We don't live so much in nations or states anymore. Well, yeah, we do. But, who runs them? And what kind of society is it? Capitalism has historically been synonymous with corporations. Yet the power of corporations has taken over any other meaning of capitalism. Bluntly:
Corporations run the world.
Not a conspiracy theory; or a crazy thought anymore. This is pointing out... reality. And a reality we as a society need to wrap our heads around and deal with. Whatever that might mean.
For one thing, we haven't yet framed... that... corporatism... is... the society we live in: a corporate-controlled one. Corporatism. We haven't come to grips with this; or understood this reality. But. It. Is. Reality.
What of this corporate-dominated world?
CEO pay is one thing.
But consider the wealth (and benefits) gap just of any people that work in large corporations versus the rest of the world. Pay is just one part of this. Retirement. Healthcare benefits. On site gyms, subsidized amazing cafeterias; day cares on site. Government jobs, too, are starting to share many of these same perks.
Corporations influence governments everywhere. National. State. Local. Corporations are global. They sell their products and services to everyone. Just simple facts. And the influence goes into media... and social media. And 'scientific' research reports.
It's getting increasingly hard for anyone other than corporate-sponsored activity to 'break through' in this world controlled by corporate dominance.
Corporations are defining what 'doing good' for society is (get a free donut here). Corporations have the power and wealth to influence across society.
It is not so much that corporations are evil or doing the wrong thing. It's just that we could do so much better. And the corporate grip is suffocating out any other ways of life. And certainly it could be argued the ways that corporations are doing the wrong things. Here are the main problems to come to grips with are:
First, simply the gap between those that are part of the corporate-government ecosystem. Essentially: dealing with the wealth and income gaps.
Second, the influence of corporations in government and how that impacts more and more aspects of everyone's lives. Moving toward a separation of business and state (government).
Third, preserving unique cultures, traditions and differences among peoples around the world. That the world has all kinds of people... and ways of living... etc. That's what makes life and the world interesting. Corporations want a one-world, McDonalds-and-Walmarts-everywhere world.
Fourth, allowing competition. Not just competition among corporations (of which that in itself is needed, ie. no monopoly control). No, this is bigger than that. Basically, allowing people to 'opt-out' of being a part of what could be considered 'the corporate matrix'. There are other ways people should be able to freely live... 'off the grid' to put it another way.
That third point. There is increasingly becoming only one way people are allowed to live. It is a stale, top-down, one-size-fits-all corporate way of life. Not everyone wants or cares about this corporate world. Trump tapped into this sentiment to win the 2016 election. Democrats use this anti-corporate messaging rather consistently. However, neither Trump, nor Republicans, nor Democrats ultimately change anything. Hope and Change Obama was President for 8 years. Corporations and banks got bigger and bigger despite Obama's campaign rhetoric.
If people want a different world. It is going to take more. It won't be Democrats or Republicans. Corporations buy and control both parties. Pretty much any politician that you hear about... is placed there. AOC. People are going to have to be unafraid to go way outside the boundaries of comfort to get out of this corporate matrix.
There must be a world that can exist outside of the corporate one. Let corporations do their thing... but let them not be the only thing. Corporatism needs to be checked!
