[May 12, 2021] A story from Buzzfeed last week from leaked Facebook documents tells us that Facebook is trying to appease Starbucks’ dismay over “hate speech” on the social media platform.1
“Facebook is scrambling to prevent Starbucks from leaving its platform after the world’s largest coffee company said it was dismayed by hateful comments left on its posts about racial and social justice issues.” – Buzzfeednews
“Anytime [Starbucks] post (organically) in regards to social issues or their mission & values work (e.g., BLM, LGBTQ, sustainability/climate change, etc.) they are overwhelmed by negative/insensitive, hate speech related comments on their posts.” – a Facebook employee
“In internal discussions seen by BuzzFeed News, Facebook employees who manage the social network’s relationship with Starbucks wrote that the company has become so frustrated by the hate and intolerance on the platform that it may remove its Facebook page. Were Starbucks to do so, it would be one of the largest companies ever to sever ties with Facebook.” – Buzzfeednews
We are witnessing customers of Starbucks pushing back on the political agenda of Starbucks. They like the coffee but don’t appreciate having BLM/LGBTQ/climate change being “dished up with their beverages.” But there is a big difference between “hate speech” and “negative” speech. Comments in Buzzfeed appear to be the latter, negative comments on Starbucks politicizing and not hate speech.
Buzzfeed cited several examples in their article worth reading.
“Until I see ALL LIVES MATTER I will not be buying any more Starbucks! I was a regular customer. Brought my kids even my dogs. But now it’s about an agenda. Cheers,” said one comment on the video.” – Buzzfeednews
Several years ago, I wrote about Starbucks’ leadership infusing politics into their coffee company and suggested doing so was a bad idea.2 I wrote that “No one cares about the political affiliations of its leaders … that is, until it begins to infect the mission and values of that organization.” This is happening now. The results are not unexpected.
Some offensive comments may have been posted on Starbucks’ Facebook page. But these are common on most sites, most coming from those who identify with a leftist political bent. Based on the samples from Buzzfeed, it appears something else is happening.
Starbucks’ employees are mostly living in a leftist bubble, and perhaps their left-wing political agenda is irritating many of their customers. Maybe they don’t care. Sadly, more of the sort of comments like the one above may push Starbucks further into their leftist’s fantasy.
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Excellent article. I laughed all the way thru it. Starbucks just doesn’t get it.
Personally, I don’t drink coffee, so Starbucks can kiss my ugly ass.
I love it. 😊 Rusty, you just made my day.
Rusty, well said. I am boycotting them for their total stupidity. I vote with my dollar and they aren’t getting m dollar ever again. Even if their CEO crawled on the floor and begged me to spend money there, I would not. And, I will remind everyone I know how anti-American they are by trying to take the moral high ground like all good commies do.
Starbucks coffee is not so much about the coffee as it is about the service. When they start lecturing us about moral issues (and are frequently wrong, to boot) then I start to have my coffee elsewhere.
Quote, Until I see ALL LIVES MATTER I will not be buying any more Starbucks! I’m with that guy! Why should I have a leftist agenda crammed down my throat? I’m not that stupid. I’ll take my business elsewhere and I know they don’t care (and that is part of the problem they have).
👍👍👍👍
Couldn’t have given a better response. Starbucks is out of their depth intellectually and morally. Best to stay on the coffee service level and not dwell in places you do not belong or are welcome.
Another hard-hitting article from Gen. Satterfield. We need more of this type of analysis from Gen. S. Thanks and keep it up.
Would Starbucks leave Facebook. I deleted my Facebook accounts (I had 3) several months ago because they censor speech that they don’t like. They ban politicians they disagree with. We should never tolerate tyranny in any form. While these political leftists claim they are doing it to resist fascism, they are in fact the fascists. Too bad they can’t see what they do, just like the German peoples in the 1930s couldn’t see what their ideology was doing to them and others.
They like the coffee but don’t appreciate having BLM/LGBTQ/climate change being “dished up with their beverages.” Yep, couldn’t have said it better. We done! Now, what are the lessons from this that we all must learn?
1) Don’t be a wimp.
2) Speak up when necessary.
3) Don’t give them your money, go elsewhere (boycotts are good).
4) others ….
And I don’t even like their coffee. Mostly too dense and burnt. They have drifted away from their original mission and now we see the results.
Indeed, the entire staff and leadership down to the workerbees are living in a liberal bubble and are intolerant of any other idea.
Yes, and we all know what happens when that occurs. They eventually sucker others into their sphere of ignorance and gain political power from politicians who have never had to work for a living and willingly give them a chance to push tyranny on others. This is how it starts.
I think Starbucks is beginning the implode. Their business model can only take them so far. Now to start lecturing us is a big no no.
General Satterfield, wow, nice article. I like to see you hit back at the knuckle dragging uppity commie leftists in places like Starbucks and Facebook.
What Starbucks “sees” as “hate speech” is really just their customers that they disagree with their politics. That is the same thing that is being done at the federal govt level today. Very sad. This means that political disagreements are seen as violence and hate, when it is just a disagreement. This is the beginning of the decline of freedom for those in opposing political parties. This is the very definition of tyranny. And the “leftists” who perpetuate it are themselves the very model of tyrants. And, sadly, they don’t see it. Very dangerous.
Liberals cannot “see.” That is the real problem here and their willful blindness leads to a loss of freedom for us all.
I just don’t think much of companies that push an ideological agenda on its customers like Starbucks. Their customers have learned just to shutup and ignore the blab blab blab of leftist garbage. Maybe the customers are waking up and saying stop it … just maybe.
I doubt this DJ. I don’t think they are waking up at all to the anti-Americanism coming from Starbucks. The propaganda is so wrapped up in such a neat present that their eyes glaze over with glee. Starbucks needs to take a powerful economic hit first, then customers will leave in droves. That and only that will bring back a sane business model.
Greg, maybe but this just might be wishful thinking. I do agree but I’m not holding my breath. 😊
Such fun watching a leftist company dipping into politics when their best bet is to stay out of areas that don’t concern them.
Starbucks is in lockstep with the fascists and they can’t even see it.
Good analogy. They also support book burning from the likes of Amazon and other “woke” publishers.
Same with me Dep. John. We have been way too tolerant of this form of tyranny and we need to stop tolerating it and call it for what it is and for what it does. The pandemic certainly turned things upside down. Let’s talk back to those who say stupid political things.
Starbucks’ leaders exist in a hyper liberal bubble. Too much money and not enough pushback on their stupidity about the world.
Always has, I stopped buying their coffee years ago when I saw them drifting into this stupidity.
Stupid is as stupid does.