The End of the Fall: A View of the World and Its Future

By Cyril Jones

THE END OF THE FALL tackles, head-on, the daunting issues that most people are concerned about, just one decade into the third millennium. Why has mankind reached a point in history where there are no feasible solutions to its problems? Climate change is but a symptom of all the damage being done to the environment; and that damage is but a symptom of all that has gone badly wrong with mankind.

Earths most well-known cosmological physicist has recommended that mankind should find another planet capable of sustaining human life, by the end of this century. But would there be any point in a handful of space-shipborn survivors, creating some hi-tech prison on planet X, just so a remnant of the mortal human race could survive?

The prophecies of the Bible give us hope that, in spite of the horrendous chain of events which will soon commence, there will be survivorsand good governanceright here on Earth. Moreover, there will be peace, prosperity, happiness, and harmony between all nations, under one King.

The author is a Christian who visualizes himself transformed and transported to Heaven, when the phenomenon known as the Rapture occurs. He thus escapes the catastrophic events of the Great Tribulation. Among millions of transformed believers, he returns to Earth for the duration of Christs millennial reign, to help the more than one billion survivors in their efforts to restore Earths environment. Surviving Gods final judgement, he reflects on mankinds history, from the 20th century to Satans final revolt against God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781450295727

Cyril Jones

CYRIL JONES was raised in rural Wales. He has worked as a professional engineer in England, Canada, and New Zealand. Now retired, he lives in Ontario, Canada.

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The End of the Fall

A View of the World and Its Future

Cyril Jones

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

The End of the Fall

A View of the World and Its Future

Copyright © 2011 Cyril Jones

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4502-9571-0 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-9573-4 (cloth)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-9572-7 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 3/9/11

This book is dedicated to those who gain hope from reading it:

• hope of a much better world

• hope of salvation through the sacrifice of Christ

• hope of eternal life

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? …

[Psalms 8:4]

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

Part I. An Autumn Without Thanksgiving

1. The Subversion of Capitalism

2. Six Decades of Rapid Change [1940-1999]

3. The Roots of Moral Decline

4. A Calamitous Decade [2000-2009]

5. The Culture and Consequences of Greed

6. The World as a Tinderbox [2010-2014]

7. Deterioration of the Environment

Part II. The Spirits Of Yuletide

8. The Spirit of Self-Destruction

9. The Spirit of Apostasy

10. The Spirit of Antichrist

Part III. The God Of All Seasons

11. The Sovereignty of God

Part IV. Chills Of Winter

12. The EU Constitution Crisis

13. The War Against Israel

14. The Wunderkind

15. Signs of the Times [2015]

16. The World Forum

17. The World Citizens’ Code

Part V. Interlude (In Heaven)

18. Transformation

19. Mysteries Revealed

20. Reflections on an Earthly Sojourn

21. Reflections on a Fallen World

Part VI. The Depths of Winter

22. Tribulation

23. Great Tribulation

Part VII. A Glorious Spring

24. Assignments of the Saints

25. The Early Years

26. Everyday Life

27. Education, Works, and Vocations

28. Stewardship of God’s Resources

29. Leisure and Worship

Part VIII. Endless Summer

30. The Final Revolt

31. The New Jerusalem

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the fundamentals of the Christian faith: that Jesus Christ is God; that He was born of a virgin; that He paid for all our sins when He died on the Cross; that He rose from the dead; that He ascended into Heaven; and that He will return again, to rule the world. The author also acknowledges the sovereignty of God, the saving grace of Christ, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Preface

This book is being sent for publishing near the end of 2010—about a year after one expert described the world’s ongoing financial dilemma as a ring of fire. But it is not only the financial maelstrom which is in danger of raging out of control. Geo-politics, religious strife, ethnic strife, corruption, illicit business dealings, civil unrest, health issues, depletion of food sources, and the effects of global warming—combined with the financial mess—make the world’s downhill slide irreversible. A perfect storm is an apt description of the multiple global crises.

