You either die a hero, or…

How does one become a villain? Do they have to kill someone? Or can there be more subtle things that give them their defamed image. What if their actions help some people, but hurt others, are they really a villain then? The world, as it has always been, has been controlled by the rich and powerful. There’s no news there, money talks, as it always has. So the question is, what can the rich and powerful do to make it seem like they’re the good guys. Even more importantly, what do they do that makes them seem like the bad guys. For good guys, I would like to point out my personal favorite in rich people, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. Ever since he has stepped down as CEO of the company, Gates has dedicated his life to using his wealth in order to give opportunities to people in developing or third world countries through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. While one could give the argument that he does this for his public image and that it’s all for his personal benefit, his actions have still clearly done a lot of good. The main mission of the Gates Foundation is to give opportunities to underprivileged people by giving them access to healthcare and education. They work in many countries across the globe and have impacted millions of people (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). So this is a great example of someone that does good for others at the expense of no one. But how about someone that gives some people good things at the expense of others. What I present here is every single company that uses Lithium-Ion batteries. This includes, but is not limited to, cellphones, laptops, electric cars, etc. All of the companies that create these products are exploiting slave workers in DR Congo that have to mine Cobalt, a precious metal that is essential for these batteries. So while consumers in the US may be glad to have their fancy new iPhone, there are people being exploited for a resource that we cannot live our lives without (Social Impacts on Cobalt Mining).