My opinion on Al Sharpton cannot be called ambiguous.
I dislike everything the man stands for with an intense passion; he is one of many reasons why racial tension and discord in this country still exist.
I dislike the way he speaks; he is deceptive, a smooth talking con-artist that nearly everyone sees through but most everyone is too afraid to say they see through.
I dislike his use of the title Reverend; just as I rankle when I hear "pastors" say that God hates homosexuals, I am infuriated when I hear this "reverend" or that "reverend" spout racist rhetoric against Jews and whites.
I dislike his posing as an American statesman and the de facto legitimacy he receives from the media and politicians.
He is a sham; he has made his living (and a good one at that) by inciting and fueling racism.
I am tired of the power he, as well as Jesse Jackson and others like him, holds within this nation.
What does this have to do with capitalism? It has come to my attention that certain corporations have donated generously to Sharpton's organization (National Action Network). Among these companies are:
PepsiCo
Entergy
Home Depot
Wal-Mart
Colgate
Johnson and Johnson
Ford Motor Company
Honda of America
That is not an exhaustive list, simply a list of the companies that stick out in my mind. I have written e-mails and letters to these companies already expressing my concern over why these corporations feel it necessary to support a hatemonger such as Al Sharpton. I informed that I would no longer be spending my hard earned dollars with these companies as long as those dollars were in turn sent to people like Al Sharpton.
PepsiCo responded with this:
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Dear Justin,
Thank you for contacting us at PepsiCo and for sharing your thoughts.
As a global consumer products company that serves all people, we support many not-for-profit organizations with a variety of missions. The leaders of these organizations may at times have points of view that do not necessarily represent those of PepsiCo. I want to assure you that this Company does not endorse those individual viewpoints, political or otherwise.
I hope this information is helpful. Thanks again for writing.
Dee Dee Ward
Consumer Relations Representative
012149639A
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Sounds reasonable enough the way they state it but it's a cop out. And I doubt PepsiCo is donating money to other hateful organizations such as the KKK or the Taliban. If they were, the same explanation wouldn't fly for one minute. This exposes a double standard on racism and hate speech in this country, but we're not getting into that now.
What I want to discuss is my view on capitalism, specifically in regards to issues like this.
I believe that capitalism is the single best economic system in the world that generates the highest quality of life for all people that live within its influence and if done correctly, ensures the maximum amount of freedom for everyone.
That being said, capitalism is not perfect. Just as all governments are comprised of men and therefore susceptible to the threat of tyranny, all economic systems are comprised of men and therefore susceptible to the corrupting influence of greed. I don't think the corruption of greed takes the form of maximum profits. I think it leads to excessive consumerism on the part of "customers" which in turn leads their chattelization.
Let me explain: people begin to consume goods far in excess of the basic necessities or even the simple luxuries, so much so that they are having to purchase their entire lifestyle on credit. They have come to accept the idea that to be happy they must possess not only things, but the best things at all times. This is irresponsible on their part, as well as immoral, and leads to a large batch of problems in society at large, communities and families.
The larger problem is that people become placated by their things (especially when those things are in the form of "entertainment"). They stop paying attention to everything else around them as long as there is football in high definition on a 50" screen. As people display their willingness to consume everything new and tune out of the world around them, they are marginalizing themselves into chattel.
National and multi-national companies bankroll questionable organizations and dabble in activities that are questionable at the least, and they do so without fear because they know the average citizen isn't paying attention to what they do: Gossip Girl is on, y'know? And if a few thousand of their customers do find out about objectionable donations or activities they can usually shrug it off because it generally won't affect the ignorance of their other few million customers.
I'm not ranting against corporations. Their behavior is a by-product of our behavior. We ceased to be citizens of a Republic and children of a Risen Lord before all else and we became consumers above all else. When that happens the only logical outcome is that the producers will marginalize us citizens in their minds as we marginalized ourselves as citizens with our own action. We are no longer people to be dealt with on a face to face basis and make a deal with, but a pool of resources that they draw from. Their products and business models are merely efforts to streamline the process of us giving them our money. As long as the majority of the people remain ignorant and placated, their process is effective.
I'm not ranting at or attempting to vilify globalization, corporations or capitalism. I just want people to be citizens first, and consumers second. I want people to know who they are doing business when they buy a Ford product or a can of Mountain Dew. If those people are immoral or unethical then withhold your dollars from them until they shape up. There are alternatives to that product. Don't compromise your morals to satisfy your craving for a material good. There are more important things in life, like the health of our Republic and the health of our souls. That, to me, epitomizes what true capitalism is all about, the consumer making informed decisions on where to spend their dollars and using their buying power to punish irresponsible or unethical companies.
That being said, I'll continue my boycott of ESPN that started earlier this year when Barack Obama was on their channel every day during March Madness and was reinforced when their espn.com writers began taking potshots at conservatives. I'll continue my boycott of Sports Illustrated based on their mingling politics with sports too. I will boycott PepsiCo, and the other companies listed there as well.
I'm just one man, and they may not care about losing my money. But at the end of the day I will know where my dollar goes, and it will not go to Al Sharpton.
