How to Overthrow Corporate Rule in 5 Not-so-easy Steps
Resources and information on fighting corporate power, democratizing our government and freeing people's time.
Many people are spending a lot of their time volunteering to stop specific environmental threats, to address a specific labor issue, or to stop various other corporate abuses to our communities. The number of problems seems endless. Isn't there a faster way to save the world?
This page is devoted to those who are interested in getting to the root of society's problems. How nice would it be if our government wasn't answering to their corporate masters, but to community concerns? How much easier would our efforts be if people weren't so overworked and had more time to volunteer? Wouldn't it be great to have the media reporting critically on serious community issues rather than pandering to the the interests of their wealthy owners and advertizers?
These are the reforms that make other reforms possible. If fighting for institutional change is too difficult for you, jump down to the section on personal things you can do to consume less.
- Take away their money:
- Stop privatization / Re-socialize systems
Privatized systems mean that corporations get to profit from providing important social services which could be provided by (hopefully democratically-controlled) public bodies. Get involved in efforts to stop privitization of schools, municipal water/sewer systems, trash collection or other social services. Better yet, get involved in efforts to put services like health care or electric power under public control.
White Paper on Privatization
Polaris Institute
Public Services International Research Unit
- Boycott / protest big corporations
Withdraw your support from large corporations by consuming less and supporting local, small businesses when possible.
Corporate Dirt Archives (learn what's wrong with specific corporations)
What should I buy?? (personal things you can do to consume less)
- Fight corporate "wealthfare"
Get corporations off the public dole and work to stop subsidy abuse by opposing things like public funding for private stadiums, excessive and unneeded highway projects and other tax breaks, subsidies and bailouts which are not in the public interest. Welfare is for people, not corporations!
Corporate Welfare Information Center
- Electoral/democracy:
- Instant Runoff Voting
Don't let the government make you pick the "lesser of two evils" when you vote. With instant runoff voting, you can vote your conscience without fear by picking your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices (and so on). Start by putting this electoral process into practice on the local level - in your town, county or state.
Center for Voting and Democracy
Instant Run-Off.com (sign up to their national email list and locate other email lists and state campaign on their in your state page)
Try out IRV here
- Public financing of elections
Get corporate money out of our elections!
Corporate Control of Government (the basics on public campaign financing)
Public Campaign (a national group working to get private/corporate money out of our elections)
Researching Your Politicians (info on who is funding your politicians plus resources on corporate control of elections)
- Ballot access / 3rd parties
Support efforts to help 3rd parties get on the ballot and challenge the two corporate parties!
Green Party
Ballot Access News
- Initiative and Referendum
Put more decisions directly in the hands of the voters. If your state doesn't allow initiative and referendum, join others to pass a law to allow for it. If you already have it in your state, get involved with ballot initiatives and use it to press for further democracy measures.
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
Initiative & Referendum Institute / Ballot Watch
- Democratize media
The majority of all media in the U.S. is now owned by only six mega-corporations. Join movements to democratize media. Democracy is impossible without being able to hear voices of dissent.
Media Reform Information Center
- Democratize your university
Colleges and universities are increasingly being controlled by corporate interests for their own gain. Work with others to pry education out of the corporate grip.
180: The Movement for Democracy and Education
- Structural attacks:
- Human/worker rights:
- Redesign Corporations:
What should I buy??
How do I avoid supporting so many bad things when I buy stuff??
A mini-guide to a more sustainable lifestyle
TradeLocal (www.tradelocal.org) puts out a booklet called "A Citizen's Guide to Buying Locally - Positive Alternatives to Global Corporatization." Call them at 804-760-8628 to order a copy.
Also, Co-op America (www.coopamerica.org) has useful catalogs and other info on "socially responsible" products.
In general, here's what you can do to avoid consumerism and withdraw support from the worst of corporate behaviors:
- don't watch TV
- buy only what you NEED; don't buy things on impulse / don't "shop" - just buy what you went for
- take your own bag; refuse to take paper or plastic disposable bags (a receipt is all you need)
- never buy anything in plastic number 3 or 6 (3 is PVC, a chlorinated plastic; 6 is polystyrene, which is also not safe) visit www.ecologycenter.org/iptf/ for background.
- avoid plastic in general; buy things in glass, paper or metal containers when possible; if you must buy plastic, only buy types #1 and #2, for which recycling options are usually available
- avoid overpackaged goods
- buy from the most local place possible; avoid stuff from other countries, especially from those with really bad human rights records (basically anyplace but Canada, Japan or Europe).
- buy from the smallest companies possible (if you've heard of them in advertising, they're probably too big; look on labels to see if they tell you who they're owned by... sometimes they do)
- observe every boycott you can (visit www.corporations.org/corplist.html to get started)
- buy recycled/reused goods; buy from dollar stores, flea markets and thrift shops for reused stuff
- make use of things people throw away (I've obtained some decent furniture, lamps, desks and such by taking home stuff that suburbanites and college students throw out)
- make major lifestyle choices that minimize the need to consume; help reduce population by choosing not to have kids, to adopt or to stop at one child; live communally
- look at ingredients in foods and materials in products and avoid anything that you find out is unhealthy or produced in bad ways
- avoid toxics in products you consume: examples include anti-bacterial (triclosan) soaps, fluoridated water, mercury thermometers, vinyl toys
- go vegan! (it goes a long way towards saving the environment, your health and the lives of many animals!) If you don't know where to start, try www.veganoutreach.org and www.pcrm.org
- Try to find ways to institutionalize these things (get vegetarian options in your schools, get your local stores to stop carrying mercury thermometers or to start carrying non-fluoridated toothpastes, etc.)
- sign onto some of the anti-corporate email lists out there, so you can learn what's up and stay on top of corporate activities. You can find lots of good lists at the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) website: www.seac.org/seacnet/ and also at the website of the student anti-corporate movement - "180: The Movement for Democracy and Education" - www.corporations.org/lists/
Return to the Action Center Homepage
Return to the Corporate Accountability Project Homepage
http://www.corporations.org/solutions/