Dropout of the Corporate Agenda

Globalization was the logical next step in the corporate agenda, an agenda whose goal is the extraction of resources and short term profits. It's in the best interests of the corporate agenda that local rules be eliminated and environmental concerns sidestepped. Driven by quarterly profit-oriented thinking, there must always be more...more of everything for the empire to consume. More every second as the currency and market speculators work around the globe and the clock.

The richest 5% already control's 90% of the world's resources. The rich and their bankers can't possibly expect to continue growing by only consuming what's already here. Instead they must increasingly rely on the extraction of resources and their consumption for the generation of 'new wealth', this is the corporate agenda. Borders, and the laws enacted within them, have become meaningless compared to the greed of the privileged few.

Each empire follows the same trajectory, wether ruled ruled by kings or emperors, pharaohs or czars, once the empire has consumed the natural resources in its own backyard it must funnel the resources from outlying areas back to their centers. The earthquakes and aftershocks caused by these huge resource imbalances are what we call today's news. These historic imbalances, created and maintained by military force for centuries, are now being magnified by the power of global corporations.

For millennia the opposing forces of greed have been kept each other in check somewhat. As soon as any empire got so big it started to consume more than its technology could supply it collapsed, or was taken over. Today it's the same story, corporate greed has consumed what was easily available and needs new supplies. This time the corporate empire is everywhere and nowhere at once, it's an idea, not a place.

So the opposition to the corporate agenda must be everywhere and nowhere too, it must be an idea this time that holds the forces of greed in check not a peasant army. The empire's opposition this time must be composed of thousands of seemingly unconnected cells acting independently. Both sides in this titanic struggle for our future are connected by ideas not geography as in the past.

Hopefully in unleashing themselves from the fetters of international boundaries the corporations have seeded the field of their own defeat. In the past, the vast majority of people have been easily divided by borders and patriotism, divided they have been easily ruled by the rich few. Every day though more people see our present circumstances, globally as well as locally, for what they are and always has been, have vs. have not, rich vs. poor, class warfare plain and simple.

Stopping conspicious consumption, genuinely wanting and being happy with less, growing and making our own, these are the ideas and actions that will hobble the runaway corporate agenda. "Turn on, Tune in, Drop out" - Timothy Leary, is still great advice.