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| Governments, Corporations, and the Manipulation of a Nation |
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Corporations, Government, and the Manipulation of a Nation
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Corporations, Government, and the Manipulation of a Nation
It is nothing new that Human beings consume. Since the dawn of time, practically all life forms required consumption. Whether it is a tree and its need of sun and water, or Humans gathering food amongst other essential necessities, one thing is clear – survival requires consumption. Throughout time, consumption has derived from a simple survival instinct to the need for a populous to lead lavish and extravagant lifestyles. Enormous homes, sizable motor vehicles, expensive jewelry, and a conforming to the latest fashion trends are only a few things in American society that can be considered a necessity and not a luxury. THIS OBSERVATION IS ONLY TOO OBVIOUS! Obesity is now an epidemic. Subprime lending has brought America to the doorstep of a recession. Immeasurable amounts of fossil fuels that are burned each year can be linked (scientifically) to global warming. Although partially responsible (ignorance must not be used as an excuse), the American people can not be solely accountable for today’s economical and ecological maladies. With the public’s abundant consumption of goods, there must be a supplier to accommodate the consumer of its need. After all, you can not simply make yourself a high definition flat screen television, and good luck with the drilling and refining of your own petroleum. Corporations have begun to allure and even manifest consumerist needs where there has been little to none before.
The word “corporation” in the American public often sparks thoughts of Wal-Mart, Ford, and Enron, just to name a few. Some think these businesses are just that - businesses. However, there is much more to corporations than we think. The American Heritage dictionary defines a corporation as “A body that is granted a charter recognizing it as a separate legal entity having its own rights, privileges, and liabilities distinct from those of its members” . When written in 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment was intended to protect the rights of liberated slaves. While the Amendment granted new rights to freed slaves, it also granted corporations these same rights. The U.S. Supreme Court found that a corporation is a natural person under the U.S. Constitution. Suddenly, corporations were granted the rights and protections extended to persons by the Bill of Rights and it’s Amendments . Corporations now had the right to free speech, the right to keep and bear arms, and all the other rights that We The People have established. With the corporations newly appointed rights also followed newly appointed liberties. Under the Right to Free Speech, corporations now have the right to contribute large amounts of money to politicians and their political parties. Does that not mean that they control the politicians or parties themselves? In essence, if corporations can take control of politicians, they can take control of the people they serve - and the laws that are passed. This is why campaign finance reform has been such an important issue over the last decade.
Let’s take a look at Enron and their accounting firm Arthur Anderson. Enron’s accounting firm, Arthur Anderson, was caught cooking the books. They were found to be hiding billions of dollars in losses, in addition to declaring assets that did not exist. As soon as this information became public, it was not long before the collapse of the corporate giant, and in turn, investors suddenly losing upwards of $60 billion. People lost their retirements, their pensions, and their life savings over night . In addition to Arthur Anderson’s manipulation of company audits, the firm was found to be making a two and a half times as much providing consulting services to the companies that they have audited. It is no secret that both these companies have made substantial political contributions. Enron was well known to be a MAJOR contributor to both the Republican and Democratic Parties. In the late 1990’s, Enron dished out 1.9 million dollars in contributions to 700 candidates in 28 states. Furthermore, George W. Bush’s campaign received over $600,000 in political donations by Enron employees! Enron’s downfall unraveled shortly after September 11. 2001, while a Nation was in mourning.
Government control is only one weapon in a corporation’s arsenal. The mainstream media is another powerful mechanism that can be used by corporations to control a populous. Most Americans perception of the world comes from what they see on television or what they hear on the radio. It is no surprise that the majorities of Americans listen to the same music, read the same books, religiously watch the same television shows, and horde to the theater to watch the latest blockbuster. Since the birth of mass media, individuals and companies have used this method of advertising to quickly inform large amounts of people of their products and services. In retrospect, this idea sounds simple and innocent. Americans should have the right to free speech. If a person wanted to widely advertise their invention or ideas, they should have the right to. We live in a democracy! However, as technology continues to develop at an exponential rate, and as advertising methods becoming less costly and more sophisticated, corporations have begun to allure and even manifest consumerist needs where there has been little to none before. Now, teenage girls are expected to be skeletally glamorous, or they will be ignored. Grown men will need to have the most rugged, tenacious pickup truck to show the public their machoness. If a person is not sporting tomorrow’s fashion style, they will be most likely labeled as a social outcast. The media is creating a feeling of inadequacy and guilt amongst the American public. They are convincing people that they need certain material possessions to be accepted in today’s society. Corporations and the mass media have made vanity a common trait of the America psyche.
Media suppression, framing, labeling, and false balancing in the United States media is slowly being recognized by its citizens. However, it is difficult for the average American citizen to obtain a free, unbiased view, of today’s many issues involving the United States and the government controlling it. In Michael Parenti’s editorial “Methods of Media Manipulation”, he states “We are not likely to go anywhere as a people and a democracy unless we alert ourselves to the methods of media manipulation that are ingrained in the daily production of news and commentary”. This statement can not be truer. A nation will not be able to progress when the information it receives tastes of a candy coated lies. As a result of distrust from the manipulation of the mass media, the internet phenomenon “blogging” has rapidly gained popularity. Blogging is when average or non-average citizens express themselves and their ideas on their “blog” (an online journal). It is a positive start to a reformed news network. It is important that Americans recognize that we should be free to express our opinions and to be able to report the news and a day’s event unbiased. Freedom of press is just one sign that would point towards a vibrant, functioning, and healthy democracy.
Global warming and the destruction of planet earth is another problem that can be attributed to corporations and the waste that they produce. Global warming and extreme climate changes are directly related to the rise of the average global temperature. As of recent, it has been understood that the causes of global warming comes from a wide range or sources. The burning of fossil fuels (the amount of fuel that America burns from automobiles in unsustainable), methane produced from cows and other farm animals (with the rapid growth of the American population, more food needs to be manufactured for survival), and the destruction and deforestation of our forests (with the amount of new homes that are being built in such a short time frame, there would need to be an abundance of wood and natural resources). There are also many concerns of how the United States is contributing to global warming through international trade. We import enormous amounts of oil from the Middle East to the United States. The emissions from the transportation of fuel alone have contributed to global temperature change .
In conclusion, the American lifestyle must adapt to the national and global concerns of today. The mass media will also have to reform its policies and there must be new laws prohibiting corporate manipulation. Some will argue this proposal as being unconstitutional. The fourteenth Amendment does grant corporations the same rights as the humblest American. Consequently, As long as corporations have the money to influence a government, and the power to manipulate the media, then there will be little to no hope for a better America. In Burgess’ essay, Is America Falling Apart?, he states “There is no worse neurosis than that which derives from a consciousness of guilt and the inability to reform”. I do not think that the majority of Americans are truly conscious of how corporate giants manipulate our government and our citizens. If we are, then were just as guilty.
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