This is an email i got.
you have 2 hours and no more than 250 words. you can turn your papers over now. and the first person to say its about class in a relevent context gets a prize 
"we discussed the idea of a world boycott of companies and organisations which support the neo-conservative Bush/Blair agenda. The idea is to focus the pre-existing work of campaigns like the Coca-cola boycott, anti-MacDonald's, environmental campaigns and anti-war campaigns by helping us to work more closely together and identify clearly some common strategies, pool resources and information and amplify the scale of protest. We need to work on a worldwide scale because the effects of neo-conservative policies are felt worldwide.
The neo-conservatives are powerful and dangerous, well-funded and ruthless. However, it's all built on money. Powerful multinationals play a key role in supporting politicians and lobbying for policy changes which are detrimental to ordinary people worldwide and to the life of the planet itelf. We have marched, leafletted and argued for years; now we also need to focus on the financial support, by publicising and unravelling the financial links, refusing to purchase the goods of harmful companies.
If we can, by cooperating worldwide, produce a downturn in profits then we may be able to convince policymakers that crime does not pay. This effort will require cooperation, mutual support and sustained campaigning and information sharing. Worldwide networks and participating campaigns are already engaged. Let's make it official. US products and policies are the No 1 target because of the country's aggressive warmongering policies, its unfair trade practices and its disregard for human rights in territories it controls and in many of its businesses and their subsidiaries. The UK must also bear its share of the blame.
Some may feel that they wish to enquire of non-commercial organisations what their stance on neo-conservative policies is and withdraw cooperation accordingly.
it was stressed that good practice and good principles should be praised and rewarded, whether in the US or elsewhere. We should buy responsibly, work responsibly and live responsibly. We should encourage the efforts of the peacemakers and those who work for justice by linking more closely with them in order to support and encourage. Undoubtedly non-Republicans in the US will be feeling the need of that support.
Let us stress that this action is in no way a condemnation of ordinary citizens in the USA: it is merely an expression of our desire to work for the common good and against those who would enslave us.
We are for a multicultural, multifaith world which is socially and environmentally sustainable.
STOP THE MADNESS BEFORE THE EARTH CLOSES DOWN THE HUMAN RACE!"
oops forgot to add what my problem with it is.
this is a serious call from the social forum network to put peoples energy into mass boycotting as a form of protest which theyappear to believe is effective.
calling for a boycott of a country is premised on the assumption that if we all withdraw our spending power and stop buying the goods we can convince policymakers that "crime doesn't pay". hasn't worked with israel, except from a little embarrassement possibly and i can't see it working with america which has so many powerful fingers in so many pies.
you could possibly bring down a company but can you boycott a country with any effectiveness? I dont see Israel pulling out of Gaza and renouncing its US funded political murder. or even (on the level of companies) Nestle coming down despite a massive, long running and well organised campaign.
also if you really wanted to start boycotting products from America at what point of complicity do you stop? do you boycott plastic because of the use of petrochemicals developed by US corporations in its manufacture?
or do we just get sweetly naive and believe that if its not marked "made in the US" thats ok. This is the interconnected economic web of power and oppression ffs. Boycotts are not challenging that except on a really simpllistic level.
it seems to me pretty stupid.
i am sorry that this the big call to action that came out of a meeting of local social forums. it seems to me that there are other more concrete and effective ways of spending time and energy locally.
in my opinion there are better ways of attacking corporations than boycotts. and it is impossible to boycott the products of a country as powerful as america.
it feels kinda wooly liberal to me and pretty much a waste of time.
boycott boycotts.