The Corporation
Lessons from the movie
The documentary captures different facets of the of the business corporations actual realities. It brings into light presentations of the point of view of the difference between the actual realities, which are associated with business corporations and what is presented in the mainstream media (The Corporation, 2017). In other words, what is really happening behind the scenes in the business corporation is not what is fed to the public in the mainstream media. This is demonstrated through the compilation of the case studies, film clips and the interviews in the documentary to show the viewer the numerous negative aspects of the corporations, which often are not given attention in the mainstream media. These negative aspects include the environmental damage done by large business corporations whose primary motive is only commercial profitability while neglecting the address of their action negative environmental impact. Notable examples on the accusations of these business corporation are seen for instance in the USA several paper mills dumping of their toxic effluents into the nearby stream from their processing plants causing damage to the ecosystem and increasing human risk (The Corporation, 2017). Another criticism of the business corporation is the exploitation of the cheap labor in third world countries leveled against them. In Indonesia for instance Nike corporation is accused of paying workers a substandard wages .Monsanto corporation despite the proven safety concerns for both human and animals during the testing stage went on to introduce a bovine hormone injection into the market .Many European countries including Canada banned the injection but USA allowed it which eventually lead to animal suffering and the at the risk of the safety and wellbeing of the consumers (The Corporation, 2017). The center of all this complains is the failure to adhere to the principles of social corporate responsibility by the corporation. There should be enactment of strict regulations to protect human health and the interests of the environment.
How Corporations can affect our political systems
The documentary has presented the standards of the objectivity on the matter on the need to enact strict regulations to compel the corporation to protect human health and the environmental interests. These enactments will have to go through the corridors of senate and the House of Representatives. The powerful business corporation will lobby for their interest and since they are cognizant to the fact that their interests is purposely to protect the commercial profitability they will use all means to use all manner of propaganda to lobby. These corporations always want to influence the decisions of the government policies through hiring of lobbyists .There will be many legislations in the House of Representatives and senate for corporate governance laws. Lobbyists meets senators to convince them to make laws that favors them or the cause those laws will bring.Coroprations may use their corporate power to influence the political government in place to advance their interests. Lobbying by these corporations are the center of the influence of the political systems .The corporations might meddle with the legislations on the corporate governance laws hence it will not be easy to enact the laws to protect environment and the human health(The Corporation, 2017). The political systems can be got a scenario where they will be in a dilemma to advance social corporate responsibility laws or relax to gain mileage from these corporations due to elections likely benefits. Besides all these scenarios, there is renewed hope in form of localized community action and in form of grassroots activism. Communities have held demonstrations to lobby for protection of their health and environment and health from the corporation by holding them responsible. The corporations will also use their economic power to control the government when participate in forming that company through funding.
How movie relate to American Government
The movie relates to the American government in a sense that the actions corporations affects the lives of the American people. When the people reacts due to the failures of the corporations on the matters, dealing with the corporate social responsibility, which touches on their health and environment the government, will have to listen. It the responsibility of the government to protect the health and environment of its citizens. The aspects that are captured ion the movie is related to actual realities of the business corporations under the American government. Business corporations as explained in the movie are guilty of pursuit of profit and power while disregarding the interest of people and the environment. An example has been provided in USA where the many paper mills dump toxic effluents into a nearby river from their processing plants (The Corporation, 2017). This is just a tip of an iceberg of the irreparable damage to the ecosystem, which increases risk to the human life. The documentary relates to the American government as these actions by the business corporations calls for the actions from the government to respond to it to protect the health and the environment of its people. This is through the enactment of strict regulations to bring consciousness of the social responsibility by the corporations. When the government cannot put regulations to tame the irresponsible activities of the corporation the local people affected will form localized community action and grassroots activism hence might bring disruption in the activities in government due to civil unrest.
How recent ruling on citizens United Vs Federal Commission relates to the issue of Corporation
The recent ruling on citizens united vs federal commission ruled to invalidate the laws that barred the corporations and unions from using their funds for political advertising (Sullivan & Adams, 2010). The ruling relates to the issue of corporation in a sense that the aspect of the corporation’s economic power is translated into political power. Allowing the corporations to spend their treasury funds on political advertising as a way to express their freedom as speech as ruled by US Supreme Court is an avenue for the corporations using their economic power to infiltrate the American democracy. There is a danger in which the corporations will seize the advantages by controlling over government. They will have a stake in a government because they contributed their funds to campaign for it .They can therefore influence that government thus the crucial social responsibility expected of them will be in jeopardy. It will leave them with no one to hold them responsible especially on their actions effects on human health and the environment. Whereas it is important to protect the freedom of speech among the American citizens, there is a high chance of the corporations to take advantage of the ruling to use their economic power to control the government and escape their social corporate responsibility. Consequently, the issue of corporation and r4uling on citizens united vs Federal commission favors the corporations to use that loophole to advance their commercial profitability agenda with disregard to the protection of human life and environment, which is their social corporate responsibility.
References
Achbar, M., & Abbott, J. (2017). The Corporation – Feature, Documentary. Retrieved 27 April
2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpQYsk-8dWg&t=535s
Sullivan, K., & Adams, T. (2010). SUMMARY OF CITIZENS UNITED V. FEDERAL
ELECTION COMMISSION. Retrieved 27 April 2020, from
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/rpt/2010-R-0124.htm