Corporate America’s Dichotomy: A Crossroad Between Profit and Public Interest

Over 155 million votes were cast in the 2020 U.S. General Election. A record voter turnout, which in a typical year would be something worthy of celebration and adulation, as the people of this great democracy exercised their most precious power in the most monumental of moments in American History. However, there were more than 74 million citizens whose votes represented a dangerous, rising tide of division, hate and anarchy — a testament to an alternative universe that is growing physically in its circumference and magnitude thanks to the Facilitator and Master of said Universe — Mr. 45. And so, as President Joe Biden takes over the reins of the U.S. Presidency, the horizon frames a very uncertain and volatile future the scope of which is immeasurable at this moment in time. And there are 74 million plus reasons to ponder how our Republic will respond in the wake of unprecedented delirium and discord.

Then there is the reality of what I refer to as the “Notorious 147” Republican members of Congress who voted against certifying the election of Joe Biden as president — even after the attack on themselves, their fellow members and the very hallowed halls they serve within — the U.S. Capitol. There are total of 535 members of Congress. That equates to almost 30% of U.S. Congressional members rejecting and undermining what was unequivocally by any legal standard a legitimate and fair election. Learn and know their names — these self-described stewards of American democracy. I especially make this call to Corporate America, as I believe now more than ever, our Nation’s corporations can and should play a vital role in rejecting the destructive and divisive behavior that has metastasized under the previous Administration’s regime — threatening the very fabric of the democratic principles that, ironically, constitute the core of capitalism itself. It is time for there to be true “Corporate Responsibility” woven into the fabric of corporate cultures across this land and globe — where corporate interests are akin to pure “human interests.” Ultimately, it is the consumer that serves as the lifeblood of any company and so, inherently, the number one priority should be the preservation of that consumer’s life and the sanctity of a democratic society constructed to protect their very life and freedoms.

There is not subtly when it comes to money and power — in no corner of society is this more readily apparent than in the world of politics. Enter stage left corporate Political Action Committees (PAC) and the titans of Wall Street that control them. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, corporate PACs gave $1.1 billion combined to the campaigns of senators and members of congress in the last election cycle. This is stunning and a clear demonstration of how Corporate America is really and truly the Puppet Master of the political universe and its inhabitants. Of course, some of the very recipients of these precious dollars that serve as the lifeblood of these political leaders — were the very same congressional culprits stoking the five-alarm fire of this engulfed Nation — the Capitol insurrection, political extremism and domestic terror, power-driven conspiratorial rhetoric and mendacity, bigoted and discriminatory policies, and the many other destructive elements custom designed to paralyze and destroy freedom, fairness, equality and democracy. The responsibility is clear and present and should shake the institution of Corporate America and its donors to the very core.

I would argue that this is a monumental time for corporations — the employers of human beings, first and foremost, to reengineer their respective cultures to drive and reflect a level of human consciousness, respect, honesty, integrity and inclusiveness that rejects at every corner and entryway, any semblance of what the United States has witnessed over the course of this last Administration and Congress. The hard truth of the matter is that whether directly or indirectly, Wall Street has considerable influence on democracy, and it has for too long valued profits over purpose, principle, people and public interest. These are values that should be inherent in any corporate culture and should permeate into any circumstance whereby dollars are being allocated to those who feign to be protectors and preservers of democracy and decency, only to be purveyors of self-interest and human degradation.

Many corporate leaders have shouted from the mountain tops that their companies are now steadfast in their commitment and alignment to diversity and inclusion, gender equality, social justice and humanity as a whole. Put that $1.1 billion where your mouth is and make it so, or do not complain when the very capitalistic foundation on which Wall Street stands crumbles from the weight of those undermining the very political system it relies upon — Democracy! At this critical juncture in our Nation’s course, the time is now to put human interest — the public interest — first, as this is, ultimately, in the best interest and at the core of the very institution made up “of the people, for the people and by the people” — the corporation.