Of, By and For the Corporations: A system of Corporate Rule
In this chapter, the Author introduces the topic by recalling the events of 2000 Democrats
party National convention. She narrates on how her and other people were demonstrating against
the democratic process take over by corporates. She notes that, similar protests were held during
Republicans party National convention that was held earlier in the same year. Interestingly,
Phillip Morris had sponsored both Democrat and Republican National convention. The same
company was facing acquisitions of selling harmful cigarettes to youths in the poor nations. The
company had sponsored both parties as way of playing safe in order to protect its interests.
Regardless of which party carried the day during the presidential elections, the company was
sure that its interests were protected. The author evidently demonstrated how corporates have
taken over the democratic process using the illustration above.
There is a growing concern about how corporates power is growing, the governments are
giving corporates more civil rights and hence denying the people a say in how the affairs of the
government are run. This is because, government are now controlled by these transnational
corporates which are concerned in promoting their interests. They influence the functions of the
governments and have gone a notch higher to influence the world economic decisions through
international organizations such as IMF, World Bank and other bodies. Corporate globalization
undermines the democratic process and the worst thing is, military power, police and other
armed agencies are used to protect their interest. The impacts of all these is the suffering of the
common man and hence the poor continues to become poorer and the richer grows richer. People
are asked to put the interests of the corporates above their own human needs.
The big corporations have taken over in almost everything, they influence the people’s
thinking and opinion through time bought in media platforms and influence the government by
funding the campaigns. They have a way to capitalize on laws loopholes and spread false
information about their products without facing any consequences. It is worth noting that, the
primary role of the government is to protect the people but it has failed in its mandate because of
being corrupted by the corporates. The worst thing about the corporate globalization is the fact
that, even the CEOs with good ethical and moral backgrounds are forced to promote the interests
of the corporates which is creating more and more wealth. Corporates are threatening to move to
other locations when faced with serious scandals, this is a way of getting away with corporate
crimes. The transnational corporations have even adapted new horizontal systems that ensure
they presence is everywhere in and out of the supply chains, this makes the corporations have so
much power to influence supply and demand of products by creating global shortage as they
wish. Corporations are not monsters, they were created to serve the very people they are
oppressing now, it is about time people start doing something to regains their power that has
been taken by the corporates. Governments have now to be more responsible in dealing with the
corporates because, if the trend continues, the world will be in chaos in the next coming years.
Reflection
We are living in a world characterized by growing number of businesses. It is evident
that, the number of start-up companies have increased significantly and more and more ideas are
being generated to create more companies. This is good news to the world because it means
more jobs will be created and hence reducing the unemployment rates (Jenkins, 2005). Most of
these start-up and growing companies are aspiring to become multinationals and have a share of
the global market. It is not a bad idea for companies to operate on a global scale but the problem
becomes the process used by the companies to attain the global status. Shaking the gates of hell
is a book that is well written and opens up a school of thought that most us need to think about
relating to the aspect of globalization (Sharon, 2007). With no doubt, the world is much better
with the companies operating globally. This is because, people are now able to access products
and services much easily and with reduced prices. The world has become a global village where
people can move from one place to another, speak a foreign language and relate well with the
people of that place. This is all because, we are all sharing almost the same products, you to
china, you will find an Apple store, just like the one in the US or UK. The same case when you
go to South Africa, you will find Walmart and people taking Coca Cola products just like in UK,
Germany, etc. it is obvious, people nowadays do not have to worry about the services or the
products they use lacking when they travel to foreign places.
Having stated how the corporate globalization has benefited the world, there is one
question that we ought to ask. What is or the costs of corporate globalization? According to
Sharon E. Delgado, the author of the book, Shaking the gates of hell. It is very clear that, as
much as the world is enjoying the benefits of corporate globalization, the costs of globalization
are too high and eventually will send the world into chaos. This is because, the richer continues
to become richer and the poor continues to languish in extreme poverty. The transnational
companies have taken over the will of the people, they have taken over the government and the
media houses leaving the people voiceless. They fund governments during campaigns with sole
purposes of protecting their agendas which is to make more wealth without minding the
implications their actions have on the people. People are getting sick of cancer and developing
other conditions due to consumption of harmful products, the companies hide under government
protection and manipulate laws and hence going free without taking any responsibility (Crane &
Matten, 2016). The aspect of corporate globalization has taken over, we are being controlled and
our decisions made in accordance to the will of the transnational corporates. Sadly, the poor
nations continue to be oppressed because they lack the much needed legal frameworks to fight
the power of the corporates. In fact, in the next coming few years, these countries will be
colonized by the corporates (Juris, 2008). It has already started happening, there are rumors that,
multinational companies are responsible for most of the political stabilities in these countries.
Corporates are holding democracies hostage, this aspect can be best shown by what is
currently happening in Kenya, an East African country. According to some Kenyan media, the
NASA side of coalition entered into an agreement with a businessman who funded its campaigns
in exchange of key government contracts and authority to appoint ministers of his choice (n.a,
(2017). Unfortunately, the coalition failed to secure the presidency and the country now is on the
verge of violence because the NASA coalition could not accept defeat. Even after the Court
ordered a fresh election, the coalition has made absurd demands and most likely, the country will
result to violence. It is said that, part of the agreement with the businessman was to force a grand
coalition government in case they failed to get the presidency and for sure, the country is headed
towards that direction. The Kenyan example is just one illustration, there are many more and if
this trend continue, for sure, the world is headed towards the wrong direction and corporate
globalization is responsible. We as the people to have to start taking actions even though it might
seem an impossible task, we can use our votes to chase the corrupt systems out because, there are
still elected leaders who have the dignity of changing the world.
References
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, R. (2005). Globalization, corporate social responsibility and poverty. International
affairs, 81(3), 525-540.
Juris, J. S. (2008). Performing politics: Image, embodiment, and affective solidarity during anti-
corporate globalization protests. Ethnography, 9(1), 61-97.
n.a, (2017). EXCLUSIVE: The Power Sharing Deal Between NASA Leaders and Jimi Wanjigi.
Retrieved from: https://www.kahawatungu.com/2017/07/07/exclusive-power-sharing-
deal-nasa-leaders-jimi-wanjigi/
Sharon Delgado. (2007). Shaking the Gates of Hell: Faith-Led Resistance to Corporate
Globalization. Fortress Press.