The Corporation

For the moment I am trying to relax a bit in couch! But I don't seem to succeed! Reason: today's classes! Our programme: the movie 'The Corporation'. Something else then having to listen for two hours and taking notes.

So after lunch in the student's cafetaria I walked over to our movie theater for the occasion. We got to see a two hour film- documentary about world wide corporations. After having been forced to see that film till the credits scrolled down the screen I feel rather strange. I seemed to have a knot inside my stomach.

Some facts that I have learned today and what I am reflecting about are:

- Corporations got out of hand because of the misinterpretation or rather abusing the 14th Amandment to the American Constitution. This piece of legislation was created to preserve the newly gained freedom of the black slaves after the Cival War! Guess that once more it's proven that any law can be abused.

- Corporations seem not to be aware of what they all cause. So when a stockbroker goes wild at Wallstreet he hardly reflects about all the waste that his corporation he trades for makes end up in the ocean. I have to be honest if I have to throw out all the clothes that are made in a sweatshop I might end up naked!

- Corporations don't serve the common good. PROFIT, PROFIT and only PROFIT! And they cross the borders to get this. Patents are now allowed for everything except one thing: a born human being! So everything out there seems to drag along a barcode. Could be a funny walk when you take along one of those scanning machines.

- Corporations gain when others only lose. In Vietnam (Agent Orange), Iraq (burning oilwells) and other warzones these unities seem to be the first who can smile. And do they have nightmares of all the hubris they leave behind in these warstruck countries? Seems very hard to believe when they only see the number of gained contracts.

- Corporations are like Big Brother. Even your toddler is not safe. The vultures put the best scientists, product managers and developers on creating ways to make these small consumers influence the ones with the budget. The best of all was the nagging study they put out. Not to let it stopp but make these kids even nagg more efficiently!

- Corporations make us think that they can sustain whatever happens. They seem even to able to let us believe that they are like the energy bunny!! And that don't have to take in account anything. They seem to forget that they need all these things that they take for granted. Water, wood, cotton, meat, fish, oil, steal, copper, ........ The list is long and distinguished. What if they wake up one day and they are not there any more. Earth is demanding a fat paycheck! And rightly so!

Obviously not a very upbeat lesson. Still, there is a silver lining to this grey cloud according to the moviemakers. We as individuals seem to have the power to actually make some changes. Corporations have tried to tell us that it is useless to challenge them. Well, the movie showed us some people with guts who raised their voices. They were not able to spend many time at the beach. But they want to be sure that we can still spend one day out there and admire the precious world.

In a moment I will get up, walk to my fridge, take out a can of soda, watch a detective series and after that I will go upstairs, brush my teeth, moisturize my skin, take some cold medicin, get into my PJs, read some pages and then be off to dreamland. Seems like I will meet many corporations on way to dreamland! I am guilty as charged!

P.S.: Want to know more? Check out: http://www.thecorporation.com/ or google 'corporation' for some video results.