Mankind is stumbling through a dense forest, knowing there should be some way out, but we have lost the compass. The lure of fame and wealth undermines morality and ethics; neither does corruption encourage honesty. We hope that they will figure out how to solve the world’s problems; but the financial crisis has clearly demonstrated that they are not likely to solve anything. The financial moguls cannot explain what went wrong; they do not believe that what they did was wrong; and they still do not understand why their industry should be regulated. As US President Barack Obama said, earlier this year: They just don’t get it.

Western countries are governed by politicians who (in the US, at least) spend millions of dollars on political campaigns. They depend on deceit, corruption, and/or spin to win and stay in power. Is such a system likely to provide the best leadership? China, on the other hand, is governed by a stable Politburo, of which the members are almost always engineering graduates. They have made phenomenal strides in modernizing their country—the most gigantic organisation on the planet—to the point where it is poised to become the sole world superpower (in both economic and military terms) within the next few years. China is already making massive investments in every part of the planet.

Nevertheless, the focus of this book is not on a Chinese-dominated world. For one thing, our planet cannot survive much more abuse—by China, or any other nations. The Kyoto and Copenhagen climate summits have produced no significant commitments. Meanwhile, cosmological physicist Stephen Hawking has recommended that we find another inhabitable planet by the end of this century, because Earth will become uninhabitable. That idea is (literally) a long-shot, which presents little comfort for mankind. We know we belong here, on this planet. Anywhere else in the galaxy might be worth a visit; but not to stay.

The only advice left for mankind to turn to, is that which is offered in the Bible. The prophecies are remarkable—those that have already been fulfilled, and those which are currently being fulfilled. The predictions of the birth, life, and death of Jesus were accurate. The predictions of Christianity’s rough road and the rebirth of Israel have been impressive. But the most amazing ones are those which describe the worldwide situation, today. There are more religions than ever. People focus only on what seems expedient to them; they mock the idea that Jesus can return to rule this planet. These things, and many more, are foretold in the Bible.

The Bible is now being preached in all corners of the Earth. Tens of thousands of new Christians are being gathered, even as secularization (i.e. apostasy) continues in the traditionally Christian countries. God is replacing those guests who have turned down their invitations to His wedding feast. Whether or not the reader is a person of faith, this book will provide a startling glimpse of some of the dramatic events which are likely to occur in the second decade of this millennium, and beyond…..

The author

Introduction

This book developed from an after-church discussion between the writer and his wife. [Christian couples don’t have arguments; they have discussions.] The focus of that short exchange of views (concerning what we should expect to find in Heaven) became the eighteenth chapter in a book comprised of thirty-one chapters. It led to an analysis of past events, the current global situation, and where our world may be headed. The writer found it surprisingly easy to dovetail global trends with biblical prophecies—they appear to be fitting together.

In this unique story, the writer projects himself forward one thousand years; then looks back at the history of mankind, as it runs amok from the mid-20th century. The reader must always bear in mind that this future history is being written after God’s final judgement, when all matters relating to mankind have been finalised.

Therefore, this book is essentially a work of fiction, rooted firmly in the reality of mankind’s progress on this planet, to the end of 2010 (when it is being sent for publishing). Up to that point, it is essentially factual—though it reflects the writer’s personal perspectives. Admittedly, it is an opinionated account of the unfortunate state of our world, and how it happened—based on recent history.

The story is rooted in the writer’s broad assessment of the relationships and interactions between capitalism, geo-politics, socio-economics, modern history, climate change, natural phenomena, cosmological physics, and biblical predictions. The analysis has been influenced by events reported in the media, including newspapers, television documentaries and commentaries; the Internet; and the Bible—just the regular sources of information that are available to everyone, without even visiting a library.

The sad history of mankind has been largely influenced by three intertwined preoccupations—economics, politics, and war. They correspond directly to mankind’s penchant for wealth, power, and ruthlessness. Thus it is appropriate that these are the issues we should be concerned about, as we approach the end of mankind’s 65,000 year tenure on Earth. The first ten chapters of the book are devoted to these complex issues—projecting forward to the end of the year 2014.

It is appropriate that the first chapter of this book addresses the concept of capitalism: How much it has been changed since the days of its founder, Adam Smith, until it now fits the concept of globalization. Just as most major scientific advancements have been adapted to both good and evil purposes, so too have some of the major innovations in other fields. This is particularly evident in the case of capitalism.

