In his book ‘Moral Ambition’, Rutger Bregman discusses how reframing a seemingly intractable issue can inspire greater engagement. He uses the example of how a group of abolitionists in England decided that, instead of trying to convince people of the humanity of the slaves, they would instead highlight the suffering and deaths of the European sailors who crewed the slave vessels. They knew this would be an easier way of garnering support for their cause than trying to address the pervasive othering and dehumanisation of the African slaves. Abolition of the slave trade was a great achievement. However, it ultimately only addressed a symptom. The root cause – both of the industrialisation of slavery, and protracted resistance to abolition and emancipation – remained unchallenged.
Another way is possible: Businesses and economies can serve people, rather than the other way round
Conventional business practices are choices, and are not the only means by which success and growth can be achieved. The means of production can be owned by the workers instead of the capitalist class. The surplus produced by a company can be shared among the workers who sustain it.