Emily FitzGerald

Professor Snow
Gov 236
4 October 2016
Power and the Market

Capitalism or a free market thrives on the ideology that everyone involved is for self gain or

simply to make the most profit. In an ideal world, everyone earns money by pursuing business

ventures that are in demand in order to keep the system in balance. However, as history can

vouch, capitalism as well as many other governments eventually oppresses and exploits the

honest to profit. A free market system puts people who have the largest bank accounts, no matter

their ethical or moral integrity, in positions of power. Because of individual's quest for power,

religion and politics, aspects of human life that are supposed to work in benefitting quality of

life, instead become a corrupt power struggle. Capitalism demonstrates not a common benefit of

wealth derived by self gain, but the idea that the more one manipulates and exploit others, the

more wealth and power one can obtain.

In literature like​ In Dubious Battle​, concerns of the deleterious effects of capitalism are

brought up. In this story, the characters oppose capitalism and rally for communism. The men in

the party lead by Mac, a red, are unskilled workers who have a high school education at best.

They all believe in “the cause” because the utopian idea that everyone is equal benefits them and

would allow for a life of less labor. The hard lives of the oppressed working men criticises the

system of capitalism as people in power or the farm owners in this instance are able to exploit

workers in order to make a profit. Conversely, in the literature the character Doc opposes the

implementation of communism asserting “There’ve been communes before, and there will be
communes again.”(Steinbeck 112). He also demonstrates this cycle by pointing out that Mac

even though supportive of the cause,, is not truly on board because he manipulates the men into

performing his will.

Mac risks the life of an innocent young women and her baby in order to earn trust amongst

the men. He lies and endangers the welfare of an innocent person without consent in order to

gain power. However, Mac’s situation differs from the typical money equates to power

capitalism stance. Instead, he displays the drawbacks of communism, which is that power can be

gained by manipulating others. Mac uses this political system to establish a sense of false

camaraderie to ensure others follow his will. Doc brings up these two talking points to compare

governments of all types and how they all eventually become corrupt because there is always

people who desire power and do not have any moral qualms that prevent them from obtaining it.

Similarly, in the play ​Enemy of the People,​ the power of politics was being used to draw

attention away from a public health crisis because the town would lose money. The main

character Dr. Stockmann has proof that there is a deadly bacteria in the town’s baths. The

problem was caused by contaminated substances from a nearby factory that are seeping into the

river water used for the baths. The only way to fix this problem is to redirect the pipes, which

unfortunately will take time and money that no one wants to expend. This is a criticism on

capitalism, as the members of the community with the power or money able to prevent the town

from a health epidemic put monetary losses over the welfare of the people. Because of

industrialization the division between the upper and lower classes has increased exponentially.

Regardless of ethical concerns, those with power will always do what politically benefits them.

They are excellent at following the rule of capitalism, which is to do things for self-gain and wait
for balance to come. However, balance can’t coexist with power as the two contradict each other.

Equality can never be continually achieved because there will always be the presence of a

hierarchy.

In previous terms, it was said that exploitation or means of obtaining profit though not

entirely wholesome endeavors is a sure path to wealth and power. In the film ​Food Inc​., the

FDA, as well as other large food companies like Tyson and Perdue were exposed on the

exploitation of animals and workers, which was what allowed them to reach such success (​Food

Inc.)​ . Because of Fordism, food companies began using factory methods to create as much

production as possible in the shortest amount of time. This new method eliminated the need for

skilled workers as now they could teach an individual one simple task and have that be their only

job. Now the food industry began to process meat and dairy products faster and industrialized the

process. This, as one might surmise, produced similar results to when it was implemented in the

play ​An Enemy of the People. ​The animals and the people were placed in unsanitary conditions

that made a suitable breeding ground for disease and infection. This was allowed because in the

government, representatives of the FDA are bribed by large food companies to pass legislature

which revokes rights from people and treats the animals like sedimentary objects (​Food Inc.​ ).

The movie criticizes power in relation to the food market to demonstrate that through

politics and money people are unable to see or question the integrity or sanctity of what they are

putting in their bodies. The ethical dilemma involved with the hidden process of food production

was highlighted by a story of a little boy named Kevin and how his death could have been

prevented if making money way less important than ensuring safe products. His mother shows

clips of her two year old son two weeks before he died of an E Coli infection from a burger he
ate at the fast food establishment Jack In the Box. This is particularly effective as it shows that

the most innocent and weak of our nation are in danger of dying from fulfilling a necessity to

live. It poses the political leaders who allowed this to happen as power hungry and dehumanized.

This film allows the audience to make the correlation that a free market benefits those with

money and power as these are the people that have a say in politics.

Businesses use their holds in the government to allow exploitation for profit. They even

created the HUAC laws which makes exposing what goes on in a slaughterhouse a felony. This

law came after a lawsuit against Oprah. When she spoke on her show about mad cow disease

stating that she was “stopped cold” from eating a hamburger (Verhovek). The meat industry way

furious as Oprah is a very influential figure and her opinion can ruin their sales. Ultimately

Oprah won her suit, but now it became illegal to slander the meat industry. This new act

contradicts the the first amendment of the constitution,but because it benefits people who make

money from this industry no one found fault in enacting it (Verhovek).

Politicians use these situations, like the one with Oprah, to help companies win money,

which guarantees the support that gives them their power. In an article about an Illinois

slaughterhouse, immigrant workers are getting ill from the unsafe conditions in their workplace.

The Hormel company hires mostly undocumented workers so they an pay them below minimum

wage(CITE). When anyone questions their papers the company expends them and deports them

back to their country. This corrupt system benefits the owners and investors who place money

over ethics. Workers are forced to do hours of hard labor without any rights. When health

problems arise from working conditions like Matthew Garcia’s nerve disorder, the company is

not liable as the majority of people are illegal and therefore expendable (Genoways).
 All governments fall into a hierarchy and start to revolve back to where they began. It is

part of human nature to have unlimited needs, but unfortunately the earth has limited resources.

The goal of government is to create structure so people can live as efficiently as possible.

However this idea usually fails to bring human wants into the equation. Because of this

miscalculation, power struggles arise and those who achieve their desires in a despicable manner,

appear on the top of society and possess the ability to control politics. In ​An Enemy of the

People,​ ​ In Dubious battle​, ​Food Inc​. and both articles the idea of power and how it corrupt is

brought to light. No matter the form of government, lasting equality is a utopian ideal that cannot

exist in practice, as there will always be individuals who lack humanity and will utilize any

available means for self gain.

 Works Cited

Food, Inc.​ Dir. Robert Kenner. Movie One, 2008. DVD.

Genoways, Ted, Photographs By Alec Soth/Magnum Photos, Andy Kroll, Kiera Butler, Dave

Gilson, Josh Harkinson, Andy Kroll, and Laura McClure, Wes Enzinna, Tim Murphy,

and

Katie Herzog. "The Spam Factory's Dirty Secret." ​Mother Jones​. N.p., n.d. Web.

Ibsen, Henrik. ​An Enemy of the People.​ Mineola: Dover Publications, 1999. Print.

Verhovek, Sam Howe. "Talk of the Town:Burgers v. Oprah." ​New York Times.​ N.p., 21 Jan.

1998.

Web.

Steinbeck, John. ​In Dubious Battle​. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.