The People vs. the Corporation

In today’s day and age, the corporation has become an entity in and of itself. It has grown from an idea of progress founded from the ashes of the industrial revolution to a foundation of society. Companies rise and fall based on the people and the society they're supposed to serve.

Years ago, you could join a company and devote yourself to building it; and in turn, feel safe in the security to know that they would support you and care for you for a lifetime. You could work for your whole life and retire comfortably knowing you were part of something greater.

Over the years, it became less and less secure, and now it seems that no matter how much you give to a company, how much you sacrifice and how much loyalty you show, you are considered nothing but a number.

The corporation has moved away from serving the people and only serves itself. A company is made up of people and should not only serve its people, but the community as well. Instead, most lie, cheat, and steal from their own people and the community at large, all the while pretending to serve those same people.

The architects of this hide behind the logo, leaving their humanity behind as they scheme against society’s best interests. They amass godlike power and use it like a hammer against the people. They steal ideas, raises, pensions, futures, and lives all in the name of greed.

There are, however, some good companies out there who still care about their people. They look out for all their people working for the best interests of society to create a legacy they can be proud of. Sadly, they are often targets of hostile takeovers or underhanded politics as the corporations seek to keep the status quo.

People become blinded by the logo and the power it represents, and allow themselves the excuse to wield that power for evil. They say it’s only business or that’s unfortunate; but in reality, they are not only betraying themselves, but the people as well.

If the corporations are to survive in today’s woken world, they need to change the game. Returning to a practice of people over profit and not profit over people. This will not only secure their future, but preserve the future of humanity by proxy.

They need to remember that they are people first and not a number or a logo. They need to decide the world that they want for the generations to come. If they create a world where the people don’t matter, then one day they or those they love will one day face a logo instead of a future. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the second that power is achieved, it becomes corrupted. Once power is corrupted, you will always start to lose your grip on said power. Once that occurs, you need to use more and more resources to achieve a fraction of that power. I’m sure they have already noticed this pattern, it can not be avoided or changed and is systemic.

We can all be better; and by ensuring that we lead with humanity in all things, we can make a more sustainable future. We need to ensure that the institutions we build society upon reflect an ideal of who we are and where we are going and not the darkest parts of society.

Without this evolution of institution, we will forever be us vs. them, with the corporations fearing the people and the people fearing the corporations. It’s time we choose a better testament to humanity and industry. It’s time for us and our institutions to evolve.

“You either create a world for everyone or else you will end up in a world fit for no one.”

John Ames Birch