Final declaration to the Marriott Board of Directors and CEO Sorenson from #DeathbyMarriott hunger striker. "You are intent on letting me die..."

Final declaration to the Marriott Board of Directors and CEO from #deathbymarriott hunger striker. "You are intent on letting me die, I understand that."

This is a written and public video message directed towards the Board of Directors and CEO of Marriott International, the largest hotel corporation in the world. At the time of writing, I am on day 20 of a hunger strike to the death, a protest against Marriott corruption and whistle-blower retaliation. The protest itself only concerns the issue of whistle-blower retaliation because actions that have taken place, in which Marriott is the major player, have rendered me homeless and bankrupt at the age of 62. The corruption aspect, which also involves a longstanding, massive claim against Marriott who failed to conduct proper due diligence on these issues prior to the Starwood merger, is being handled by community groups. 

Marriott has to decide between its two faces: a company of integrity based on religious and ethical principles or a company whose sole motivation is profit before people and global power. Two small examples of Marriott duality come to mind: Firstly, when I met with CEO Sorenson some months ago he informed me that he wished to bring this matter to a close but that a conclusion would have to be fair to both sides. I agreed wholeheartedly. Thereafter, a spirit of antagonism and hostility evolved. On another occasion, evidence of Marriott culpability was demanded. When I produced that evidence in London, Craig S Smith, the executive assigned to the task, refused to review it.

Ladies and gentlemen at Marriott, I and others have been shocked and appalled by your trickery, your callousness, your maliciousness, your brutality, your contempt for duty or compliance, your lack of empathy and compassion and your disregard for a human life. You survive, surrounded by your massive legal team, in a bubble of silence, misrepresentation, denial, unaccountability and blame. Your actions are no better than those of the Minneapolis police. You have your corporate knee on my neck and soon I will not be able to breath

You are clearly intent on allowing me to die, I understand that. You will enjoy it unless you have a conscience. (Do boards of directors and CEOs have consciences?) Once I've gone, I imagine you will then attempt to smear my name and present me in a bad light. However, I will be leaving notification of how my death came about with a request to authorities for a thorough investigation into the actions of the Marriott Corporation with a view to looking into the possibilities of corporate manslaughter, malice (in this case the wanton disregard for the rights of others or for the value of human life) and reckless disregard for the truth. I'm not a lawyer so that would be for others to decide. I always said that my death would make a more interesting story than the hunger strike itself.

Marriott is the bellwether of the hotel industry. Over 13 years of campaigning I have witnessed a sick, self-centred industry, increasingly motivated by profit, greed, growth and power. Hospitality and regulatory practice have been thrown out of the window along with the concerns of human rights and sustainability. Hotel companies are spreading across the globe like green slime, sometimes plundering communities along the way, particularly in poor and corrupt countries where it is so easy to jump on the bandwagon of corruption in order to get a deal. A global probe should be mounted into this sector of hospitality (yes, hospitality) in order to discover a world of corruption, bogus contracts, fraudulent insurance and illegal buildings.

There can be no doubt that Marriott is a menacing, narcissistic corporation. Corporate narcissism is a corporate culture that exhibits excessive pride and self obsession resulting in destructive behaviours and strategies including those that boost personal egos rather than a company’s long-term prospects. Mistakes are covered up and blame wrongly apportioned. Abuse and erosion of ethical values set in. Pride becomes hubris resulting in the widespread neglect of risk, arrogance towards customers and a disregard for legal and regulatory processes. Corporate narcissism is most common amongst large firms particularly those with a high market share or monopoly position and especially those with clear hierarchies. It is also common in firms with a prestigious public image. Marriott in a nutshell!

I finish with a quote from Stacey Rudin, a commentator on narcissistic abuse no less. She says: "Lies run sprints but the truth runs marathons. The truth... always comes out in the end, and the [transgressors] always get [their] karma. Never fails." I truly believe this to be the case; sadly, though, there are always victims that get crushed en route. It looks like I'm to be one of those.