Blockk Blockk Blockk Blockk
  • News Portal
  • World Desk
    • Sign In
    • Submit Content
    • Register
  • All Content
    • Edited
      • Topics
        • Agriculture
        • Culture
          • Arts
          • Children
          • Education
          • Entertainment
          • Food and Hunger
          • Sports
        • Disasters
        • Economy
        • Energy
        • Environment
        • Government
        • Health
        • Media
        • Science
        • Spiritual
        • Technology
        • Transportation
        • War
      • Regions
        • Africa
        • Americas
          • North America
          • South America
        • Antarctica
        • Arctic
        • Asia
        • Australia/Oceania
        • Europe
        • Middle East
        • Oceans
          • Arctic Ocean
          • Atlantic Ocean
          • Indian Ocean
          • Pacific Ocean
          • Southern Ocean
        • Space
      • News
      • Commentary
      • Analysis
      • Advisories
      • Source
    • Flatwire
  • About Us
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us

Latest Stories

... loading images
Hermit 'Scribblings' Of Eccentric French Math Genius ...
Hermit 'Scribblings' Of Eccentric French Math Genius Unveiled | Juliette Collen
More Banks to Fail? Not in North Dakota | Ellen Brown
More Banks to Fail? Not in North Dakota | Ellen Brown
BOOKS: ‘Capitalism Is Dead. Now We Have Something Much ...
BOOKS: ‘Capitalism Is Dead. Now We Have Something Much Worse’ | Carole Cadwalladr
Ghosts of the Past: For Israel, War on UNESCO is an ...
Ghosts of the Past: For Israel, War on UNESCO is an Existential Battle | Ramzy Baroud
Artificial intelligence (AI) | Wikipedia
Artificial intelligence (AI) | Wikipedia
Blockchain | Wikipedia
Blockchain | Wikipedia
NASA's First Asteroid Samples Land On Earth After Release ...
NASA's First Asteroid Samples Land On Earth After Release From Spacecraft | Marcia Dunn
Our Digital Twins Will Help Diagnose And Treat Diseases ...
Our Digital Twins Will Help Diagnose And Treat Diseases | Thomas Gull, University of Zurich
US Farmers, Tech Tycoons Square Off Over Plans For Utopian ...
US Farmers, Tech Tycoons Square Off Over Plans For Utopian City | Glenn Chapman
Falling Solar Power And Storage Prices Make Global Climate ...
Falling Solar Power And Storage Prices Make Global Climate Transition Cheaper Than Expected | Ulrich von Lampe
Why the Next Crypto Bull Run Will Be Like Nothing We've ...
Why the Next Crypto Bull Run Will Be Like Nothing We've Ever Experienced | Solo Ceesay
Human-Driven Mass Extinction Is Eliminating Entire Branches ...
Human-Driven Mass Extinction Is Eliminating Entire Branches Of The Tree Of Life | Stanford University
The Untold Story of the Abuse of Palestinian Women in ...
The Untold Story of the Abuse of Palestinian Women in Hebron | Ramzy Baroud
‘Bread and Circuses’: Musk, Zuckerberg and the Art of ...
‘Bread and Circuses’: Musk, Zuckerberg and the Art of Distraction | Ramzy Baroud
What Are Smart Contracts? | Bing
What Are Smart Contracts? | Bing
Climate Conflagration: Maui to Montana | Amy Goodman & ...
Climate Conflagration: Maui to Montana | Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan

Reinventing Activism, Part 3: Borrow Something From (gasp) Corporate Culture | Mickey Z.

More items by author
Categories
Edited | Commentary | Business | Culture | All Content | Front Page Stories | Commentary -- WNT Reports | News -- WNT Reports
Tool Bar
View Comments

Photo credit: Mickey Z.Photo credit: Mickey Z.

 

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

July 8, 2020

  

(Part 1 of this series can be found here)

(Part 2 of this series can be found here)

 

Within the realm of activism, “corporate” is a dirty word. 

