Egalitarian Governments

Egalitarian Governments

An egalitarian country has a government that treats all people equal.

The examination of a country’s commitment to egalitarianism must go beyond a review of the documents of the country and go beyond the messages sent from the highest levels.  It must be examined at the street level.

This includes, yes, the police of the local community, but also the fire department, the tax assessments, the voting rights, personal protection of citizens, the relationship between the local government and all of its citizens, the courts of the local government, contact with financial institutions and more.

Every contact between two or more individuals, between individuals and government, individuals and businesses and membership to social groups and more in the locale must be examined to ensure that all at treated with equality and respect.

Examples of this is in the voting process and in the criminal justice system.

In the voting process, if one precinct has one machine for 400 people and another has a voting machine for 4,000 people, that is inequity.  If one precinct has a voting machine set within the precinct and another has combined precincts with a limited number of machines, that is inequity.

In criminal justice, if a black person receives a harsher punishment for the same crime as a white person, all things equal, that is inequity.

There does not need to be abstract mathematical models to bring light to the issue.  There does not need to be more beautifully written documents protesting inequity brought down to the local level. 

There needs to be action by the local governments that does not just sit around waiting for a problem to arise.  The local governments need to be in the community door to door informing people about the issues and that they must be solved.

While 100% equity may never be accomplished, anything less than 100% means that we are closer to the other end of the scale then we should be, closer to fascism. 

 

Say No to Goya

Recently, the CEO of Goya Foods announced he supported President Trump at a press conference. (1)

This caught my attention.

It also caught the attention of those that do not support Trump with calls for a boycott of all Goya products.

On Facebook, I posted “Say No to Goya.”

Some people posted in support, but a friend asked why we should boycott a company that is a good company?

I did not answer my friend on the post.  He is a good friend and we have done business together. (2)  

So, here is my answer.

I do not know if boycotts really work.

In the short run, I do not believe they do because companies just need to wait out the energy in the market for the boycott.

Most of the time, the companies do not have to wait long.

This is partly due to the energy running out for support of the boycott, as expected.  Also, because those that agree with the company’s position will, in some cases, increase their purchases. (3)

Only boycotts that manage to keep the attention on the issue alive over a long period of time achieve their goal. (4)

For me, it is more of a personal choice.

If a company does not take sides in the political arena, or at least one that I am aware of, the company’s political position is only marginally important to me. 

But it the company attempts to use their position and power to forward a political agenda or candidate and I become aware of it; I now am given a choice. 

The question I ask is, “Should I do business with a company that works against my political agenda, thereby making my goal harder to attain, or do I do business with someone that is at the very least neutral as far as politics are concerned?”

I do support every person, and I mean a living, talking, thinking, real honest to goodness person… not a company, the right to speak their minds and support whoever they want. I do not support free speech for a company. (5) (6)

My position on free speech also applies to me.  I have the right to free speech.    

When I exercise that right, it can be spoken, written or in action. 

In conclusion, I exercise my right of free speech by not doing business with a company that supports goals that are not aligned with mine.

The CEO of Goya Foods expressed a political position that is held by the corporation and is not in sync with my political position. (7)

Therefore, when I am making purchases for products that Goya makes, I will choose another product, or I will do without.

(1) The press conference was for another reason other than expressing support for the President, so I also do not think it was appropriate for the CEO of Goya Foods to express his support at the event.

(2) Besides being sensitive to my friend in public, Facebook is a bad place to express thoughts that take more than 4 words.

(3)  https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-boycotts-history-20180228-htmlstory.html

(4) https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/boycotts/history-successful-boycotts

(5) The term “free speech” here is used in a common usage of the word.  This is not be confused with the Constitutional meaning of “Free Speech” which prohibits the Government from restricting personal expression.

(6) Company here is used as an incorporated entity.  As a fabricated entity of law, they are not a person.

(7) According to Goods Unite Us, Goya Foods donate exclusively to the Republican Party.