Consumerism – Corporate Greed – Environmentalism – Misinformation – Globalization – Freedom – Privacy – World Peace
Holistic = the interconnectedness of all things.
Consumerism… People purchase unnecessary or frivolous goods and/or services, usually in an effort to maintain or achieve a particular status in the community, and chiefly driven by advertisers and companies.
Corporate Greed… Large companies will often ignore the desires, rights and freedoms of their employees, customers and the environment to increase their profit margin.
Environmentalism… The environment is generally a finite and fragile resource that has been damaged or destroyed, and the trend continues with over usage, lack of conservation, and disregarding the impact of our actions.
Misinformation… Governments, large corporations, special interest groups, and other organizations use the media, press releases, and advertisements to intentionally mislead the public as to the safety, reliability, necessity, and effectiveness of their products, services, and/or agendas.
Economic Globalization… The creation of a singular, global economy initially sounds like a good idea, but in the course of development, there has been a tendency toward control by a few major entities.
Freedom and Privacy… When a society is stifled and basic, fundamental freedoms are jeopardized; people become easier to control and manipulate and will believe and accept political agendas.
World Peace… With uneven distribution of power, resources, and technology, combined with differences in religious beliefs, there continues to be distrust, jealousy, and hatred throughout the world.
Scenario: You buy a product from a large retail store; the product was made in a factory located in a poor country, possibly by slave labor; the company that owns the factory is a multi-billion dollar corporation that also makes various chemicals and/or pharmaceuticals; this company destroys the environment in multiple countries, and buys influence in the governments; the company makes a “donation” to an environmental cause; they receive free media coverage that shows how “environmentally responsible” they are; more people buy their goods.
So how does this tie together?
People own the companies. People make the products. People buy the products. People run and work in the governments. People damage the environment. People own and work in the media and advertising companies. People allow their freedoms to be taken away. And worst of all, some People do not care.
BUT, the good news is… People can make a difference.
Buying products and services from socially, and environmentally responsible companies, and refusing to buy from companies that are not can be a difficult task. Information and research are the most valuable tools to achieve this goal. Seeking the truth and spreading the word are extremely important to complete the positive cycle. The process is now easier through the use of the Internet and other technologies. Personal responsibility is the core of this solution. The more people that act with and demand personal responsibility, the more it will effect the entire world.
There are many subtleties and extremes to these connected pieces, but they are undeniably integrated.