Don’t get me wrong, corporations have done their damnedest to earn such vitriol and malice. It would take several volumes for me to even attempt documenting this catalog of criminality. But let’s keep things simple by summing up: Corporate power is, directly and indirectly, responsible for poisoning and destroying the natural world while simultaneously reinforcing cultural dynamics that lead to perpetual oppression, discrimination, and poverty across the globe.

The sins of Corporate America are no secret. People write books about them, make movies about them, create podcasts about them, hold signs “protesting” them, and file lawsuits related to them. Corporate malfeasance is so normalized that it’s regularly parodied in popular culture (thus creating more corporate profits). 

Countless “movements” -- most notably Occupy Wall Street -- have sprung up to allegedly address this planetary crime spree. By relying on the same old failed tactics, these protests accomplish nothing more than a tsunami of social media posts (thus creating more corporate profits).

I’d like to share something I’ve witnessed over and over, through direct experience: A global event happens. It could be anything from an election to a police shooting to an environmental disaster or war crime… whatever. This event enrages a portion of the population. Some of those enraged folks feel a strong need to express their ire but wind up attending disorganized, futile gatherings called “protests.” At these gatherings, long-existing activist groups show up to sell their newspapers and hand out flyers about their next meeting. This propaganda lures in some of the recently activated dissidents and thus guarantees that nothing new will be tried and zero progress will be made. 

It’s almost as if some “activists” are more concerned with gaining followers than garnering results (insert rimshot here).

 

My question: Why can’t new activists instead choose to learn from winners?

In every other venture in life, we look for positive role models. We seek out proven archetypes. We aim to find the clues left behind by the architects of thriving efforts. As much as you may justifiably despise what corporations have done to our society, surely you can recognize the value of dissecting their blueprint.

Corporations will brazenly co-opt ideas from even their most venomous enemies. They’ll sanitize those concepts and sell them right back to their hapless enemies as commodities. Why can’t this process be reversed? Why can’t activist movements co-opt proven corporate tactics to attain their diametrically-opposed goals?

 

Photo credit: Mickey Z.

 

By de-occupying black-and-white thinking, we can acknowledge the consistently winning record of Corporate America. Rather than demonizing and rejecting, we can figure out how that particular kind of culture continues to thrive and expand. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when industries all over the world have already created a tried-and-true template for progress.

For starters, I submit these 20 basic but essential questions the resourceful folks of Corporate America often ask before they embark on a new project:

 

  1. What are the objectives? 
  2. How do you define success?
  3. If the project doesn't succeed, what are the implications?
  4. Why is this project so important?
  5. What are the most important dates?
  6. What are the most important decisions that need to be made? 
  7. What will prevent us from making those decisions?
  8. What are the biggest obstacles to getting this done?
  9. Who influences but doesn't own? 
  10. Who has the potential to be an obstacle?
  11. What are the project's greatest assets?
  12. How can we best leverage those assets?
  13. What are the most important areas we should always focus on?
  14. How much risk are you willing to take to accomplish this?
  15. What barriers have you encountered in the past about this issue?
  16. What keeps you up at night about this?
  17. What topics haven't we discussed? 
  18. What topics would you rather not discuss?
  19. What is your personal passion for this project? 
  20. What will this mean to you when we succeed?

 

Here are some follow-up questions of my own, directed at activists:

 

  • Have you ever heard even one of the above questions honestly asked within your circles? 
  • What kind of reaction would you get if you proposed such questions?
  • Have you ever attained any long term success with your actions?
  • What are you willing to do right now to make sustainable progress toward your goals?
  • Are you ready to surrender the purity litmus tests so you can learn how to win -- even from those with whom you strongly disagree? Yes, I know, positive results are easier to find when you get billions of dollars in corporate welfare. But it still requires a blend of quarter-to-quarter planning with a long-term vision to maintain steady outcomes -- even within the realm of predatory capitalism. There is plenty a grassroots movement can learn from studying the day-to-day workings of companies that never stop advancing and flourishing.

 

Let’s face it, with the almost non-existent win rate of social justice groups, isn’t it at least worth a try to appropriate something practical from the side that always comes out on top?

