Hail to the Boss!

Remember when, if someone told you multi-national corporations run the world, you would’ve laughed?  But the idea was never funny.  Back then, the guilty corporations disguised their influence and their lack of loyalty to any particular nation.  Their slick advertising wooed consumers into thinking corporate products and services were all about improving their lives.  A beautiful story about profits trickling down to American workers suffused the culture.

Corporations don’t bother much with those stories any longer.  Products and services are all about making obscene gains for the people on top.  Many who are still vulnerable to blatant propaganda would ask, “What’s the harm?”  Professional manipulators told us business people were the best ones to make decisions about education, ecology, postal delivery…even the direction of the U.S.A.  After all, didn’t those corporations make themselves rich?  They must know best.  Look around and judge for yourself if corporate control has improved everyday life for most citizens.  We’ve been had.

The recent film FORD VS. FERRARI was based on true events when Henry Ford II wanted to change the image of his stolid, family cars.  He tried to work a purchase deal with the flamboyant king of European racing, Enzo Ferrari.  Ferrari was insulted by the lopsided American proposal, sent a few barbed insults back to Henry Ford, and sold his company to Fiat, instead.  Ford’s ego was mightily inflamed.  He wanted a Ford to beat the Ferraris at Le Mans.  He hired Carroll Shelby, the only American to win the race at that time, to deliver the goods (a specially designed Ford race car)…under the watchful eye of Ford corporate minions.  Shelby, in turn, recruited his friend Ken Miles, a British-born driver renowned for being as unfiltered in his honest opinions as he was genius about racing.  I can’t attest to how faithful the film is to fact, but I do recognize the players.

Anyone who has worked in the corporate world can tell you in detail how dehumanizing that realm can be.  Asking for sworn, written loyalty is not unusual, although loyalty is not reciprocated.  The overwhelming egos of the executives on top demand constant obsequiousness.  And the groveling yes-people (mostly men) huddled near their master scheme for favor.  They eat the hardworking talent for lunch.  That was what happened to Shelby and especially Miles.  They were used with less consideration than was given to the machine they created.  Ford didn’t intervene on their behalf although he had sworn he would.  He had what he wanted.  What else could possibly matter?

Campaigns for American opinion are raging as the next big election looms near.  Many will believe the manipulations because they want to think they’re smart and the lies are true.  Others are celebrating a huge opportunity to change national direction at last…if only the masses can resist the siren call of propaganda.  Greed is a hollow god that gobbles up souls.  If we can plug our ears and hear our hearts, we have a chance to discover and fulfill life’s purpose.  If not, well, there’s always reincarnation, isn’t there?