Strategically Communicating

We’re all familiar with the ‘golden rule,’ but have you ever heard of the ‘golden rule’ of business?  The rule states that ‘he who has the gold makes the rules.’  No one likes to admit it but it seems that society has allowed this to become reality.  Capitalism is a great vehicle for prosperity; unchecked, it is also an addictive drug that fuels self-interest .

Think about it.  Which presidential candidate typically wins the campaign?  Which corporations control the marketplace?  Who do the policies favor?  Why do only a select few have the vast majority of the wealth?

I often complain about big business.  I want to like them and do business with them but it seems that they gouge us at every step.  To add insult, they give very little to society and now don’t even offer us jobs as a result of outsourcing.

So how do we take back control?  If you’re like me, it feels helpless.  McChesney quotes Chomsky as saying “If you act like there is no possibility for change, you guarantee that there will be no change.”  We need to act.  Big business depends on us therefore we have the greater power.  We just don’t use it.  Why don’t we play by the golden rule?

Discussion questions:

1. How bad would things have to get for you before you acted in protest?
2. What exactly would you do to try to take that power back?
3. Do you believe that we have enough power to force change?
4. If your answer to #3 is no, why not?
5. What do you think we can do as a whole to create change?