Country Capitalism: How Corporations from the American South Remade Our Economy and the Planet

by Bart Elmore

The rural roads that led to our planet-changing global economy ran through the American South. That region's impact on the interconnected histories of business and ecological change is narrated here by acclaimed scholar Bart Elmore, who uses the histories of five southern firms—Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Walmart, FedEx, and Bank of America—to investigate the environmental impact of our have-it-now, fly-by-night, buy-on-credit economy. Drawing on exclusive interviews with company executives, corporate archives, and other records, Elmore explores the historical, economic, and ecological conditions that gave rise to these five trailblazing corporations. He then considers what each has an essential presence in the daily workings of the global economy and an unmistakable contributor to the reshaping of the world's ecosystems. Even as businesses invest in sustainability initiatives and respond to new calls for corporate responsibility, Elmore shows the limits of their efforts to "green" their operations and offers insights on how governments and activists can push corporations to do better.

At the root, Elmore reveals a fundamental Our lives are built around businesses that connect far-flung rural places to urban centers and global destinations. This "country capitalism" that proved successful in the US South has made it possible to satisfy our demands at the click of a button, but each click comes with hidden environmental costs. This book is a must-read for anyone who hopes to create an ecologically sustainable future economy.

Genres: Economics, History, Nonfiction

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2023

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flawed, Yet Well Documented. This is a book all about how several corporations from the American South used *CORPORATISM* - not Capitalism, and yes, there is absolutely a difference - to remake the American (and, yes, global) economy and planet in ways both foreseen and not. Documentation-wise, it clocks in at about 28%, which is very healthy and perhaps slightly above average. Elmore transitions from company to company well, almost as well as the best transition between various groups I've ever seen - that of Power Rangers: Dino Thunder's Legacy of Power episode which gave a history of the entire franchise to that particular entry. There's a lot to learn from any perspective here, but the flawed title, referencing the left-academia boogeyman of capitalism -rather than what Elmore accurately describes which is corporatism - is indicative of the overall direction of the narrative. Mostly accurate - and, again, well documented - but from a leftist viewpoint that some readers may find off-putting. The overall tone is nowhere near as dry as some academic tones and even approaches the conversational, which makes for a pretty great read for anyone remotely interested in the subject.

Ultimately this truly is a seemingly solid history, if from a leftist perspective, and actually exposes something I suspect I've *known* of for a while without realizing the full extent of the problem - a problem Elmore exposes here while proclaiming it to be a great and beneficial thing - and that is the problem of lobbying not in Legislative Halls but in Corporate Boardrooms. Of lobbying interests attacking not elected legislators, but CEOS and others in power of corporations that, thanks to the corporatism described in this text, have power that in many ways rivals - and arguably even exceeds - that of elected officials. Thus, for these reasons and despite its flawed title and narrative, it is very much recommended.

PS: And for those like me who are contemporaries of Elmore - based on when he got his BA and when I got my BS and him discussing a few times - including the conclusion - that he grew up in "North Atlanta", just a few miles down I-75 from my hometown of Cartersville (referenced a few times when discussing the history of Coca-Cola, as it played a role there) - the book can be particularly interesting. Perhaps moreso when the reader happens to be, as a native Georgian, a big fan of back to back College Football National Champions the University of Georgia Bulldogs... and finds out that Elmore works for perennial whiner (in football at least) "the" Ohio State University. Ok, so this entire paragraph has little to do with the book, but this review is my *thoughts* on the book, and the proximity of Elmore as we were growing up - though to be clear, there were literally tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of teenagers roughly the same age and within the same 30 ish mile radius in the northern Atlanta general vicinity, and thus I am not in any way claiming to have ever so much as heard his name before - as well as our respective claimed schools adds a bit of spice to my own thinking about the book.

For those still reading... go pick up the book. Either pre-order if you're reading this between when this review is written on February 27, 2023, or simply straight up order it if you're reading this more than two months later and the book is now publicly available.

[Jackie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the author's fact-based research on the history of these five American South businesses. These companies share a strategy of developing a base in rural America and expanding outwards into metropolitan areas and globally. The global expansion challenges they face are valuable lessons - we need to remember that every country has different infrastructure and demographics, which shape differences in consumer behaviors. An example is Wal-Mart's challenge expanding into Japan: because of its crowded infrastructure, the Japanese tend to shop more frequently and care less about buying bulk at a discount due to smaller storage space vs. American suburban homes; to succeed, you have to adapt, not just replicating the same strategy.

Obviously, the author wants to raise awareness about the companies' negative expansionary impact, including pollution and unfair labor practices. It's an interesting perspective and definitely a voice that should be listened to. Fixing and correcting path on projects with negative environmental impact should also be in the long-term economic interest of businesses (i.e. the cost of amending and fixing gets higher the longer you wait). On the other hand, if we don't even start for fear of negative consequences, then these companies would never have been created or changed the course of history and human progress. So economic development and the environment are always about balancing, a trial and error process of moving forward, making progress, discovering the negative consequences, and fixing them.

[Madeline Skena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows five companies (Coca Cola, Walmart, Delta, Fed Ex, Bank of America) that began in the American South and changed the economic/ environmental landscape of the world.

Stand out quotes:
- “The southern’s firms’ emphasis on making money by swiftly channeling goods, people, and capital over vast geographic distances… led these firms toward an outsized ecological footprint on the whole globe.”
- “coca colas vision for a sustainable future was constrained by a model for growth passed down by company leaders, decade after decade, that was all about making cold coca-cola available for instant consumption… questioning the “arms-reach mantra” (in context of reducing ecological footprint) was clearly off-limits.”
- “Walmarts move toward greening its operation would not just be good for improving its public image; environmental sustainability initiatives could also save the company tremendous amounts of money and thereby increase profits.”
- “But in 2016, just as BOFA announced that it had directed $15.9 billion to “support clients connected to clean energy and other environmentally supportive activities”, RAN reported that the firm also spent $36 billion financing the fossil fuel industry, making it the third-largest financier of fossil fuel firms in the world.”
- “A book on the environmental impact of contemporary business can’t end without acknowledging the global behemoth that is Amazon”.

[Michael Brunelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a decent history of several major American brands, but not the best at tying together the points the author is trying to make. The book is supposed to be about how Southern companies revolutionized the global economy and impacted the environment, but it spends almost more time providing the history of the companies than it does explaining their impact on the environment. Additionally, the Southern aspect feels like a bit of a stretch. The book could be better organized into an economic history of the development of global commerce and supply chains and their environmental impacts, using these companies as examples. It feels as though that was kind of the author’s original intent, but it got lost along the way.

[Jack Haney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someday when the price comes down I will finish this book, however I read the bulk of it in Professor Elmore’s Environmental History class at OSU and WOW. What an amazing book. It, and his teachings, was one of the primary drivers for me in the sort of work I want to do. Professor Elmore so effectively illustrates the role and unyielding power of corporations in shaping our country and environment; and a lot of his research comes from genuine boots on the ground investigation! Absolutely wonderful work.

[Adriannne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, detailed history of large companies like FedEx, Walmart and Coke.

[Mark Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched. Thorough. And well written (TU!). The back stories alone make this well worth the read.

The Bank of Little Italy (future BAC) made loans in the street after the San Francisco earthquake. Cropdusters became airlines. Farmers and oilmen made banks rich and many incredibly successful entrepreneurs used gov't money and favors along the way.

Walton knew the edge of development was where the money would eventually wash over him, with little backlash.

But the geography and politics of the south tie them all together.