Corporate Control

by Mackinze James

United States policy has been heavily influenced by corporate interests since the Industrial Revolution, when people with wealth started organizing themselves into structures called corporations and expanding their monetary horizons. But corporations are only part of the system through which the world's resources, including labor and wages, are siphoned up to the super rich. Elected government and the military are co-elements of control which people throughout the world experience to varying degrees of intensity in the course of daily life. Corporate control of U.S. foreign policy manifests itself in virtually every war, declared and undeclared, in which our country has participated. Sale of arms and other supplies to allies as well as "enemies" is a common practice of the war industry. Most recently, the Gulf War sacrificed tens of thousands of human lives and did horrendous destruction to the environment in the interest of U.S. oil companies.

Moreover, U.S. business has a hand in the control of other countries' governments. The overthrow of Guatemala's democratically elected government by the CIA in 1954 and subsequent reign of terror which has been in the news of late was instigated by the U.S. company United Fruit so that they might keep their tremendous land holdings in that country.

A good example of government- business cooperation for control is the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This agreement between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. eliminates trade tariffs and opens the borders to business. At the same time the borders are being tightened for people, with one result being that corporations have freedom to relocate between countries and workers do not.

A precursor to NAFTA was significant pro-foreign business changes to the Mexican constitution. Indigenous people were backed into a corner with the loss of land use. The ensuing Zapatista Revolution is a major factor in portraying Mexico as unstable for business. Corporate control is no more blatant than in Mexico with international banking directing the Mexican government to eliminate the resistance militarily. As of now, the peso has fallen drastically and over the last few weeks the spending power of our counterparts in that country has been cut in half. The middle class is in panic and the poor are unbearably impoverished. As a result, the Mexican people are fleeing the country in increasing numbers.

Meanwhile in California the issue of immigration is a powder keg. Proposition 187 on the ballot last fall fanned the fires of racial intolerance and created a wild paranoia of "outsiders" draining our ever dwindling resources. The brunt of the fear mentality and acting out behavior is felt by everyone with brown skin. It is a convenient diversion from the sources who have created the desperate situation - international corporate business.

Some levels of corporate control are beyond what most of us can impact. However we are not helpless victims of their control; we can fight back. Every time you go shopping you make decisions, and they are political decisions. Patronizing local business rather than corporate chains keeps money local and reduces corporate control. Truly effective consumer boycotts have the potential for crippling targeted corporations. Cultivating barter systems of trade for goods and services is a method of gaining independence and diminishing corporate control.

Civil disobedience is another powerful tool to combat corporate control. For example, environmental activists have literally put their bodies between the trees and the chainsaws to keep forests from being destroyed. Other non-violent methods of intervention such as protest rallies or road blockades deter corporate activity which is unacceptable to a community.

A final consideration of resisting corporate control is to stop supporting the system which facilitates such control. Join the approximately 15% of wage earners who don't pay taxes. There are tax resisters organizations who can offer information about this step. Paying an amount of money equal to your taxes to a local organization, charity, or service providing agency shows responsibility along with resistance.