Disclaimer: I’m not a native English speaker. Translation improvements are welcome! 
In these times of despair, where many people have the sensation of being powerless facing the power big corporations have over our society, it’s important to understand that we have several resources to confront them and this unfair situation, and that we don’t have to fall into a state of learned helplessness some circles of power might want to induce on us. Anyway, I hope I’ve engaged your attention using this self-help book like title.
For some time now, we have been hearing governments no longer rules our society, but big corporations do in their place (in fact, it’s their lobbies which effectively manipulate gov. decisions). We know for sure it’s happening both in USA and EU. In the US because corporations directly funds political party campaigns (which ends up controlling the party and, hence, the elected government), and because politicians and the high echelons have interests in them or direct relation with their CEOs. In the UE… well, in the UE is exacty the same (and of course in Spain).
The Power of Collectivity
However, there is something that we could do regarding to this. It’s important to understand that what’s currently happening show us we’re no longer living in Democracy in the sense of the classic definition (if we ever happen to be). Voting every 4 years is futile and sometimes even deceiving which broken electoral promises and curtailing of rights unbelievable 10 years ago.
The power of citizens no longer resides on him/herself, but in the collectivity. It’s necessary for us to drop out that individualistic mentality driven partly by this belligerent capitalism some corporations are interested we keep. To understand a little more the power of collectivity, we can observe how the Japanese bee defends itself from the giant hornet. Only 30 hornets are enough to exterminate an entire hive of 30,000 European bees, despite them widely outnumber the hornets. However, the Japanese bee, using a collective strategy, is able to defeat this terrible intruder:
It’s interesting to notice there is no leader, no defined hierarchy organizing the defense strategy, no ‘higher class’ o privileged individuals. That is: there is no power structure. Bees only communicate ones to others using a signal (abdomen vibration).
It is possible to act in a collective way without losing ones individual identity. It is important to understand this and to take it into account, because the ego and the fear of loss of one own identity into the collective group is one of the most deterrent elements for us to participate in a collective action to defend ourselves against these abusive practices we usually feel subjected to.
Your Greatest Power
So, your greatest power is not the vote you can make every 4 years and which gives you the false sensation of freedom. You greatest power is the vote you make every day when going to the supermarket, to refuel your car, go to a restaurant or for shopping. You even do it when buying things online.
Your greatest power is called Ethical Consumerism and, as previously stated, you don’t depend on others to make a choice on what to buy or not. You are free, and you won’t loose your identity. You keep on being you, and vote every day, every moment with every thing you buy.
(To be continued)
