Help
Sign In
corporate influence
December 2008 
A few questions about the way we affect the world...
Arié
Why can't people understand that they are not only destroying the environment themselves but that they are supporting the destruction of the environment and society through their spending and their voting?
It's simple: Spending money indicates your support for a company's practices and contributes to their profits. Without your support a company ceases to exist.
Big deal right? Companies are supposed to make profits! Why else would they continue to exist?
Profits for a company that respected the environment and the people they affect are great but why support a company that isn't socially responsible?
It doesn't just stop there. Where do profits go? Well some of it goes into campaign contributions or to fund lobbys.
Why do corporations contribute to campaigns? They don't vote so what do they have to gain? What are they lobbying the government for? No well-run business spends a dime more than they need to, especially on sponsorships. So why the government? Isn't the government supposed to be elected by the people to represent the people?
Well it's supposed to but it doesn't really. Mainly because most voters don't really take the time to look into each candidate past what the media tells them. And then after the election is over they don't really ask much from their elected (hired and paid) representative. They're either happy the party they wanted got in and so pretty much anything goes or they don't care because their party didn't and can't be bothered.
That's not much of a way to hire or manage an employee at any level. We should be demanding accountability from our city councillor all the way up to our head of government. After all without our votes and our taxes they wouldn't be there.
Who does hold these people accountable? Corporations who have the time and the money, your money, to devote to making sure governments make it easier for them to keep making more of the money you give them into profits. Because it takes money to get elected and re-elected and well who has money? Not the every day voter-consumer. Business don;t spend money they can't justify and usually expect something in return for the generous contributions like leniency or a relaxation of legislations that would impede their business.
So here's a quick recap: Your money becomes a company's profit which goes into your elected officials' campaign funds and is spent to encourage them to steer legislation and government agencies towards more lenient social and enviromental standards so that they can make more profits at the expense of society and the environment.
What can you do about it? Be more actively involved in what your money is spent on be it by buying, voting or holding your elected represenatives accountable.
As always, your comments are welcome!
Arie
Access: Public
Arié,
Thanks so much for bringing up this important, and seldomly discussed, topic. It truly is amazing what people “support” without being aware, what they “fuel” and “water” and cause to grow in this world. And I think a lot of us (at least I know this is true for me) underestimate our personal impact, or even have a difficult time seeing that we have an impact at all. There are times that the corporate world, that government and elected officials seems very very far away from the world that I live in. I suppose that perceived distance is a choice I am making on some level, and this post has helped me to see that. One step at a time…awareness…and then action… Again, thank you Arié for sharing your wisdom and insight. Thank you for helping others to see.
Blessings,
Carly
NIce writing. So true. I am just learning to focus more on awareness of spending and where $$ goes, but it sure takes practice.
Very true, Arie. It behooves us all to be more conscious of what our spending supports and make purchasing choices that encourage and support corporate responsibility.
We also would do well to consider taking political action, since the voting power of the dollar does have its limits. See this interesting article, albeit it on a website I'm hard-pressed to endorse, that argues that corporations are the ones who create “consumer demand” and makes a good case that we actually have more power as citizens than as consumers: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0929-12.htm).
~Miri
A simple old adage, “If you talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk” and it's oh so true. Thanks for reminding us all to “walk the walk”.
CalmEagle
Right on Arie! (I can't do that apostrophe thingy) This is one of the main reasons Zaadz is here… to allow you to amplify the companies that are doing good in the world… vote with every dollar you spend… for organic food and clothes, sustainable housing and automobiles, conscious businesses and practices, etc… changing the world and the government as we go along. Terrific first entry, bro!
Arie, great post, and it echos my own feelings and beliefs. I made a similar post on my other blog - here's my two cents:
What do you want from our major corporations, many of them with more economic pull than medium sized countries? What do you expect beyond shareholder returns? And how do you let them (big corporations) know what's acceptable, and what's not?
Corporations are constantly trying to assess marketplace needs and wants, and they are looking at the some really simple things, like what are people buying! So basically, everyday as we purchase products (groceries, electronics, vacations, supplies, gifts, services, gas, power…), we are voting “yes, more of this!”. We are rewarding producers of goods and services with our $$$, and basically telling them that we support their practices and methods by which these good/services are produced and delivered to us.
Frankly, I never thought of it this way until fairly recently. So it's not even a conscious vote, I believe, for most people. Many of us are just on auto-pilot, trying to provide for our families and our future - right? We are good people, overall, and we don't know what we don't know about the environmental and economic impact of these purchases. Until we really start to look… And I have started to look, and to “vote” much differently with my dollars.
I am buying almost all organic foods, not just because I want the best health/least risk for my family, but because I want to support companies and small businesses, and farms that produce these goods with much less impact on the environment! I am buying environmentally friendly cleaning products, and in general, to buy from companies that I believe are “doing the right things” for the world. In 2006, I plan to purchase windpower for my electricity at home. I plan to shift my investments to socially responsibile corporations/funds. And you know what, it takes a bit more conscious thought, but it feels really right, and empowering. And I am trying to teach my kids to think about these things as well (but that's another blog topic!).
So I encourage you to think about how you are voting with your $$$. Even small changes can make a difference, and send the message to corporations and other institutions that we do care about our neighbors, and the health of our familes, and our environment. And if you want to be more explicit about that message, here's a link to the “Take Action” page on Co-op America website, one of my new favorite places for exploring more socially responsible living.
Is my skin turning “green”? No, not visibly… But I think my heart is…