While politicians are allowing corporations a free rein and traditional 'democratic' forms of expression are seen to be increasingly ineffective, shopping has gained political significance. It is an effective weapon, enabling people to press for some degree of accountability in governments, international organisations and multi national corporations. In a world in which the public interest plays little part in government, popular pressure is doing something governments can't or wont. Demanding that corporations be judged by non economic criteria, holding them accountable in a way that we can't via our own elected representatives.