Yesterday I listened to Fresh Air as I painted. They interviewed the author of a new book about Jack Welch who was the CEO of GE for many years. I can’t say I had any interest in Jack Welch, or even knew who he was, but the title of the book, The Man Who Broke Capitalism, piqued my interest. I’ve always had a frustration with people who romanticize capitalism. Growing up in the 80’s, during the Reagan years, there was this almost magical quality applied to capitalism that raised a red flag for me. Even though I was too young to really understand what capitalism was, I still felt that peoples’ enthusiasm for it didn’t seem right.
When the author was asked about Jack Welch and what he was like as a child the author, without hesitation, said he was very restless and irritable. Well, that also piqued my interest. In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous they describe the signs of addiction, in this case alcoholism, as being ‘restless, irritable, and discontent’. Addiction is the way people overcompensate for these core emotions that seem to drive their lives. It made me wonder if Jack Welch, who turned a benevolent employer - proud of how much it paid employees and proud of how much it gave back in the form of taxes- into a cutthroat, cold, power-driven corporate giant, was an addict. Was he driven by, as they say in recovery circles, ‘self-will run riot’?
It also got me thinking about the people I’ve known over the years who love capitalism, who defend it with everything they’ve got, who apply magical qualities to it, and whether or not they see it as a way to channel their addictive nature. Could the fascination and admiration for people like Jack Welch feed an unexamined desire to be an addict without obstacles? Obstacles like having to care about others? Obstacles like needing to get along, share, and compromise?
The author explained the influence that Jack Welch has had on business and society, how leaders have turned to stats to make decisions about who stays and who goes (everyone producing/performing in the bottom 10% are automatically fired), and how the attitudes of employees and workers have changed (people are anxious and insecure about their jobs). I don’t think you need data to know that customer service is dead and it seems as if most people relate to their jobs as just a way to pay rent.
With all the anger and hostility in society today it’s hard not to wonder where we went wrong. When did things change and can we fix what’s broken? Pre-Jack-Welch capitalism sounds quite nice. You got a job at a company and the company was like a family. You worked there your entire working life and retired with benefits, enjoying stable and comfortable golden years. Now it’s all about profit. It’s about impressing the Market. People don’t matter anymore. The employees are just there to serve the corporation and serve corporate growth. We all know we don’t matter. You don’t have to work in corporate America to know you don’t matter. If you ask me, our battle for political significance is proof that we feel inadequate and insecure. We are fighting each other for a sense of personal value.
I have spent my entire adult life intimidated by business and economics. As an artist I have felt that business was something to avoid, something that would take away from my creativity - my joy. I saw people driven to make lots of money as shallow, competitive, and self-seeking. But luckily I found my way, and through great mentorship and camaraderie, am learning to participate in the business of art in a way that I can feel proud of. I want a pre-Jack-Welch business. I want to see myself and my product as part of an eco-system, part of something bigger than myself. A lot of people are beginning to address our country’s pain, to not only address policies that could help us feel and live safer lives, but address the anguish that has people do horrendous things. Perhaps we could start with what it requires for us to meet our basic needs and how that has changed over the past forty years.