We all sit around wringing our hands about the problems the world faces. We look for scapegoats, there are thousands to choose from. Take your pick: Big Oil, Big Pharma, The Federal Reserve, The Freemasons, etc.
Now that we have identified a culprit, we can feel satisfied and confident that we are on the right side!
We now sit in comfort, watch TV and comment about our favorite commercials, like Coca-Cola's Polar Bears, or Charmin's butt-wiggling bears (a different color, according to the plush of the toilet paper).
What we fail to realize is our own part in the equation. I have still yet to see any effort directed toward an overall societal or institutional responsibility.
Let's take the Coca-Cola Company as an example.
Coca-Cola has mounted a major ad campaign, as seen on and in everything they print or film touting their efforts at environmental responsibility. Their bottles all say, "Made from recycled material". But what this really means is that they mostly recycle the unused or scrap pieces of their own manufacture and have not gone out into the world to collect the plastic which has already been issued into the public.
The number of Coca-Cola Co. plastic containers currently spewed exceeds 2 trillion if not more.
Coca-Cola alone produces 110 billion plastic bottles per year, and has been named the world's top plastic polluter for the sixth year in a row in 2023. This adds up to 3 million metric tons of virgin plastic every year. In late 2024, Coca-Cola scandalously reneged on its global commitments to reduce its plastic waste targets and is now faced with lawsuits from municipalities for this deception, largely as false advertising, but not necessarily as a serial polluter, even though C.C. profits go up when the clean-up is dumped onto the metro and governmental services.
That bad corporation! Raking in profits. Not caring about their ghastly environmental impact! There, we said it! We are on the right side!
Why is Coca-Cola not really being held accountable?
Profits and convenience.
Coca-Cola has 80,000 U.S. employees. The Coca-Cola Company's global bottling partners employ more than 700,000 people. Add delivery truck manufacturers, advertising agencies, lawyers, weasel-mouthed apologists, and even hired thugs! CC went as far as to create the Fanta brand to supply Nazi Germany with a refreshing beverage in wartime.
Your stock portfolio demands Coca-Cola to make money for you and your retirement. ...and we hate those nasty capital gains taxes too. Virtually every diversified stock package includes Coca-Cola shares. They're cheap and profitable.
Oh, No! What are we going to drink when Door Dash brings our pizza? A two liter Coke?? Boo-Hiss! Whine Whine! ...I guess we'll have to drink Dr. Pepper!
Must I spell it out? Ketchup, mustard, dish soap, clothes soap, lighters, pens, hypodermic syringes, sandwich bags, iced coffee from McDonalds, the happy meal toy, automobiles, home appliances, the to-go containers, hair conditioner, facial crème, . . . and . . .
. . . . . . . . . grocery bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .!!
We demand it! Our lazy, uncaring, irresponsible, convenince-oriented lifestyle has demanded for these things over 200 trillion times!
We demand that we shall pollute for our conveniences, our pocketbooks and to extend our lives. I'll bet you even drove downtown to protest Big Oil!
Everybody wants to be secure with the knowledge that they are in the clear. Be secure in this knowledge....
It is us! We, the people!
Oh! Of course! This is NOT about you!
---§---