Nevertheless, it would be reasonable to persist in asking why capitalism should have any impact on biblical prophecy. The clue is in the biblical verse: Love of money is the root of all [kinds of] evil. In other words, mankind’s attraction to wealth is the largest single motivator—though not the only one—for people to indulge in behaviour which breaks God’s commandments.

The story pivots on one special chapter which is devoted to an appreciation of the incredibly complex nature of the divine being we know as God. He exhibits multiple physical, emotional, and spiritual characteristics, as well as a range of universal laws—sandwiched between truth and judgement (His two-edged sword)—which govern every phenomenon our scientists are able to observe.

The next six chapters of the book deal with the apocalyptic events (including a nuclear war between Israel and Iran) which will lead, inevitably, to the formation of a worldwide government. How will it be organised and who will lead it? What kind of leader will the Antichrist be? What principles will the False Prophet’s code of conduct for world citizens be based on? The writer provides feasible answers to these questions.

Christians believe that those who are caught up in the phenomenon known as the Rapture will be spared the terrible events soon to occur on Earth. Instead, they will be experiencing the incredible wonders of Heaven, while preparing to return with Christ, to assist with His thousand-year reign over the whole world. In Heaven, they will have time to reflect on the human condition they have left behind. Four chapters are devoted to the time spent in Heaven by the transformed saints.

The biblical Book of Revelation warns of the seven years of tribulation which will be the final phase of mankind’s (satanically influenced) reign on the Earth. The signs that this time of tribulation is soon to commence, are occurring all around us. Admittedly, there are many interpretations of the Book of Revelation. The writer describes three major conflicts; the third one coinciding with the triumphant return of Jesus Christ. There are two chapters dedicated to the seven year period of Tribulation.

The Bible indicates that, following the return of our Lord, there will be one thousand years of theocratic rule. Six chapters are devoted to describing various aspects of life in the glorious Millennium reign of Christ, when all people will truly be free to live their lives to the full. The restoration and conservation of the natural environment will be everyone’s priority. Life will be slower, more fulfilling, less stressful, without banks or stock-markets; indeed, without money—believe it or not.

After a thousand years of peace and prosperity, Satan will be released. Supported by his fallen angels (demons) and hordes of rebellious people, he will lead a revolt against Jerusalem. The rebels will be annihilated; then the Earth will be purged of all life. God will make His final judgement, and the Holy City will descend to Earth. It is then that the saved saints can begin preparations for the timeless adventure of exploring the Universe, while participating in God’s creative work.

In summary, the story takes the reader through a final series of seasons which complete the chequered history of mankind on this planet. The writer lays out his unique timeline of events, in a forthright manner, without vagueness or confusion. Yet, it is not a simplistic story. It tackles such challenging questions as: From where will the Antichrist and the False Prophet appear? How will the mark of the beast—the embedded ID (e-ID)—be popularized? What is the head (of the beast) which will be mortally wounded—but then miraculously recovers? What are the two Babylons—one materialistic, one spiritual—which will be destroyed?

But who is the writer to make such presumptions? Not a theologian; certainly not a saint (as secular people understand the word)—more of a sinner than a saint, perhaps—but any Christian will readily say, me too. This book is essentially a layman’s view of our world’s dire situation. Finally, the writer has made all reasonable efforts to be accurate in his statements. However, the scope of subject areas covered is quite vast. It has been a challenging project.

PART I:

An Autumn Without Thanksgiving

For the love of money is the root of all [kinds of] evil: …

[I Timothy 6:10]

Chapter 1

The Subversion of Capitalism

Adam Smith’s vision

IN the 18th century, Adam Smith—generally acknowledged as the father of capitalism—was inspired to eliminate the extreme hardship he had witnessed in working-class society. His was a brilliant, altruistic vision. In his concept of capitalism, there were no speculative shareholders, boards of directors, or powerful workers’ unions. There was no thought of high-priced CEOs with ridiculous salaries and bonuses (to be received even when the business performed poorly).

