Corruption is only illegal if you are poor!
The Influence of Industries on Government Policies
Corporations have long been known to lobby the government in an effort to shape policies and regulations in their favor. A shady tactic that benefitted these corporations massively while neglecting society and our planet. A tactic that has been used by corporations for centuries.
Lobbying governments, here are some of the worst
Some of these are so Dark & Shady that it’s hard to imagine… It makes bribing a police officer because he caught you speeding seem innocent. But you know what? You can be put in jail for bribing an officer, they can’t because corruption is only illegal if you are poor.
The Automobile Industry and Lobbying Against Seatbelts
The use of seatbelts has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of injury or death in car accidents. However, the automobile industry initially opposed the use of seatbelts, arguing that they were unnecessary and would harm their business.
In the 1960s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed regulations mandating the use of seatbelts in cars. The automobile industry, however, lobbied government officials to delay the implementation of these regulations. They argued that seatbelts were unnecessary and would harm their business by increasing the cost of cars.
It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that the majority of cars were equipped with seatbelts, and it wasn’t until the 1980s that seatbelt use became widespread.
A similar scenario happened with airbags.
Source: https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars
Nestle’s Bottled Water and Baby-Milk Formula
Nestle has been criticized for their unfair tactics in both the bottled water industry and in their promotion of breast milk substitutes.
In regards to bottled water, Nestle has been accused of exploiting water resources in developing countries, often taking advantage of weak regulatory systems and causing environmental damage and water scarcity. Additionally, they have been accused of selling bottled water at a premium price, despite the fact that it is often just tapped water.
In terms of promoting breast milk substitutes, Nestle has been criticized for aggressively marketing a milk-formula to mothers in developing countries, often in ways that discourage breastfeeding with fake doctors promoting it.
This has led to concerns over infant health, as the formula might be less safe than breast milk, especially in areas with poor sanitation because like Nesquick their substitute formula required water mixing. Promoting a highly processed and synthetic alternative as “better than” natural breastfeeding is highly criticizable, but the fact that the formula needs to be mixed with water and is promoted in poor countries without access to clean water is downright cynical cruelty.
Overall, Nestle’s business practices have been the subject of controversy and scrutiny, with critics arguing that the company prioritizes profits over ethical considerations. This has led to numerous headlines with Nestle being named “The Baby Killer”
The delay in implementing regulations has had a significant impact on the health and well-being of infants and has caused environmental harm as well.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48908736
Or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMgpUqugtOU if you are a visual & audio learner. I highly recommend this. But be aware, the case presented is dark. This is probably unavoidable when you analyze a Corporation like Nestle’s shady practices.
The Pharmaceutical Industry and Delaying Generic Drugs
Generic drugs are cheaper versions of big Pharma’s brand-name drugs that can be sold after the patent on the brand-name drug expires. Pharmaceutical companies have been known to use a variety of tactics to delay the approval of generic affordable drugs, including filing lawsuits and lobbying government officials.
Additionally, pharmaceutical companies also lobby government officials to support legislation that would make it more difficult for generic affordable drugs to be approved thus using their monopolistic power to eliminate competition and keep their prices artificially high for generic medicine.
Another deeply troubling case is big Pharma’s advertisement of Opioids (painkillers) where they have downplayed the harmful side effects and the addictiveness of the drug. Leading to an Opioid crisis in America that has killed more than 500.000 people in the US alone.
Source on big Pharma: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/21/health/generic-drug-pricing-congress-lobbying/index.html
Agriculture Against Improving Food Safety & Environment
The agriculture industry has been known to lobby against regulations aimed at improving food safety and reducing the use of antibiotics in farm animals. The industry argues that these regulations would increase costs and harm their business. However, the rise of foodborne illness and antibiotic resistance has led to increasing calls for regulations to improve food safety and reduce the use of antibiotics in agriculture.
