Once upon a time there was a kingdom named Corporate

Once upon a time there was a kingdom named Corporate. It had started small with a small piece of land, people who worked hard, planned well and generally lived a happy stress-free life. It was a self-sustaining community which had everything it needed and was dependent on none. This kingdom named Corporate was slowly expanding its boundaries by bringing into its fold neighbouring areas which wanted to join the kingdom to be part of all that was good in Corporate.

The great king of Corporate was growing old, so he retired into the forests, handing over the reins of Corporate to his son. This son was an accomplished warrior and had always been extolled not just within Corporate but also in the neighbouring kingdoms. News of his valour and brilliance adorned the front pages of magazines in kingdoms far and wide.

Now, this son, the New King, had a dream. He dreamt of expanding his kingdom to twice the size of what he had inherited. To achieve this dream, he set about annexing many neighbouring areas to his kingdom. Sometimes he used diplomacy and often times he used force.

Corporate’s people rejoiced in this expansion. During their evening gatherings under the banyan tree the conversation would often steer towards the New King and his dream.

“What an ambitious New King we have, a true visionary!” they would say.

These conversations would flow back to the New King through Corporate’s spies and cement his feeling of success. He was definitely in the right track!

He recruited more and more soldiers in the army, employment soared and people from outside Corporate too flocked into the army.  All was good, everyone was euphoric as the New King and his army kept enfolding more and more territory into Corporate.

As the army grew and Corporate expanded, the need for food increased. Since some barren land was part of the territory annexed, the cultivation of food crops could not keep up with the increase in population. So, New King asked the farmers to put in twice the effort. There would be rewards for all who worked more.

“What an ambitious New King we have, a true visionary!” they said and doubled their effort.

But they soon got tired with this continuous double toil. Also, the reward that they were promised did not come. The earlier happy stress-free people had now become morose and irritable juggling their way between work and life. Their productivity came down. The quantity of food grains was not able to keep up with the requirements of the expanding army, the quality of their produce came down. The soldiers complained to the New King. Of course, if they were not fed well, how could they fight well? And if they could not fight well how could they expand Corporate?

The Head Minister of the New King had an idea. They could get good grains from the next Kingdom, he suggested, of course at an interest. The New King resisted at first. He had heard of his good friend, fellow king Fygu who had started with getting grains from the next kingdom at an interest and now had to sell his entire kingdom to pay for those grains.

But, without borrowing how could one feed the growing army!  If they could not feed the army, they could not win any battle. Forget winning more land, they could not even defend what they already had. The competition kingdoms were waiting for just one chance to pounce.

So borrowing was the only option. Corporate started borrowing, food grains increased.

“What an ambitious New King we have, a true visionary!”  said the people as they decided that a little interest payment did not hurt.

Soon, the next kingdom started demanding their due interest payments. The New King, all dressed in the finery from the loot of the annexed territories, gave a very inspirational speech to the people of Corporate. “Quadruple your efforts”, he urged them. “Engage in only economically viable and visible work. No thinking, strategizing or planning!”

“What an ambitious New King we have, a true visionary!” some people said. Some others packed and left Corporate in search of a better kingdom. A kingdom where they could lead a happy stress-free life in a self-sustaining community.

Many farmers had already left Corporate, and many others were packing to leave. Many plumbers, carpenters, traders were leaving. Food grains got scarcer, and people got sadder. The once self-sustaining community was rapidly descending into a quagmire of dependence and despondence.

The New King kept getting foodgrains from other kingdoms too. To meet the growing interest and capital burden, the New King started selling parts of his kingdom named Corporate.  He often wondered if he had expanded his boundaries too fast!

He now tried and hoped to God that he could keep Corporate in the size that he had inherited. Bring it back to its older self. A kingdom which was self-sustaining and most importantly happy!