 

activism33

 

 

In the meantime…

When multi-national companies ask the 20 questions above at one of their copious meetings, they are not looking to make the world a better place. Their goal is to keep their shareholders happy in the next fiscal quarter. They waste no time talking about the small but urgent steps that must be taken all day, every day, to help humans and non-humans in need. Case in point:

One of the homeless women I helped the longest (I’ll call her G) had a regular panhandling spot in midtown Manhattan -- near the strip now called “billionaire’s row.” The building directly above her spot is home to many high-end businesses. Some employees of these companies got to know G and it was not unusual for me to find one or two of them sitting -- on the asphalt -- beside her during their lunch breaks. They’d chat, offer help and advice, and mostly, just treat G like the human being she is. Their employers were not pleased. The building manager and other local building managers saw the presence of a homeless woman on “their” block as a serious threat to the value of local real estate.

All of the companies in that building sent memos to their employees, warning them to not associate with homeless people during work hours (including lunchtime). Every single one of the employees complied. But one woman did get word to G to let her know why she had suddenly been abandoned. I can still see G’s face as she tearfully told me this story.

This is the nefarious side of corporate culture in action. We, as “activists,” can borrow winning tactics without behaving like the “enemy.” So, please allow me to introduce one more question for your next meeting:

 

What are you doing each day to make a difference while you work to increase the effectiveness of your activism?

 

This query will distance you from your corporate rivals. It will show that you are not just concerned with notoriety, power, control, and profit. You are aware of the humans and non-humans in need and you are willing to prioritize helping them over your personal gain and above your social media likes and follower list. 

The protest community desperately needs to evolve. To achieve this goal, they can learn from winners without sharing their values. So, to all of you who see this as your time to rise up and make a difference, I offer two suggestions:

 

  1. Don’t adhere to a template of failure. Find successful role models to learn from.
  2. As you cultivate the skills and kindred spirits you’ll need to create sustainable change, remain focused on and dedicated to those vulnerable souls who need help ASAP. 

 

Living an open-minded life of service puts you in the best position to strategize and help at the same time. If it requires learning a lesson or two from Corporate America, so be it. 

Remember, regardless of what your long-term, big-picture vision may be, the urgent question remains: What are you doing right now to fundamentally change the lives of those in need?

***

Mickey Z. can be found on Instagram here. He is also the founder of Helping Homeless Women - NYC, offering direct relief to women on the streets of New York City. To help him grow this project, CLICK HERE and make a donation right now. And please spread the word!

 

Reinventing Activism, Part 3: Borrow Something From (gasp) Corporate Culture by Mickey Z. is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 

back to top
  • Created
    Wednesday, July 08, 2020
  • Last modified
    Thursday, July 09, 2020

World Desk Activities

  • Report
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin ▶ Editorial -- Blockchain & Crypto 01/10/2023
  • Report
 

www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.forbes.c…

‘Flashing Red Warning’—$33 Trillion U.S. ‘Debt Death Spiral’ Could Suddenly Trigger A Bitcoin Price ‘Vicious Circle’
‘Flashing Red Warning’—$33 Trillion U.S. ‘Debt Death Spiral’ Could Suddenly Trigger A Bitcoin Price ‘Vicious Circle’ www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/10/01/flashing-red-warning-33-trillion-us-debt-death-spiral-could-suddenly-trigger-a-bitcoin-price-vicious-circle/amp/?amp_js_v=0.1#webview=1&cap=swipe
  • Report
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin ▶ Editorial -- Blockchain & Crypto 01/10/2023
  • Report
 

www.coindesk.com/consensus-magazine/2023/09/29/whe…

Where Liquid Staking Meets Tokenization
Where Liquid Staking Meets Tokenization The crypto industry is changing rapidly, and liquid staking stands at the forefront of this transformation. www.coindesk.com/consensus-magazine/2023/09/29/where-liquid-staking-meets-tokenization/
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin added a video. 29/09/2023
  • Report
 

Sonny Saul Trio:  Intergalactic Suite, recorded live 9/1/2023

Sonny Saul Trio: Intergalactic Suite, recorded...

