In seeking to vilify the Caldari State its detractors will often resort to an assortment of negative tropes in order to control the propaganda narrative and promulgate misinformation. Prevalent among these tropes is the stereotype that the existence of Caldari corporations functioning under a mode of finance capitalism has to result in exploitative labour practices existing under an adversarial and repressive system pursuing profit as the sole imperative: “wage slaves” versus “elites”.
While it is understandable such a trope would arise in a society such as the Federation where capitalism and corporations are operated solely for profit and it is the responsibility of government to deliver social services and benefits; applying it to Caldari corporates is an egregious misunderstanding that is impossible to reconcile with Caldari history, culture, and corporate practice.
The portrayal of Caldari corporates as purely driven by the profit motive is a disingenuous one. A compelling fiction designed by those who desire a narrative in which a majority of Caldari are somehow held captive against their will by the elites of management – conveniently such a narrative also often requires the “liberation” of Caldari from their economic and political system which makes it a very Gallente invention. Under further scrutiny, such a narrative falls apart.
While Caldari corporates do pursue the profitability of its enterprises, the requirements of pursuing the narrative that portrays them as greedy or self-serving usually ignores why profitability is necessary and where or how corporate profits are invested. Profitability has to be ensured on the whole by a Caldari corporate since taxation is either minimal or non-existent and enterprise profits become the most important source of revenue to repay debts and loans.
As to where Caldari corporate profits go, far from the stereotype of into the pockets of Executives, the vast majority is used to pay for services that aren’t profitable but which provide tangible social benefits: colonial development, infrastructure, healthcare, education, housing, law enforcement, and defence, all remain unprofitable but provide for a social good. It is the belief in a collective social greater good that remains the primary motive factor behind Caldari corporates. It is also a belief that is in stark contradiction to the portrayal of Caldari corporate greed or individual self-interest by foreign provocateurs.
It is the pursuit of social benefits and not profits as a primary motivation that remain the source of the success of the political and economic model of Caldari corporates. A citizenry that is well cared and provided for, with unparalleled access to services will always be more productive than whose who are not. This can be seen in the continued GDP growth of the Caldari State as a whole over the past two centuries and whose per-person productivity is unmatched in the cluster at present. Equally, the provision of social benefits remains a continued source of Company loyalty and social cohesion. Every corporate citizen can be assured that their labours will provide not just for themselves but for others with tangible benefits.
The behaviour of Caldari Executives and Great Families is also at odds with common tropes of their exploitative or selfish behaviour. Haatakan Oiritsuu, CEO of Kaalakiota invested a great portion of her personal wealth back into the Company during a period where it was uncertain whether it could even remain solvent. By most accounts this saved billions of jobs and curtailed potential economic disaster. Instead of acting out of greed or self-interest, CEO Oiritsuu acted in accordance with providing for the social benefit and not her own personal benefit. This is in line with the role Executives and Great Families play in Caldari society. They may be wealthy and well remunerated but they are among the most talented of Caldari citizens and will often use such talents to pursue entrepreneurship and create new business and industries or use their wealth to intervene directly when required for the social good.
As can be seen, applying Gallente standards of corporate conduct and capitalism to the Caldari State will always present erroneous contradictions without basis in reality. While individual self-interest might drive Gallente corporates to exploitative and selfish practices, this is not the case in the Caldari State. Instead of exploiting its citizenry, Caldari corporates intervene most directly to ensure the proper welfare of its people and their continued happiness and prosperity, now and into the future.