What is the Spend for Peace boycott campaign all about?

Should the U.S. rule the world?

Should Bush and his band of bullies be allowed to impose their own agenda on us, coerce and threaten us, to get their own way? To behave, in short, as a Rogue State?

If your answer is No, millions of people around the world agree with you. You are part of a vast community opposing U.S. arrogance.

Here in New Zealand we have a proud record of resistance to U.S. incursions: Many Kiwis opposed the Vietnam war. We declared N.Z. to be nuclear-free and have fought hard to keep it that way. Many Kiwis are resisting the present U.S.-driven GE adventurism. Now is one of those times of protest and resistance.

More and more people around the world are organising various Spend for Peace movements.

We can make an effective protest against U.S. domination every time we go into a shop. For most of us, that’s every day.

Boycott U.S. brands

Corporations are the life-blood of the U.S. The voices that influence Bush and Co. are the fatcats of U.S. industry and marketing. They need our money to survive. If we refuse to spend with them, they must take note, and then the message travels to the White House in language it cannot ignore

So what can we do? It’s very easy, just 2 steps:

Step 1: Each of us decides what to boycott—we all have our own ideas of which corporations are the worst.—we don’t have to all agree, we just all have to act. So pick your poison—there are many brands which deserve your boycott. McDonalds is a favourite of many: Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Starbucks are obvious targets; Monsanto makes the pesticides and develops GE products to fit its pesticides; Shell and Mobil have poor environmental records; all the flash clothing and footwear brands are clear targets. (Are there “good” corporations? Yes, and they deserve our support. But be aware that corporations sometimes throw money at worthy causes just to look good—to distract attention away from their main activities, so we must be alert.)

We can learn which of the corporations in N.Z are U.S. owned—read the labels on products, scan the Business Section sharemarket listings, go to the great Web sites which monitor corporations. Then simply decide who you will boycott, the more the merrier. A list of US products sold in NZ (along with alternatives) can be found at StopUSA.org That’s Step 1.

Step 2: Tell them! Many Kiwis are already informally boycotting, but the corporations need to hear about it! Tell the retailer or shop owner. Fill out those customer feedback forms which are everywhere. Ring or write the Customer Service line here or the head office in the U.S. Leave a note or sticker on the product or the shelf. And write the politicians—we must not allow them to sabotage our future to curry short-term favour with the U.S.

Tell each other! Put up the posters, forward those emails, discuss which brands you are boycotting and why with friends, workmates, whanau/family. Every Kiwi can boycott something and every Kiwi should boycott something. Be noisy, be visible.

Be creative! Anyone can work up a song, a flyer, a poster, a little card to leave in a trolley or on a shelf. Bumper stickers, anyone? T-shirts?

Do boycotts work? Yes. Of course the corporations will always insist that they are not at all worried, have experienced no fall in profits, etc., so we can expect that sort of denial. But over time, they will look for ways to contain the damage, AND they will very quickly send a message back to their U.S. Head Office. And that message will get to the power-mongers, in language they understand. And who knows, maybe our politicians might take notice as well. To Spend for Peace is a trouble-free, accessible, effective way to make ourselves heard. All we have to do is act.

Spend for Peace is not party-political. We are simply working to bring together people of different beliefs, heritages, occupations, and nations who believe that the White House should not rule the world. We neither feel nor intend any enmity toward the U.S. and its citizens. We view the U.S. as a great nation gone seriously wrong, whose misuse of power must be curbed.

Buy U.S.A?

No Way!

USA Rogue State
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