tainted" by a countries archaic culture that somehow goes against your ethical standards.

[Bob from Aus]

The Japanese are killing whales.

The Japanese Government is promoting and subsidizing the killing of whales. Japan is one of the best educated countries in the world. We should buy pentax because it is helping the poor Vietnamese people that we bombed the crap out of and mostly live a basic life.

[Parallax]

Since this has turned to politics with many posts deleted, it's done.

[Gray]

The thread about AIV lenses was closed before I had a chance to thank everyone for their opinions. I am undecided about what to do, but I will do something.

Thanks again. No need to reply or keep the topic alive.

[Blue]

As to the buy or not buy question, I agree with the two previous posters. If this were State sanctioned poaching it would be different. As far as the poachers themselves -


They got off WAAAAAAY too easy, IM[not so]HO.

Having worked in SA on a few projects, they are lucky they didn't get shot in the field.