We are on the cusp of a new democratic revolution; a revolt against private sector Authoritarianism; the democratisation of corporate power.
As consumers, we are going to have to become more demanding. Companies covet our loyalty, and we offer it too easily. In the exchange, they get money, economic, social, and political power and influence; while we lose money and just get stuff.
We have every right to demand that companies use the power we have given them in ways that reflect our values and address our concerns. But, of course, they will not do this of their own volition. The rallying cry of the American revolution was “no taxation without representation”; we need to update that for a democratic revolution in the private sector, and impose accountability on the use of corporate power, saying instead “no consumption without representation”.
Our consumer dollars cannot be won anymore by slick advertising, but instead by the utilisation of corporate influence in support of the causes we care about.
Any company’s customer base is essentially its political constituency; but it is a silent constituency, even while these companies are actively lobbying legislators, pumping money into political campaigns, and pressuring governments. We are constituents of institutions of power which we do not recognise as political entities, and of whom we therefore do not make political demands.
This has to change.