  • Report
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin ▶ World News Trust Project 29/09/2023
  • Report
 

www.niemanlab.org/2023/07/openai-will-give-local-n…

OpenAI will give local news millions to experiment with AI | Nieman Journalism Lab
OpenAI will give local news millions to experiment with AI | Nieman Journalism Lab Some of the funding will go to form a "studio" within the American Journalism Project; the rest will go to about 10 of AJP's grantees. www.niemanlab.org/2023/07/openai-will-give-local-news-millions-to-experiment-with-ai/
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin 29/09/2023
  • Report
 

phys.org/news/2023-09-mouthwash-dogs-additive-pome…

thumbnail

Mouthwash for dogs: Water additive with pomegranate helps to keep canine teeth healthy

  • Report
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin ▶ World News Trust Project 29/09/2023
  • Report
 

www.niemanlab.org/hubs/business-models/

Business Models  |  Hubs  |  Nieman Journalism Lab
Business Models | Hubs | Nieman Journalism Lab www.niemanlab.org/hubs/business-models/
  • Report
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin ▶ Editorial -- Artificial Intelligence 29/09/2023
  • Report
 

www.economist.com/briefing/2023/09/27/how-microsof…

How Microsoft could supplant Apple as the world’s most valuable firm
How Microsoft could supplant Apple as the world’s most valuable firm It hopes to seize on AI to transform the future of work | Briefing www.economist.com/briefing/2023/09/27/how-microsoft-could-supplant-apple-as-the-worlds-most-valuable-firm?utm_medium=social-media.content.np&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=editorial-social&utm_content=discovery.content
  • Report
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin ▶ World News Trust Project 28/09/2023
  • Report
 

www.theguardian.com/media/2023/aug/30/manchester-m…

Manchester Mill newsletter eyes expansion after £1.75m valuation | Regional & local newspapers | The Guardian
Manchester Mill newsletter eyes expansion after £1.75m valuation | Regional & local newspapers | The Guardian Startup considers cities including Leeds and Glasgow for new versions of its paywalled local media model www.theguardian.com/media/2023/aug/30/manchester-mill-prepares-for-uk-expansion-after-valuation?_hsmi=76769268&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--2SxuaW2Axl1BHKIamPkywITYo6r-0bBCoIY6QB5Xo9Tr5dgheWB1i28OXqqLr0UPOzzIYSWuuDlJRz-dH9WKkare06C1LWxgyEPOC3i4SuHaXJ2E
  • Report
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin ▶ Editorial -- Artificial Intelligence 28/09/2023
  • Report
 

ig.ft.com/generative-ai/

Generative AI exists because of the transformer
Generative AI exists because of the transformer The technology has resulted in a host of cutting-edge AI applications — but its real power lies beyond text generation ig.ft.com/generative-ai/?_hsmi=76769268&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Zi28xyo4HiOUL4KvcQE06T49ZXbcpwQMtw3cj2vIstY0HceciZRpRqTEhgFlnxu5S8wfzzVtalftCA8dkK-T2_6ZCS79vxCjFmNGDZnxQXNCt_AM
Francis M Goodwin
Francis M Goodwin 28/09/2023
  • Report
 

www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/24/yanis-varouf…

thumbnail

‘Capitalism is dead. Now we have something much worse’: Yanis Varoufakis on extremism, Starmer, and the tyranny of big tech | Yanis Varoufakis | The Guardian

In his new book, the maverick Greek economist says we are witnessing an epochal shift. At his island home, he argues it’s now the ‘fiefdoms’…

Community Videos

  • Sonny Saul Trio:  Intergalactic Suite, recorded live 9/1/2023 01:25:30
  • David Bowie - Under Pressure (Live) 1996 • TopPop 04:07
  • Chumbawamba - Tubthumping 03:34
  • ZZ Top - La Grange (Live From Gruene Hall) | Stages 04:38
  • Exmagma - Goldball   1974  (full album) 35:06
  • Digital News Report 2023 | Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism 02:20
View all videos

