From Paris Accord to Parkland Shooting, Corporations Continue to Lead with Empathy
The private sector is again making a commitment to the American people that the government cannot.
When the U.S. withdrew from the Paris climate accord last summer I noted that the “policies set by Apple CEO Tim Cook are far more important to the Earth’s environment than the ceremonial pledges of a U.S. President.” Similarly, following last month’s high school shooting in Parkland Florida, the private sector is again making a commitment to the American people that the government cannot. Both Walmart and Dicks are making changes to sales policies in direct response to the public outcry following Parkland and numerous companies have ended relationships with the NRA.
While the debate about how to really stop mass shootings is complex (not really) the direction of the U.S. economy is pretty clear. Following the United States Supreme Court decision in the 2014 Hobby Lobby case a growing number of major corporations have been acting with Corporate Empathy towards all stakeholders. They are seeking ways to treat employees, customers, and the environment better. For example, after removing tobacco from shelves in 2014, CVS announced this January that it will now “stop airbrushing photos it uses to sell beauty products” in order to better reflect their “purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”
This past January may also mark the begining of the biggest shift in U.S. health care this century. Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, and Jamie Dimon announced a partnership to fix the broken health care industry. The partnership would create a company not based on profit incentives to provide insurance for employees of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase. If successful, the offerings would be expanded to all Americans.
While national focus is on the 2018 midterm elections and which party will control the U.S. Congress it is really the private sector that will set the country’s course as we close out the decade. Following the midterms, the Trump administration will be fatigued during what will likely be a long difficult Presidential campaign season.
Health care, climate change, racism, LGBT rights, and gun control are bitterly divisive political issues. Issues that U.S. corporations are taking on with zeal. Markets want stability. Companies want stability. American’s want stability. A compassionate economy of conscious companies forms a stable foundation for a renaissance of human compassion and a golden age for human achievement.
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