“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act!
Thomas Jefferson
Action will delineate and define you.”
Global trade has changed significantly over the past few decades. It’s quite true, most countries are now seriously dependent on each other for their economies to operate efficiently. I’m not naïve, but COVID-19 has revealed some stark realities about doing business with others who have dissimilar core values.
I honor freedom and my clients support it, so naturally, I’m curious…I have an intense interest and wonder why we would do business and trade with countries that don’t really care about personal or social freedoms.
Undoubtedly, the world’s largest reset button, COVID-19, an indiscriminate virus, has spread itself all over the planet. Economies all over the globe have come to a virtual standstill and people are dying by the tens of thousands. World leaders and their governments are devising bail-out plans to protect their work forces. New public health guidelines are becoming standard practices, wearing face masks and keeping distance from each other is becoming the norm. Ways-of-living all over the planet are in severe disarray. Saying it’s a mess is a major understatement.
Placing blame in the middle of a global pandemic may be counterproductive; however, ‘We the People’, must start posing some serious questions to our governmental and corporate leadership, the ones who make decisions that affect hundreds of millions of people, those who are really in charge. It’s quite apparent to most people that some major mistakes have been made when it comes to doing business with each other these days, especially when it comes to international trade.
So, who’s responsible for this global turmoil?
Though it’s of grave concern, as strange as it sounds, I believe the viral spread might be secondary to some deeper, perhaps even more troubling matters. Before I explain my statement, I do want to send my sincerest condolences and prayers to anyone who’s lost a loved one because of the contagion, that’s no way to die. I’m truly sorry. I pray for everyone’s health and safety as we move forward.
So again, how did we get to this global health and economic chaos? At first glance, I’d have to say that most of us have had a little part to play in this current saga…but look a little deeper and you’ll find some business practices have been taking place that aren’t good for the global citizenry, those living in both free and in restrictive societies. I believe our current international troubles have exposed the consequences of rife globalism and shown everyone how truly ugly it is for all of us.
In our rush to find the ‘best deal’ or the ‘best price’ or the lowest manufacturing and production costs, companies scrambled to find places, other countries, with lower wage workforces to produce their goods and services. This manufacturing-base shift happened enmasse for a few decades. Well-known brands and manufacturers moved their entire operations ‘overseas’ to set up shop. Most of these locations are in countries with governments that lack significant oversights, socially and environmentally among other things, some are even communist.
So, what’s the result of this mass industrial and manufacturing migration? Well, those at the top got and continue to get wealthier; global marketplaces are flooded with inferior consumer products; some labor forces have become more enslaved; middle-class populations are over-burdened and continue to shrink; corporate intellectual properties have be co-opted; national securities are seriously compromised; the environment is suffering.
Now, a global pandemic is straining healthcare facilities worldwide, unemployment is reaching record levels, small and large businesses are shuttering their doors, planes aren’t flying, cruises ships are docked in ports, and economic wars between oil-producing nations are proliferating. There’s no doubt, distribution and supply channels have become much more sensitive to any global event.
The chickens are coming home to roost. Globalism has reared its ugly head and we are all paying a huge price. Our mantra ‘more for less’ has created economic, social, and health turmoil on a massive scale. Isn’t it about time to think how dependent we really want to be with each other, especially when it affects our national security or doing business with countries that don’t give two-cents about freedom or the quality-of-life for their own citizens. This is a great opportunity to use some common sense. While we isolate practicing our social-distancing, we can re-think the current global business and trade practices between both the free and restrictive societies.
I’m not going to overlook the complexities and challenges that lie ahead. It’s important to be realistic, yet, we must start somewhere. Though daunting, the solution is simple. It’s about people. It boils down to finding integral corporate and governmental leaders who are not swayed by avarice, personal agendas, or politics. I believe these people do exist. We need to find leaders who have mastered themselves. We need leaders who are focused on the basic goodness of life, true corporate and governmental warriors who understand, live and breathe integrity, leaders who can inspire others to find the delicate blend between quality-of-life and corporate responsibility, which will secure greater harmony to all corners of the globe.
In closing, the questions are not whether we can or can’t do something, it’s about whether we will or won’t do them. It’s time to consider what other ramifications might be if we don’t act collaboratively and integrally. I wish everyone safety and good health and Godspeed through this challenging time in our world history.
Recommended readings:
“The Constitution of Liberty” (2019) by F.A. Hayek
“Corporate Integrity: Rethinking Organizational Ethics & Leadership” (2005) by Marvin Brown
“The Power of The Other” (2016) by Henry Cloud
“Shambala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior” (1984) by Chogyam Trungpa
“The Practice of Integrity in Business” (2016) by Simon J. Robinson
“Karmic Business: What Goes Around Comes Around” (2009) by Geshe Michael Roach, Lama Christine McNally, and Michael Gordon
“Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty” (2012) by Daren Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
“The Warrior’s Book of Virtues: A Field Manual for Living Your Best Life” (2019) by Nick Benas, Matthew Bloom, Richard Bryan, Ben Biddick, and Stuart Smith USN (SEAL)
“Broken Capitalism: This Is How We Fix It” (2017) by Ferris Enfar
“The Road to Serfdom” (2017) by F.A. Hayek