Squirm

So I had thought that involving myself with a larger corporation than the one i was already with might be a good move. Apparently the lessons I'd learnt hadn't sunk in. The motivating factors to any corporation are uniformity, fidelity, and profitability. Never challenge these underlying factors, as they will only undo one in the conduct of business with a corporation.

The corporation I work for presently is Rogers. More on this later. The corporation that i had thought of involving msyelf with is CitiFinancial via its subsidiary group Primerica. i just broke up with my handler, Roy, today. He took it pretty well. I tried the "it's not you, it's me" approach, and he tried to talk me out of it. Then I talked about the parent company and the conflict of ideals I experienced in conducting business with them, but he tried to explain this away as well. It wass really funny he tried to co-opt the fact that I still work for Rogers, knowing full well that I'm working my way out of that as well.

The Primerica opportunity was an experiment for me, as many things are. The approach of the business is to develop "leads," first through the people you are closely acquainted with, and then through the people that they introduce you to, and so on ad infinitum -- ideally. This is an excellent representation of corporate enterprise, capitalizing on the opportunities presented to you at each turn.

My issue is that this particular business mandates the agent to capitalize on every person you meet. This is much the same as viral occupation. Taking one's own ideals, co-opting the ideals of another -- inducing them to fall in line -- and utilising this co-option to recreate the ideals in that other. How is this achieved? By appealing to the plight of the working man, the wage slave, the under-appreciated employee. These people will never be "debt free and financially independent" by working for a large corporation. The path, obviously, ends in tragedy -- with a tiny apartment, an undersized pension, and a job as a greeter at Wal-Mart. Enter the white knight and the light of reason.

Primerica promises freedom and independence, the greatest of American ideals, for everyone; whether you work for the corporation, or simply provide access to their products. Granted, those who work for Primerica have the potential to generate vast wealth by securing deals for the corporation; insurance, investments, and structured payments. The design of Primerica's path to financial freedom and independence is logically infallible. Their recruiting practices offer this opportunity to anyone who is willing to pay the licensing fee. Ay, there's the rub...

And so, I paid the licensing fee. I also attended a meeting, one meeting, and had four interactions with my "coach" (read: handler) Roy. His position as an RVP was won by sacrifice and persistence, making the job work for him. There is no doubt in my mind that Roy is an honest and good person and that the job he does is just. His successes have elevated the quality of life for his wife, his family, and the people he has come to know around him. An admirable series of experiences ensuring his financial success. Experiences that I have said no to.

Here's why. Not only does the development of business connections for the world's largest corporate finance entity through my friends and my family have admit of a seemingly insidious nature, in my opinion, but the operations of the parent entity also do not strike me as admirable. While Roy is a good-natured person, the corporation about him does not always share his benevolence. Whereas there are those who will support a company despite their exploitative practices, I cannot.

Disagreements of business philosophy are not reconciled across the kitchen table, where most of Primerica's deals are made. Presenting a narrative of a possible future does not ensure that future will exist. Selling futures, as Primerica does, constructs a gambit by which the a financial system is manipulated in favour of everyday people. This construct is, then, contingent upon the ability for everyday people to uphold their end of this binding agreement. Unfortunately, life is not this simple.

The weight of the corporation, its automatic machinery to procure funds, will surely crush any individual that does not fall in line. Missed payments or faltering income of any kind cannot be tolerated. Any misfortune on the part of the client, the everyday person, bears the promise of a sink into further debt, and the promise of abandonment by the Citigroup umbrella -- unless, of course, the client can find more money to sink in to the system.

Having decided to not parttake of this enterprise, my investment is to be refunded. Partially. Though the wheels have been turning only for the last six days -- four business days -- the contract clearly states that $50 of my investment cannot be returned. I accept this. The timeliness of this refund has yet to be determined. My refund is certain to be confounded by the fact that I gave Roy cash and he, in turn, wrote a personal cheque to cover the fee. As always, the character of an entity -- individual or corporate -- can be discerned in its willingness to release funds. $165 is owed to me.

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