(My apologies on length, but I really tried to keep this short narrative as succinct as possible)
Capitalism, Simplified
In Burwell v Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. (2014), the Supreme Court stated that “modern corporate law does not require for profit corporations to pursue profit at the expense of everything else”.
The problem is that pure capitalism unchecked DOES promote that mindset, and every incentive and shareholder demand is to do just that.
I've emphasized in the past that, were slavery made legal in the U.S. today, you'd have companies buying people by the dozen… again, *IF* it was legal.
But are companies intrinsically evil for doing so? No. Sorry, company-haters.
Companies are Actually Children
Just like not allowing you're children to run wild and break things in the house, companies need “boundaries”, incentives, and punishments for good and bad behavior. We like to sound high-minded and call them 'checks and balances', but they serve the same purpose.
Like most children, most companies will push those boundaries to see how much they can get away with. Of course every company/child is different.
Some children require just a nudge, some need a firm hand, and some need a solid whack across the head to get things to sink in.
Through the efforts of rebellious labor, unions, political movements, market pressures, etc. we have a minimum wage, 40-day workweeks, PTO, and other mandatory and discretionary 'pushbacks' and 'boundaries' that have told businesses how to behave.
And our boundaries as citizens and workers was respected. Was.
So why do they seem so out of control today? And why does the eldest generations seem disconnected from today's workplace reality when they discuss this?
Simple, really. Mom and dad have checked out. (If you're not in the workplace, you wouldn't notice.)
The government – the average citizens' means of enforcing good behaviors – have either decided or been forced to accept that the way to run the household is to let the kids do whatever the hell they want.
Even worse, when they DO try to enforce the rules, we have drunken teenagers in Congress who've taken away mom and dad's wallets, car keys, and other means to enforce the rules. The kids know full well their friends (consumers) won't say anything (even though they could), and mom and dad have been their only remaining boundary between civility and chaos.
Reigning in the Kids?
The question today is, how do you fix it? And for the answer, consider your own home…
- Remove the drunken teenagers from Congress.
- Give mom and dad (government) back the resources to lay down the law, including a hefty leather belt.
- Friends (consumers) must stop giving the bad children (businesses) money and other incentives to trash the house.
- If a company is really bad, allow the government to take away their means for operating and strip them of the resources used to make trouble.
- And if they're outright criminals, institute a death penalty. Draw a LINE and stick to it.
(Aside: Just imagine if this analogy were 1:1!?!?)
And what about you? How does this translate to actions YOU can do TODAY?
- Make your pocketbook your #1 voting priority. Only elect people who will help YOU in your financial situation RIGHT NOW (and not the BS hypothetical millionaire version of you that will never be).
- Vote in EVERY election, no matter how 'inconsequential' you think it is. Voting matters, whether you think it does or not. (Of course, if you're a conspiracy theory-believing Q-Anon nutjob, everything YOU believe is real, and please do NOT participate in the obviously corrupt and rigged election system.)
- Stop being distracted by candidates that prioritize shiny objects that – in most cases – have no measurable affect on your personal life. (For the vast majorities of voters that's going to include things like voting solely because of pro-life/choice, anti/pro-LGBTQ, put-God-back-in-schools, etc. and things from #1 like reducing taxes on dividends and corporate taxes, derivative trading, etc.)
- Stop working for assholes. Everyone at every income level will say “but I need to pay the bills”. But what will it take for you to say enough is enough? See below.
- Write your Congress, and be specific. Do NOT just complain, but tell them exactly WHAT YOU WANT. Did you know that most pro-business legislation is written by the businesses, not congresspersons? Write your own legislation (no matter how crappy a draft) and send it to them. Copy the current laws from the Internet, and redline them. Complaints accompanied by specific solutions get the best traction. Repeat with 5,000 (state) or 50,000 (national) people, and watch what happens.
(Aside: Only because the protest will inevitably be filed… #3 doesn't suggest those other things are unimportant, it is simply that they should take a back seat to #1 and be secondary or tertiary priorities… e.g., someone who supports your abortion stance but will make you homeless is NOT your friend.)
What's Your Limit?
- When they take away your heat/AC?
- When they take away your breaks?
- When they start beating you?
- When your homeless?
- When your starving?
- When your child dies because you couldn't help them?
How much is your dignity, or even your life, worth? What is your break point… or are you actually the willing slave they always thought you were?
What are you willing to sacrifice – no matter how large or how small – to make things just a little better?
In 1860 the majority of States in the US were anti-slave (19 vs 15), and yet the country still went to war over it. Despite the laws and sentiments of most people in the country at the time, there was an adequate minority of leaders that were willing to shred the country to keep their slaves, and enough mindless idiots who were willing to back them with their own blood on the battlefield.
You know, just in case you were thinking that all we need to do is to get the majority to see your point of view, pass a few new laws, and everything will be magically fixed.
Conclusion?
Never intended. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of a more-proactive discussion, and not just one-liner quips and complaints. Maybe this could inspire you to do just one small thing that 'shifts the needle'.
So, discuss amongst yourselves…