I recently watched The Founder. A movie telling the story of how Ray Kroc became the megamillionaire “founder” of McDonald’s. I was struck as I remembered reading McDonald’s: Behind the Arches by John F. Love many years ago. I had read it in my quest for what I thought might be success. This book focused on the duplicability and the entrepreneurship that was the keystone of McDonald’s and the story of Ray Kroc. Watching The Founder offered me a different look at what the history of McDonald’s involved.
What strikes me the most is how the narcissism won the day and the money followed it. As I ponder where our humanity really is, I can’t help but consider Amazon.com and what Jeff Bezos is accomplishing. My question is, what is he really accomplishing? Why do these entrepreneurs feel that they have to squash the little guy in order to succeed? Why do they use the little guy up? Oh, I have no doubt that one who owns a McDonald’s franchise makes a little bit off the business and feels good about what they are accomplishing for their family, but at what cost? I have no doubt that there are many small businesses that sell on Amazon that do alright for themselves and their products. Again, at what cost? Why is Jeff Bezos worth $84.1 billion? And how does he intend to help humanity and the web of life with all this money?
Amazon recently bought Whole Foods. Remember that our food is locked up. So now Amazon has a huge investment in what many feel is a reputable place to buy whole, fresh, non gmo, organic food. Amazon has locked up our food even more thoroughly. Or, will Jeff Bezos be the philanthropist he says he is and aid in unlocking our food? What is the motivation of Jeff Bezos? How much more does he feel he needs to make or how much more power does he need to have before he feels satisfied?
Not too many years back I started an organization called the Holistic Horse Care Cooperative. I had the idealistic notion that I could build an organization based upon a horse herd mentality. An organization where we were all in it for the horses and holistic lifestyles, and with that focus we were also all in it for each other. We would be a herd. Without competition we would all rise together and facilitate a paradigm shift in the wellness of horses and other animals.
Long story short, I lost a lot of money and lot of respect for humanity. I mistakenly believed that those who could see alternative forms of wellness, could see what true wholeness looked like. I’ve spent the past several years licking the wounds received through this adventure. I was rocked by the narcissism within this community. I was rocked by the lack of herd support that I received, let alone the rest of the community. I was rocked by how Dog Eat Dog pervaded even this presumably more ‘enlightened’ community.
So as I consider Ray Kroc and Jeff Bezos and all they could have done, or could still do, to build up those in their networks, I pray that an emotional wellness and a love for LIFE as a whole changes the Dog Eat Dog paradigm. Not from a place of ‘giving back’ by offering money to organizations whose main work is to rescue those who need rescuing, or vaccinating, or….. but from a place of true respect for humankind. A place where profits do not trump people to such a degree that the ‘little guy’ ends up continuing to struggle while Amazon makes a huge profit. But from a place where Amazon has a deep honoring for those who are producing the goods they are shipping all over the world. From a place that honors the planet as much as money.
I may be idealistic when I pray for these things but I can see no alternative. We are sucking this planet dry. We are sucking the life out of our humanity. The trance we have all fallen under is one where we feel OK being enslaved as long as we are entertained and not inconvenienced. I get it. My job is hard. I live a long way from town. I like to come to my home and be in my space at the end of a workday. I don’t like running around to find what I may need, I appreciate when things that I need show up at my door. Near as I can tell, this is why Amazon is thriving as they are.
If we really appreciate this kind of service and way of purchasing goods, let’s do more to show appreciation. Honor the service providers who get these goods to you. Honor the producer of these goods. Insist that the monopoly that has pulled all these producers together treats their employees well and compensates the producers fairly. Insist that packaging be kept to a minimum and be sure to shop in a way that allows for many items to be packaged together. Speak out when you do place a big order and each item comes separate in its own big box.
Dog Eat Dog trickles down to us all. As for me, I’m tired of being eaten, snapped at, growled at and left to beg scraps from the bigger dog just to survive. Narcissism. It pervades it all. Let’s stop it now. I honor you and all you are as a human. I am not in competition with you. I see you as one of my herd and know that you have gifts that I do not. I know that your gifts help the herd. I am blessed to have you in my herd. I pray that you thrive and know that there is more than enough for all when we are not greedy. My needs will be fulfilled when I focus on what my needs truly are and do not respond to wants that will only collect dust, or worse, end up in the landfill. The planet has enough for everyone’s need just not everyone’s greed.