Smith enthused over the dual concepts of efficiency (through the division and specialization of labour) and effectiveness (encouraged by the personal enrichment of the owners). He encouraged self-interest as the primary motivator for the wealthy to invest in manufacturing and commercial enterprises. At the other end of the scale, workers would (ideally) have a job for life, with social security; furthermore, their children would receive an education. Hence the image of the beneficent family-owned business emerged.

In Smith’s vision, the ideals of socialism went hand-in-hand with those of capitalism. Long before the end of the 20th century it should have been evident that if one became disconnected from the other, the results would be disastrous. Totalitarian communist states such as the USSR, Red China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba were all predestined for economic collapse.

By contrast, the western economies, led by the G5 countries (France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US) believed that globalization, free-trade, and the deregulation of most of the huge national and multi-national corporations (MNCs), must surely lead to economic utopia. Yet, soon after the turn of the third millennium, four of the original G5 countries were facing steep financial decline, Germany being the only exception.

The rebirth of capitalism spawns globalization

The famous Canadian-born economist, J.K. Galbraith, served as economic adviser to four US presidents. He believed that the regulatory effectiveness of public institutions (i.e. government) was vital to a healthy economy. In one of his books, The Age of Uncertainty (1977), he examined the historical intertwinement of political philosophy and economics. In the two centuries since Adam Smith, it had proved to be a mixture which was as volatile as it was inevitable.

By the middle of the 20th century, capitalism had succeeded in meeting all the needs and reasonable wants of the developed economies. But that was not enough for the profit-focused private companies: they began to push new products, whether or not they were really needed, or even wanted. They set out to convince people that their impulses were wants, and their wants were needs. The advertising jingles that permeated commercial radio and television programs in the 1950s may have seemed ridiculous and amusing, but they were the forerunners of far more subtle, sophisticated, and destructive messages.

The rebirth of capitalism which dominated the last quarter of the 20th century was modeled on a marriage between the free-market ideals of the Chicago School of Economics and Milton Friedman’s monetarist theories. This encouraged an anything goes as long as it enhances the bottom line philosophy which was eagerly applied by the so-called captains of industry.

Power-politics became the lifeblood of big-business organisations, which became increasingly indifferent to truth. It was only the shareholders’ and customers’ perceptions—and whatever actions seemed expedient in order to achieve the corporation’s financial goals—that mattered. Social responsibility came to mean reluctant compliance with government regulations. Honesty became a victim of corporate greed.

The notion of globalization was first launched at Davos, Switzerland, in 1975, to promote an improved standard of living for the world’s population through unfettered, competitive markets. In the same year, the G5 was expanded to include Italy. The new G6 encouraged the aggressive growth of the MNCs—which pretended to embrace the notion of free-market competition, but actually focused on creating de facto monopolies or cartels. Thus, they exploited the widespread acceptance of globalization. To large organisations, growth required the suffocation of competition by any legal means, including hostile takeovers.

Economic reformation and the free market

In 1987, the small country of New Zealand, which had become renowned as a model of the cradle to grave socialist welfare system, was on the verge of bankruptcy. Only drastic economic reforms saved it. Over the next few years, it converted to a free-market economy. Almost all government-controlled businesses were privatized; farm subsidies were eliminated; trade tariffs were removed; and healthcare became a dual system.

New Zealand achieved a dramatic economic turnaround, which appeared to provide a perfect endorsement of the efficacy of free-market economics, which were already well-established in the UK and the US. In fact, there were social consequences, due to high unemployment rates and slumping wage rates. Nevertheless, New Zealand wisely committed to remain a debt-free nation, in sharp contrast to most other western economies.

By the final decade of the 20th century, almost all the western economies had succumbed to the promise of prosperity under right-leaning governments. This may have seemed like an ideal antidote for years of socialist inefficiency and economic stagnation (especially in countries such as the UK and New Zealand). But the pendulum was allowed to swing too far—spurred by the mirage of huge profits and improved living standards offered by free markets, the MNCs, and globalization. It appeared to work very well for a couple of decades, but few anticipated the severe consequences that would result from the folly of privatization without adequate regulation.

By the end of the 20th century, frenetic free-market activity, with many national and international participants playing by their own rules, had become the norm. It happened with the open-eyed concurrence of the G8 countries’ commercial, financial, and political organisations. International non-profit organisations, such as the WTO, the OECD, the World Bank, and the IMF were hardly more than puppets (albeit necessary ones) which policed only certain aspects of globalization.

