Publisher: æonTribe
Modified May 13, 2026

The 1918 epidemic remains a potent reminder of what happens when corruption festers unhindered in government and business. It remains an significant warning of what is to come if we do not change our ways.

US pig farms are even larger and dirtier than before. They remain hot spots of toxic waste and disease, and the next major pandemic could well begin here again. Given government misinformation during the far less severe COVID-19 pandemic, there is little reason to expect honest and effective action from ordinary politicians. The pig farmers are not themselves to blame. They compete in a tough business environment and must adapt to conditions to survive.

There is hope. Even when government oversight is weak or corrupted, consumer action remains an effected form of market guidance. As Adam Smith noted in Wealth of Nations, it is only the “invisible hand” of informed and watchful consumers that prevents increasingly corrupt action by certain individuals.

There are several effective means for people to supply persuasive guidance to the pig farm industry.

• Boycott: Because boycotts immediately hit corrupted individuals where it hurts most, widely-adopted boycotts are an effective form of persuasion. It is often more effective to boycott the most corrupted businesses first, but if that does not bring change to the industry as a whole, the next step may be an industry-wide boycott. Organizing is essential. Consumer boycotts are most effective when taken as a collective action. Craig Mokhiber, a former senior UN human rights official, [https://mondoweiss.net/2024/08/the-icj-finds-that-bds-is-not-merely-a-right-but-an-obligation/](noted that) in cases of extreme criminality such as ethnic cleansing or genocide, boycotting is “not only a moral imperative and constitutional and human right but also an international legal obligation."

• Divestment: Divesting funds is a longer term strategy but can be equally effective over time. It is only effective if people control enough of the investment portfolio to make a difference. In this era of consolidating “corporate personhoods” within the corporate welfare state, it is becoming more difficult for individuals to impact corporate boards. People can organize locally to convince their city, university, church, trade union, or pension fund withdraws investments from complicit corporations and banks.

• Sanctions:

Sources and Further Information

• Mondoweiss: https://mondoweiss.net/2024/08/the-icj-finds-that-bds-is-not-merely-a-right-but-an-obligation/
• BSD Movement: https://bdsmovement.net/
• Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org

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