Corporations are not your friend. (Despite what they post on social media.)

Our new woke corporate overlords love to talk about human rights, and voting rights, and rights this and rights that, but for some reason their words ring hollow. Perhaps it’s because it feels like they are pandering to an activist class in the United States that is completely blind to the plight of the world, which by the way is not getting better about any rights. (Australia certainly doesn’t have a right to protest as seen below.)

Can we really blame the corporations? After all, they have to make a profit. Of course we can blame the corporations. They aren’t above the law, they aren’t above society, and they aren’t above their consumers. Honestly, Facebook and Twitter have made me more sympathetic to socialists/communists than anything else. I’m still an avowed capitalist and proud of it, but I really empathize with the visceral rage that these mega-corporations invite. I might have defended them a decade ago, but now I wonder how deep the rot goes. One is tempted to start tossing around the word “evil” – and mean it.

Let me give you some examples:

Twitter refused to take down explicit photos and video of a sex trafficking victim who was blackmailed into involving another child in said videos. An agent from the Department of Homeland Security had to get involved before Twitter would take them down. Originally, Twitter said, “We’ve reviewed the content, and didn’t find a violation of our policies, so no action will be taken at this time.” Ah, but they banned Trump after Jan. 6th so they are a force for “societal good.” By the way, did you know that the biggest threat on Jan. 6th wasn’t at the Capitol, but instead two pipe bombs planted outside the RNC and DNC headquarters? Our vaunted FBI is only capable when their informants are masterminding the crimes.

Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola lobbied against a bill that would ban US companies from using forced labor in China. For those who don’t know, China has concentration camps filled with Muslim minority groups and has been using them as forced labor – slaves.

Also, “Seven of Apple's suppliers were found to be linked to suspected forced labor of Uyghur Muslims and other persecuted groups.”

But don’t worry, “Apple conducts business ethically, honestly, and in full compliance with the law,” and CEO Tim Cook says, “We do the right thing, even when it’s not easy.” Sure.

Apple and Google (whose corporate models used to be Don’t be Evil) were also among companies that made it harder to vote in Russia. They removed an app designed to inform Russian citizens about their options. YouTube also censored content about opposition parties in Russia.

“Navalny’s ally Ivan Zhdanov said on Twitter that the politician’s team is considering suing the two companies. He also mocked the move: ‘Expectations: the government turns off the internet. Reality: the internet, in fear, turns itself off.’’’

Sure, they will write strongly worded letters about voting rights in America because it plays well on CNN. But they won’t put their money where their mouth is globally.

Amazon treats its workers unsafely and like machines. Plus, it’s doing everything it can to undercut smaller businesses’ prices.

Facebook spied on people. Facebook lied about their own standards for content moderation, multiple times. Facebook owns Instagram, which they know has caused suicidal thoughts in teens and helped damage the body image of one in every three girls.

This is just the easy to find stories—personal anecdotes would add thousands of words on the harm that these massive corporations profit by. But they operate in the wealthiest nation in the world and regularly get the government to help them.

I said earlier that I’m an avowed capitalist, and I stand by that. Capitalism is a system meant to encourage competition between individuals who want to provide a good or service at a fair price. It is supposed to encourage innovation. Profit is meant to be earned and then reinvested into either the companies or the workforce. That means paying people what they are worth. Yes, some CEOs are worth millions of dollars and founders deserve a cut of the profits that they helped produce. BUT profit is an amoral motivator at best, and more often than not an immoral motivator. Which is why government and society are supposed to provide the ethical boundaries for capitalism.

Under the Judeo-Christian worldview, mankind is inherently bad, inherently selfish. Capitalism was a system designed to take advantage of this. The only way someone would become rich was by producing something of value for others, and if mankind was basically good then the system would still work. (I find it hard to argue that man is basically good after the last decade). Essentially, the social pressure and regulatory framework was meant to harness our selfish desires for the good of others. The system has failed because American voters have become lazy and are lied to by the media and elected officials.

These companies have all benefitted from government subsidies and protection. They shouldn’t. Instead, barriers to entry should be lowered so that small businesses and innovative individuals can compete on fair footing.

*Writing something like this is always uncomfortable because of how pervasive these companies are in our lives. I’m not opposed to boycotts, and they do work, but I understand that most people don’t have the time to research every company that deserves boycotting and remove their products.

**Link for side by side of corporations social media icon's during Pride month.