But it isn’t just food safety, the Agriculture has also lobbied against GMO usage regulations. GMO is a Genetically Modified Organism that makes crops grow faster and bigger. There have been studies showing that GMO-grown crops have fewer vitamins than natural grown crops while the GMOs has also been linked to a growing number of allergic reaction and even cancer.
Last but not least the use of pesticides has also been a tool in agriculture which the industry has fought regulations against. Pesticide use has a harmful impact on soil, groundwater, and the environment in general. Furthermore, natural pollinators like bees and butterflies are a vital part of our ecosystem, but the pesticide use kills them on a large scale and they are a vital part of our ecosystem.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/health/food-safety-regulation-lobbying-trnd/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JszHrMZ7dx4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAZmHIiN8VI
Fossil Fuel’s Fight Against Climate Policies
The fossil fuel industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, which are a significant cause of climate change. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence of the impacts of climate change, the industry has long fought against legislation aimed at curbing emissions. This is because reducing emissions would mean a reduction in profits, and the industry has prioritized profit over the health of our planet.
The oil and gas industry has lobbied against climate action for decades, funding campaigns and politicians that deny the existence of climate change or the need for action. They have also funded research aimed at casting doubt on the scientific consensus around climate change.
The consequences of this delay in taking action on climate change are dire. Climate change has already caused increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, rising sea levels, and devastating effects on our ecosystems. If action is not taken soon, the consequences will be even more severe.
The Tobacco Industry and Delaying Regulations
One of the most well-known examples of corporations successfully delaying government policies is the tobacco industry’s efforts to delay regulations on cigarettes. The tobacco industry has a long history of lobbying government officials and funding research that downplays the health risks of smoking. In the 1950s and 1960s, the tobacco industry successfully delayed government regulations on cigarettes by funding research that disputed the link between smoking and cancer. They continued their raise to mainstream adoption through their aggressive tactics while marketing to children as well.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that the government began to implement stricter regulations on the tobacco industry, thanks in part to lawsuits brought by states seeking to recoup the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses.
Source on the Tobacco industry: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/cigarette-smoking-in-the-us.pdf
The Coca-Cola Company and Lobbying Against Recycling Policies
Coca-Cola Company has been known to oppose recycling policies and regulations that would increase the cost of their products.
In the 1990s and 2000s, various cities and states proposed regulations mandating that beverage companies use a certain percentage of recycled materials in their packaging. The Coca-Cola Company, along with other beverage companies, lobbied government officials to delay or oppose these regulations. They argued that these regulations would increase their costs and harm their business.
Coca-Cola’s current percentage of recycled materials 7% despite of their 2008 goal of 25% in 2015.
Source big Coke: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-coca-cola-turning-its-recycling-program-profit-center
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELu8y6eK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XKdODELf-E
Dr. Burzynski’s Cancer Cure and FDAs fight to shut him down
This seems completely unreal that we have known of a cancer cure for over 40 years! The whole idea of a healthcare system is to ensure the health of the public. Then why can this possibly be true?
Well, the government is a corporation, and what do corporations do? The 19th-century style corporations prioritize money over people. And it’s a much much more profitable business to prescribe symptom relievers and get people dependent on the “medicine” than it is to cure people from their disease so they don’t need to purchase “medicine” anymore.
This is an alarming conflict of interest and 19th-century-style corporations continually prioritize money over human lives.
Oh, you thought a governmental institution isn’t a corporation right? It’s just a political camouflage, don’t be fooled to think that they care… Like I was…
I don’t say this to start an argument with you friend, we are on the same side here – we’re the 99%. Im just giving you a researched insight into how our society is set up.
It is a really miserable pill to swallow, I know, but how else would you evaluate this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmxUsAI29fw&
Conclusion
These examples demonstrate how various industries have lobbied government officials to delay or oppose policies that they view as unfavorable. It is important for government officials to consider the potential impact of policies on the public, not just the interests of corporations when making decisions. Additionally, it is important for the public to be aware of these lobbying efforts and hold corporations and government officials accountable to ensure that policies are in the best interest of the public.
Insight from,
Arthim, Revolutionarie