Popular

  • CLASS WAR: America’s Privileged Technocrats Not Ready For What’s About To Happen To Them | Jon Schwarz
  • How To Stop And Reverse Global Warming | Bing
  • Meaning Of Solidarity In The Time Of A New Palestine | Ramzy Baroud
  • The Federal Debt Trap: Issues and Possible Solutions | Ellen Brown
  • US and Israel: Is the ‘Unbreakable Bond’ Finally Breaking? | Ramzy Baroud

Blogs & Submissions

  • More Banks to Fail? Not in North Dakota | Ellen Brown
  • More Banks to Fail? Not in North Dakota | Ellen Brow
  • Israeli ‘Coup’ and the Death of False Democracy | Ramzy Baroud
  • The Other Side of the West Africa Upheaval | Ramzy Baroud
  • ‘Bread and Circuses’: Musk, Zuckerberg and the Art of Distraction | Ramzy Baroud
Best Way To Enter News Stories Into A Blockchain? | Bing
Best Way To Enter News Stories Into A Blockchain? | Bing
War By Other Means: Short-Selling JPMorgan | Ellen Brown
War By Other Means: Short-Selling JPMorgan | Ellen Brown
Israel’s Slippery Slope | Nouriel Roubini
Israel’s Slippery Slope | Nouriel Roubini
How To Stop And Reverse Global Warming | Bing
How To Stop And Reverse Global Warming | Bing
US and Israel: Is the ‘Unbreakable Bond’ Finally Breaking? ...
US and Israel: Is the ‘Unbreakable Bond’ Finally Breaking? | Ramzy Baroud
Meaning Of Solidarity In The Time Of A New Palestine | ...
Meaning Of Solidarity In The Time Of A New Palestine | Ramzy Baroud
CLASS WAR: America’s Privileged Technocrats Not Ready For ...
CLASS WAR: America’s Privileged Technocrats Not Ready For What’s About To Happen To Them | Jon Schwarz
The Federal Debt Trap: Issues and Possible Solutions | ...
The Federal Debt Trap: Issues and Possible Solutions | Ellen Brown

Electronic Frontier Foundation

  • The Growing Threat of Cybercrime Law Abuse: LGBTQ+ Rights in MENA and the UN Cybercrime Draft Convention
    September 30, 2023
  • Watch EFF's Talks from DEF CON 31
    September 28, 2023
  • Get Real, Congress: Censoring Search Results or Recommendations Is Still Censorship
    September 28, 2023
  • The Federal Government’s Privacy Watchdog Concedes: 702 Must Change
    September 28, 2023

The Intercept

  • Amazon and Google Are Finally Facing the Music
    October 01, 2023
  • New Group Attacking iPhone Encryption Backed by U.S. Political Dark-Money Network
    October 01, 2023
  • George W. Bush Is Building a Memorial to the War on Terror. He Wants Your Feedback.
    September 30, 2023
  • The Feds Take Big Tech to Court
    September 30, 2023

VTDigger

  • Vacant Pizza Hut redevelopment hits a snag in South Burlington
    October 01, 2023
  • Milton residents raise objections as town pulls funding for local arts organization
    October 01, 2023
  • Vermont State Police say series of bomb threats appears to be a hoax
    October 01, 2023
  • Richmond’s historic East Monitor Barn undergoes major restoration
    October 01, 2023

Mountain Times -- Central Vermont

  • Your weekly horoscope, Sept. 28 – Oct. 3, 2023
    September 28, 2023
  • Great Gulf announces design team for village at Killington Resort
    September 28, 2023
  • Teenagers earn podiums at U.S. Open
    September 28, 2023
  • Mountain Times – Volume 51, Number 39 – Sept. 27 – Oct. 3, 2023
    September 28, 2023
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. All Content
  4. Edited
  5. Reinventing Activism, Part 3: Borrow Something From (gasp) Corporate Culture | Mickey Z.
Copyright © 2023 World News Trust. All Rights Reserved.
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU General Public License.