This neo-capitalism, based on worldwide free-market competition, was heralded as the only way to a happy and prosperous future for the world’s burgeoning population and developing nations. One decade into the third millennium, when it had become clear that neither communism nor the modern version of capitalism worked, the notion of a new world order began to gain popularity.

Pillars of economic growth vs. competition

The emergence of the modern form of capitalism, with its focus on investing, innovation, and marketing as the pillars of economic growth, resulted in unethical business practices. Investing (as opposed to entrepreneurship) came to mean speculating (often with borrowed money) on commodities or derivatives, as a form of gambling. Innovation meant inventing some new gimmick or convenience which might appeal to the lazy, prideful, or weaker aspects of mankind’s nature.

Marketing meant employing psychological pressure, in one form or another, to persuade people to purchase products and services which they did not need. Increasingly unethical marketing techniques targeted the very young, but also subtly influenced their parents. Aggressive telemarketing targeted the elderly. Neo-capitalism had become separated from the altruistic principles of its own roots. Greed had become an accepted substitute for self-interest.

Competition was a word with positive connotations for consumers—but not for business organisations. Private enterprises hated competition; they aimed to stamp it out by any means, fair or foul. Having to comply with government regulations while endeavouring to maximize their profits and bonuses was more than enough hardship—they did not need the additional headaches of dealing with unpredictable, or excessive, competition. Hence, hostile takeovers, undercutting competitors, or (as in the case of the big-oil companies) blatant collusion over price-setting, became normal business strategies. Bill Gates’ gigantic Microsoft Corporation provided the consummate example of how far an MNC would go to stamp out competition.

Of course, there were glimpses of how competition was supposed to work. The gigantic auto industry was one market where competition truly was king, so that owning a car was within the reach of almost everyone. However, difficult economic times and tough competition caused bankruptcies, mergers, and takeovers. Meanwhile, the auto companies became masters at exploiting advertising techniques to sell expensive toys to adults.

The retail giants focused their unethical advertising on the most vulnerable target groups, in order to constantly increase sales of their non-essential gimmicks or health-destroying products, ranging from vehicles, to electronic gadgets, to processed foods, to medical products and services. The larger the corporate giants became, the more ruthless were their methods.

They had latched onto the notion of greed as a legitimate motivator, and felt free to take it to the extreme. In fact, capitalism strayed from its fundamental ideals to a worse extent than communism had done. In terms of personal freedom, neo-capitalism excelled. In terms of the promotion of abject immorality of all kinds, it also excelled. It destroyed souls, as well as physical bodies.

Neo-capitalism and unethical behaviour

Marketing, selling, and advertising—through the powerful media of television, the Internet, and numerous cult magazines—became the unholy trinity of the business world. They were different aspects of the same god, whose name was greed. Television advertising paid professional sports organisations (and individual players) millions of dollars, while the consumers (i.e. sports fans) were bombarded with frequent, noisy, intelligence-insulting commercials.

Meanwhile, the rapid economic growth spurred by neo-capitalism accelerated the consumption of the world’s natural resources, constantly increasing the detrimental effects on the environment, and creating a huge imbalance in wealth between the world’s nations, as well as between the privileged and underprivileged members within societies.

By the end of the 20th century, the success of marketing strategies had become the be all and end all of private corporations. Bright minds competed aggressively for success in the marketing field. More and more business students chose to major in marketing. The unethical aspects were swept under the carpet of acceptable business practice.

Youthful business executives believed that any opportunity which was not downright illegal should be taken advantage of. Yet, the provision of full, factual, truthful information was the only form of marketing which could be truly ethical—anything other than that was unethical, probably misleading or fraudulent.

That the implementation of ethical conduct in business dealings was largely pretence would have been bad enough, but the same philosophy filtered into other areas, such as politics, and even the personal commitments of many people. The me generation was a philosophy which openly promoted selfishness and over-indulgence, in stark contrast to the spirit of self-sacrifice which had been the hallmark of western society until the second half of the 20th century.

