Why Do We Hold Their Greed Against Them?
by We all get in an uproar when involved in a conversation involving money. When that conversation leads to big corporations and their power and greed the craziness really begins. My question is why? Why are we so angry at the big corporations? Why do we care that they are greedy?
I know I’ve been in multiple conversations about the government and the greedy corporations and they all get very heated. People show a lot of passion when voicing their hate towards the “top dogs.” People complain that they monopolize and take advantage of the people. I hear complaints that it is unfair that those corporations hold all the power.
I ask how? How is it unfair? We (the people) gave those corporations their power. We continue to keep them in power. I would like to remind everyone that we live (or at least I do) in America-The land of the free. We have the chance to stop those corporations and we also have the choice to join them.
The problem? We are lazy! I know when I choose to go spend my money at Walmart I go of my own free will. I have other options but I know shopping at Walmart is going to save me money so I choose to go there. When I choose to drink Pepsi I do so of my own free will. I could choose to drink anything I want, I just happen to enjoy Pepsi, Coke, and Mt. Dew.
If we really cared, if we wanted to, we could put that passion we show in so many heated debates to good use and take those corporations down. Do we take the initiative? No. (That is a resounding NO) Do you remember when gas prices were out the roof? We could have taken a stand. We could have boycotted. We chose not to. Having what we want when we want it is to important. We enjoy our little luxuries of life too much to give them up. We are the ones who let the big corporations bend us over.
If the American citizens really wanted change all we would have to do is take a stand. All united. Will we? Probably never. So I ask, is it really that unfair that the big corporations have so much power? Could it be that we are just to lazy and un-motivated to cause any real change? The next time you feel the passion to start complaining, how about you turn it into something useful. Make some life changes. Change starts with one person and infects many. Will you take a stand?
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Post CommentPSingh1990
On September 7, 2010 at 3:48 am
Nice Share.
Noeal V
On September 7, 2010 at 4:10 am
Nice Share.
R.Laws
On September 7, 2010 at 6:59 am
well-penned article!
thanks for sharing
Percy
On September 7, 2010 at 7:03 am
It is true that before we complain and talk so much negative things, take the stand, do something and we should guard our mouth. Be a solution and not part of the problem by talking negatively.
Ethics0006
On September 7, 2010 at 9:43 am
Good work
Jane Campbell
On September 7, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Great article, Alaina!! As the ol’e saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” We should channel our passions in a more positive direction. Very often, we’re too busy complaining, to look at the bigger picture.
Fornis
On September 7, 2010 at 2:56 pm
I feel you sound like a communist. That is not good in the land of America. Socialism is good elsewhere although I like it.
Alaina Ellington
On September 7, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Thank you everyone for reading and commenting! I haven’t gotten the reaction I expected so far, but I know it’s coming : )
After writing this and reading it to my husband we got in a pretty heated debate about how insanely crazy he thinks I am because this would never work…hmm…
Steven James
On September 9, 2010 at 9:28 pm
I don’t think anyone can argue with the facts of your article. American’s have become, for the most part, apathetic towards the political atmosphere of the nation. I think a large part of why people, myself included, get upset with corporations is because of the fact they have become such a political motivation. It seems any more people don’t become senators to help the country. Its so they can help some conglomerate and earn a fat check on the side. Also, I would argue that voicing concerns and speaking out about one’s outrage towards an issue is what precedes action. Another problem is that the corruption and psychotic behavior goes much farther up the ladder than many people realize.
I like the article. We need to take a stand and bring morality back to the country, but I disagree that we gave these corporations this power. We are just beginning to realize the absurdities they have snuck into these laws an regulations.
Can we as consumers send a message with our wallets? Perhaps, but will that be enough?
I don’t think selling products known to be deadly by a company, and hidden from the masses to make short term profits for a companies shareholders is anyone’s right. Yet its labeled an ethical and legal responsibility for the company to do what’s needed. If corporations could incorporate a “better good” concept in their business practice, which SOME do, I would be all for it.
All in all a nice article that presents an excellent point.
Silent Wasp
On September 9, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Alaina this was an awesome article that spoke many truths. The fact of the matter is that be it government owned corporations, or privately owned, business always leads to the elite few that control the industry. This is inevitable whether it be a free market capitalist US or the Communist China. There will always be monopolies, and those monopolies will always retain a degree of power as they can and they will. So they should!
As a global people we chose to live as we do. The corporations offer us the convenience of cheap disposable crap, and in a million different flavours! Society used to be interdependent but the days of the small village have gone for most of the developed world. People want the suburban life; they want the million and one shopping flavours. People build their lives around consumerism, but then they have the nerve to criticise the very corporations that offer us the lifestyle we chose to live!
Corporations are mostly owned by thousands of shareholders, the Mum and Dad shareholders who try to make a few dollars on their shares. This is why corporations need to cut costs, and increase productivity to stay competitive in a WORLD MARKET! Job conditions do suffer, pay rates stagnate, and products are of a poor disposable quality now days. This is the price that we have to pay to feed the money making industrial machine or nobody would buy $50 worth of shares only to have them drop to $10 in value if their investment can’t make money!
Socialist or Capitalist, society has changed globally. It’s a society of individuals, not a collective of individuals as it once was. People live for their own purposes, and each strives for their own quality of life. Lifestyle is never dictated by the billion dollar corporations, it remains a choice of the individual. If people cared more for one another, and chose to live in inter-dependent societies, not huge cities….things may just change.
This was a great article Alaina! You are one gorgeous woman, who also happens to have one of the most articulated minds writing for this site. Cheers.
Dejan
Freedom Rising
On October 4, 2010 at 8:35 am
Really good article Alaina and you made some excellent points. Until people’s anger is greater than their laziness and they actually do something about it, they need to keep their mouths shut.
As Paul Weller once wrote “The public gets what the public wants”.
Yvhes P.
On November 30, 2011 at 9:35 pm
I can at least relate to this article with the kind of government that we have here in the Philippines. For numerous administrations, corruption has been the main public predicament.