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Fight Corporate Power Where you Live: A Message to our Community

On March 1st, we’ll be releasing the first Story of Stuff movie of 2011—The Story of Citizens United v. FEC.  The movie examines the disproportionate influence that corporations exercise in the American political system and was inspired by the disastrous 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that permitted corporations to spend freely to influence American elections.

We celebrate the fact that our movies have inspired millions around the world—from Brazil to South Africa and Russia to India. While many members of the Story of Stuff community don’t live in the United States, we believe The Story of Citizens United will hold lessons for us all.

Recently, we received this message from Leo Brooks, a Canadian. He wrote:

While I have a deep understanding that what happens in the U.S. ultimately affects us, I feel a bit disconnected from being able to do something to affect change because I am not in the U.S. Things here are in a really similar state to our neighbours to the south, but the political and cultural environment is unique. I wonder then, if you have any resources or connections in Canada of people that are fighting for the same kinds of reforms in our country, confronting our own distinct political and corporate barriers?

While we focus on the United States for many reasons—our country consumes a disproportionate share of the world’s resources, our corporations’ influence is multinational and our government policies have a significant impact beyond our borders—we recognize the universality of corporate power and encourage members of our community to fight it and defend the will of the people wherever you are.

It would be impossible for us to gather resources for every country. Like Leo says, every country’s political and cultural environment is unique. So we encourage you to share the names of organizations or movements in your country working to raise up the people’s concerns, rather than the corporations. You can share ideas here and in a discussion our Facebook group.

posted by Christina M. Samala
January 25, 2011
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  • http://gaiacasacomum.blogspot.com/ Paulo Sanda

    Hello I am a Brazilian of 43 years old.
    Recently I sold my small business with some friends and we are starting an NGO that aims at developing of the human being.
    We work this through spirituality not as religion but of all human values.
    For this we held talks with companies and other organizations, and direct part of the funds for social projects of other NGOs

    So far I made a brief presentation, now I want to comment on a report in Brazil.
    Among the great environmental debates that run through here and for sure you should be following, is the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte. That will have terrible environmental and human impact in the Amazon forest, the plant and causing widespread devastation send little or no electricity to the urban centers. Longer used for the aluminum smelters. Unfortunately this is one of the projects that were defended by our current president as secretary of the previous government.
    There are many alternatives such as wind energy potential of various Brazilian states, but the government prefers this devastation in the last great rainforest in the world.

    I ask them to do well against pressure over this nonsense.

  • Theresa Clifton

    The discovery of DNA changed the way criminals are identified, all over the world. What is needed is a “DNA” (Do Nothing? Awareness) wake up campaign. We the people need to be aware of how many votes, in any and all elections, all stockholders individually have. The teoretical effect is that stock holders may vote as many times as each one of them has corporations they invest in. The loudest votes are the only ones heard because small investers are uninformed, intentionally.
    There is certainly a way to prevent corporate criminals from multiplying every stockholder’s vote (secretly) by the number of stocks each stockholder owns and thereby stealing votes in any given election.
    WE THE PEOPLE can attack the problem legally and smartly by limiting any one stockholder’s vote in government, (city, county, state, and federal) to ONE VOTE FOR ONE PERSON.
    Corporations would not count as a one and only person if each vote was counted by identifing the corporate stockholders by name. Those individuals who own stock in a corporation donating to lobbies can be tallied per person per vote for the public to see.
    All stockholders who are not American Citizens do not get to vote. Using percentages on that basis, a stockholder demagraphic could be easily gained, even if it takes a long time. We still have the freedom of information act which has been used by corporations against their detractors effectively for a very long time. This is the only tool we legitimately have if we want to affect a change. It is how corporations function. USE THE NUMBERS.
    If the small stock holders knew what their dabble gambles “playing the market” does to their own livelihood in the long run they would see the gaping backdoor hole they create in their portfolios. That combined with the risks surely offset perceived (or even real but slight) gains.

    Attack the problem legally and smartly. Get their DNA.

    USE THEIR OWN METHODS. Redefine what “is” is .. so to speak .. with their DNA what a corporation person is may not be the same as what an individual is after the sum of its parts.

    It dose not take an act of congress to divide and conquer. Just take it from the lobbing Corporations who speak as one person for all individual parts foreigners, aliens legal or not. Translation, the robbing corporations who soak as one person for all of its individual parts.
    When you can’t defeat them use their own rules!

  • http://anegdotai.lt Anekdotai, juokai

    very interesing post , nice job