The new capitalism had betrayed the ideals of its founder. The notion of self-interest as a spur to improve efficiency, productivity, and the lives of working class people, had been distilled to emphasise greed as the sole motivator of any successful commercial enterprise. Television reality shows, such as Survivor and The Apprentice, glorified guile and deception as desirable qualities.

The end of old-fashioned capitalism

Long-established philanthropic private enterprises in the UK—such as the Quaker family-owned Cadbury and Fry’s chocolate companies, as well as the family-owned Bulmer’s cider company—had voluntarily provided social security for their employees. They became regarded as archaic and uncompetitive in the cut-throat world where competition had to be eliminated, one way or another. Even at the end of the 20th century, a few such family-owned companies still held out, but they soon succumbed to hostile takeovers.

The winners in the economic explosion were the dominant shareholders, the expensive CEOs, lawyers, accounting firms, and the gravy-train boards of directors—not to mention the tens of thousands of executives in financial markets, banks, and insurance companies. As various economic crises depleted the strength of the trades unions, many workers found their salaries becoming stagnant.

Often, international competition, economic downturns, or financial mismanagement resulted in the loss of jobs and/or retirement funds. The Enron debacle became the classic example. But even that catastrophic early-warning signal did not alert the US Government, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or the chairman of Federal Reserve Bank (Alan Greenspan) to the extent of the financial collapse that would occur within the same decade.

Some business executives occupied powerful positions, based on their merits; but many others, who craved wealth or power, were motivated to claw their way, by fair means or foul, to the upper echelons of large organisations. Few organisations had the foresight to promote those who were pleased to serve for the least material rewards, even though perhaps 90% of fraud and mismanagement could have been avoided by such a profound test of personal motivation. Furthermore, the idea that a higher position in the organisation structure must necessarily involve a bigger pay-cheque, overlooked the vital specialist expertise and daily decision-making which were so essential to efficiency and effectiveness.

Even in western countries, nepotism and other forms of favouritism became rife—not only in private business enterprises, but also in essential public processes, such as the calling of lawyers to the bar, or the selection of judges. Honesty and fairness in institutional dealings became a rarity, even archaic.

Yet, all of this seemed relatively harmless, compared to the unconscionable lobbying on behalf of big-business (e.g. pharmaceuticals; tobacco; automotive; oil and gas) which had become accepted as a normal part of the political process in Washington DC. There was even an ongoing revolving door relationship between many large corporations and the specialized government departments which were supposed to be regulating them.

Middleclass followers

The majority of the middle class followed blindly in the footsteps of the nouveau-riche. Most people accepted the myth that it was essential for companies to constantly increase profits because that was what the shareholders/investors demanded and deserved. In fact, ordinary share-holders and small investors received modest returns, which were dependent on the personal goals of one or two major shareholders—who inevitably controlled the boards of directors and/or the senior management positions of business organisations.

Furthermore, the middle class were actively encouraged by lending institutions, and even political administrations (in the US), to believe that they could afford whatever they wanted, without delay, by using cheap credit. Many adults shopped just for the sake of shopping. They became shopaholics who could cause just as much harm to their families as if they had been gamblers or alcoholics.

In earlier generations, adults had willingly minimised their spending on products and services for themselves, once they had family responsibilities. Then, as they got older, the kinds of activities which were meaningful to them required very modest spending. But in the era of neo-capitalism, adults became brainwashed to need (and therefore demand) more and more products and services for themselves.

Until at least the middle of the 20th century, ordinary people had legitimately claimed self-respect on the basis of being honest and hard working, but they were soon considered naïve, or inferior. (It had long been a mark of social progress that sophisticated had become a complimentary adjective, whereas naïve had become an insulting one.) Those few souls who remained long-suffering, were considered old-fashioned or lacking in assertiveness.

Stewardship of the MNCs

Whether a company was publicly traded or privately owned, the generation of obscene profits and surpluses was accepted as a sign of success that could not be argued with. The big oil and gas companies, like Exxon, BP, and Shell made billions of dollars in annual profits. They were joined by the auto industry, Microsoft, McDonalds, the big investment banks, insurance companies, and many others.

Even in corporations where excessive