Corporatism

[WRESTLINGFAN]

Im not one of these "Down with capitalism Man" types. I happen to work for a major financial corporation, but some companies will whore themselves out for more and more exposure. Just go to any sporting event. Almost every new stadium is named after some company. When youre watching a ballgame, even the lineups have some corporation sponsoring the advertising for that. Musicians from the 60' and 70's who were anti establishment will let these companies use their songs to push their products. Even the Iraq war has been somewhat corporate. Some of these security and contracting companies have been profeteering from the war.

[Bulldogcakes]

Like anything else, it has its good and bad sides

BURGER KING SHIFTS POLICY ON ANIMALS: World's second-largest hamburger chain would begin buying eggs, pork from suppliers that did not confine animals in cages and crates. (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/309266_burgerking28.html?source=rss)

On balance, they do way more good than harm. If you dont believe me, go to Cuba.

[cupcakelove]

Like anything else, it has its good and bad sides

BURGER KING SHIFTS POLICY ON ANIMALS: World's second-largest hamburger chain would begin buying eggs, pork from suppliers that did not confine animals in cages and crates. (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/309266_burgerking28.html?source=rss)

On balance, they do way more good than harm. If you dont believe me, go to Cuba.

Why are you spaming for Burger King? Did someone hack your account?

[A.J.]

"and the corporations sit there in their... in their corporation buildings, and... and, and see, they're all corporation-y... and they make money."

http://www.cineol.net/images/noticias/Cameos/TeamAmerica_3.jpg

[Recyclerz]

I've worked for global corporations since I finished college. Overall, I think they do more than good than evil (at least the ones I've worked for). They are very efficient (though not as efficient as some pro-business types would have you believe or the Dilbert guy wouldn't be so rich) at delivering goods and services as long as there is competition and are almost always better than the government controlled command economies at delivering consumer stuff. However, left to themselves, they are going to start trouble. For instance, in the absence of a government that will enforce environmental regulations, a corporation that doesn't want to pollute will find itself at a competitive disadvantage to those who won't spend the money to reduce their emissions. The rules of unchecked capitalism require firms to have the lowest costs to be successful; if that means shifting your costs onto someone else (ie cleaning up pollution) so be it.

This hits on what I think the biggest problem with old school (and especially W-style) conservatism that seeks to shrink national government to almost nothing is. In the current world, where global corporations have a tremendous amount of economic power and lots of other kinds of influence, if national governments (particularly ours) can't act as a check on them then everything that most people in this country assume they are entitled to by right will no longer be the norm within a generation.

[ralphbxny]

I'd love to go to cuba! Cigars, Rum, Cuban chicks, a beach, and some music!!!

I wish Fidel would make up with us so I could go!

[Yerdaddy]

House panel approves executive pay bill (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070329/ap_on_go_co/congress_executive_pay)

A House panel on Wednesday approved legislation written by majority Democrats to give shareholders at public companies a formal say in executives' compensation packages.

The House Financial Services Committee, on a 37-29 vote mostly along party lines, sent the bill to the full House. No comparable measure has yet been put forward in the Senate.

The proposal by committee chairman Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., would give shareholders a chance to cast a nonbinding confidence or no-confidence vote on executive pay plans, allowing them either to ratify or disapprove of them.

Such shareholder votes are the practice in Britain, Australia and Sweden. Advocates say pay packages are rarely voted down, but the knowledge that they must be voted on has helped keep executive compensation in check overseas.

Investor advocates, union pension funds and shareholder groups have been pushing for such "say on pay" votes.

Opponents of the idea say that small groups of activist shareholders could use the process to advance political agendas and create a distraction for boards of directors — objections expressed by Republican members of the House committee.

Good for the Dems! Business advocates often use the "obligation to shareholders" as an excuse for the wrongdoings of businesses in pursuit of profits. But if the shareholders own the company why wouldn’t they have even a nonbinding say in how much the CEO and other executives pay themselves?

This story shows that, while Republicans are generally whores for big business, Democrats are merely high-paid escorts that will only fuck when they feel like it.