The Theory Of Oppression

The Theory of Oppression states that the systematic mistreatment, exploitation, and lowering of the social status of groups of people by powerful institutions leads to the usurpation of resources for material gain by utilizing oppression over others to achieve resources. Furthermore, the significance of life has an importance to every living being, yet the evolution of humans has turned the world into a very expansive environment of oppression. While It's interwoven in human nature that humans have a natural need for things yet humans can do anything to obtain it, even if it means to oppress an entire country just to earn its resources. Additionally, practices of globalization and neo-imperialism are all interwoven into the ongoing oppression

of humans. The U.S empire’s original goal is to exploit other countries to serve the demands given by the U.S government and corporations who exist under the capitalist system.

The capitalist system is known for its coercive and neo- imperialistic outlooks which have forever transformed politics into harsh institutions ever since its rise in society. The involvement of corporate power within government influences the decline of many economies within countries and that it halts economic and personal development, leading to developing capitalist economies in those nations that are enforced under the name of corporate democracy. Noam Chomsky, a political activist and author once said that “as long as the general population is passive, apathetic, and diverted towards consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as the please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.”

Ever since the rise of corporate capitalism, corporations have pushed towards to conform their interests in private property and towards the accumulation of wealth. The major corporations look towards privatizing certain industries in order to capitalize on their investments. The individual need to raise money became a priority for corporations, even if it calls to utilize the idea of narrow export economics and use neo-imperialism to inflict global capital domination. The global capital power of the United States has led to rapid modernization in most Third World Countries. As these countries are dependent on the

economic policies enforced by the U.S and heavily depend on structural adjustment programs constituted by the IMF and World Bank. “The World Bank is a capitalist international financial institution…. its official goal is to reduce poverty, and so most of its lending goes to developing countries. The loans are primarily aimed at economic development connected with trade and foreign investment, but it’s lending gives it influence over many developing countries financial policies (reader, 212).” The World Bank and IMF formed Structural Adjustment Programs to give out foreign aid to Third World countries. Furthermore, SAPs harm the economy by cutting social programs and food subsidies and imposing higher fees for state programs like health care and education. Selling state-owned industries and resources to business corporations which lead to privatization. Lastly, eliminating regulations on foreign ownership of resources and businesses by prioritizing the repayment of foreign debt. This allows the World Bank to have direct control over their economies and due to this corporations are the greatest benefactor of policy change that is instituted by the World Bank. This allows corporations to maximize on their profits in the third world due to low economic regulations. “Democratic policies have expanded within hierarchies, the corporate sphere has monetized and attenuated the market democracy of the network itself, handling its operations over to a set of competing monarchies (Textbook 828).” Corporations tend to operate without regulation and tend to exploit people for cheap labor abroad. This can be seen in many Third World countries, especially in China. “The mobility of corporate operations tends to reduce the effectiveness of regulations bases in a single hierarchy and to create incentives for those hierarchies to weaken their regulatory stance to [draw] more business. Only by joining international agreements regarding regulatory issues can hierarchies maintain some level of control over corporate “global citizenship”, as it were (textbook 826).”
Furthermore, lobbyists that are hired by multinational corporations play a crucial role in influencing government decisions that are made by politicians.

These lobbyists tend to make up a large portion of the U.S government, having influence in some to all democratic decisions. The decisions made by policy makers tend to reflect the corporations own personal marketing agenda abroad and at home. In the supreme court case of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (U.S Supreme Court). The case argued that when corporations donate money to politicians’ campaigns it was considered under the 1st amendment as free speech. However, the ruling leaned in favor corporations allowing them to have control over politicians’ campaigns, even including the presidential election. “Citizen’s United has an annual budget of about $12 million. Most of its funds are from donations by individuals; but, in addition, it accepts a small portion of its funds from for- profit corporations (reader, 221). As corrupt corporations gain more freedom to push any policy they want, they tend to have an important influence in people’s everyday lives. “Unlike voters in U.S elections, corporations may be foreign controlled…. business corporations have been “effectively” delegated the responsibility for ensuring society’s economic welfare; they inescapably structure the life of every citizen (reader, 223).” This influence allows corporations to control and seize decisions about policy change and the push

towards expanding corporate democracy. There is a reason why corporations have a large influence over legislation regarding consumer choices and essentially “buying out” politicians. Overall, the corporate agenda to control governments, regulate the economic system, and society, through their money, power, lobbying and psychological manipulation. Have directly impacted the nation’s people as the government disregards the social contract it has with its constituents and promotes the corporation’s agenda instead.
Regarding the case of Citizen’s United v Federal Elections Commission, it concludes that corporations have a large influence over the government and that this influence must be limited. The U.S government fails to comply with the social contract with the American people when it promotes corporate lobbying instead. With a nation, so dependent on money to influence elections, the term democracy is replaced with corporate democracy when corporations hire lobbyists to influence political elections. This can be seen throughout history, when Standard Oil, Carnegie Steele, and J.P Morgan Chase & Co influenced elections to elect William McKinley into office as he serve to promote their corporate agenda. This trend carries on as of today as Some major companies like Pepsico, Coca- Cola, Comcast, TimeWarner, Exon Mobile, and even some financial institutions like J.P Morgan Chase & Co all have lobbyists that push the corporations’ agenda towards politicians. In conclusion, the influence of corporate power is the greatest problem that this nation faces as it leads towards halting development in other nations and significantly increasing global security as long as consumerism and capitalism continue to flourish in the hearts of society.