General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I'm getting sick and tired of business packing everything in plastic [View all]PatrickforB
(14,640 posts)about how we are choking the planet with plastic waste.
I too have issues with plastic packaging, particularly when it is a large sealed clear plastic package with a big cardboard backing for a little tiny product.
I brought this up to my cousin who owns an auto parts store in the Houston TX area. He looked at me and said, "Well, then stop people from stealing." Because to his mind, much of the excessive packaging is due to rampant shoplifting. I just read an article saying that a number of stores will be closing because of billions in losses from shoplifting.
If we actually wanted to look at the root causes of climate change, pollution, homelessness, rising crime, healthcare debt, student debt, addictive behaviors and gun violence, we could arrive at the sense of meaninglessness and powerlessness most people, especially younger people, feel in this 'profit-over-people-every-time' capitalist world we live in.
Bottom line, by legal precedent we hold shareholder profits to be more important than worker welfare, consumer welfare, communities and the habitability of our planet. As long as we stay with this legal doctrine and allow corporate money to corrupt our Congress, we will continue these things with no change.
What if we decided that instead of letting the Wall Street greed lizards rule us, we would adopt a stakeholder approach to corporate governance that would allow CEOs in publicly held companies to consider worker wages, benefits, pensions, safety, work life balance, quality and safety of products and environmental impact equally with shareholder profits?
Like John Lennon sang, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..."