In my opinions. Corporations have too much power. They are like a malignant tumor that is slowly spreading across the world and slowly killing it. To quote one of my favorite songs" Some corporations are more efficient than government, but their motivation is not the health or the well being of the people; it's only about profit, everything else: their image, their human resources, their public relations, only exist to protect the reality behind it." They have too much lobbying power. They can buy a politician, sponsor his campaigns, and once he's elected into the office, have him do their bidding. Corporations such as Monsanto who "engineer" our food worry only about profits, while not breaking any regulatory standards - standards which they control through their lobbying power. The notion that their operations result in millions of people getting cancer and other serious illnesses is not their concern.

Do you think our society would be better if companies were not allowed to monopolize the industry and operate strictly for profits? Only forms of business would be non-profit organizations, small partnerships, and sole proprietorships. Obviously our entire economic model would need to change as the result, seeing as there will no longer be a stock market. In essence, though, it would still be capitalism, only without corporations.

I am not economics major, so excuse me if there gaping holes in my theory. Can capitalism even exist without corporations?

bump

bump again, do any of you think that capitalism without corporations could work ?

It worked fine until about the time the FED came into being.


Corporations were granted a charter to do a job,and the job was done,they were dissolved.

The way things work now,is why nothing works.

Corporations are just monopolies in disguise.

Originally posted by frozenspark
bump again, do any of you think that capitalism without corporations could work ?

No.

Take Walmart for example....As hated as they are, their size enables them to set market prices by requiring manufacturers to sell to them at obscenely low prices simply because they do so much volume. That simply wouldnt be possible for a small business or mom and pop operation because they just wouldnt have the numbers to justify it.

The problems aren't necessarily the corporations themselves, it's their influence on the government that is slowly destroying both the people and the planet. In my opinion, corporations should be barred from donating to political campaigns and barred from lobbying; both of which amount to nothing less than bribery. Essentially, at some point in the past 50-75 years, Corporate America stole the right to vote with money, and their vote overrides the votes of the people. As they say: money talks.

Corporations are a good thing as long as they are kept in check by the government, and as long as the government is kept in check by the people. Things aren't working out too well, obviously...

Corporations, just like the ma and pa store are in business to make a profit. Both of these entities establish the market. Obviously the Corp.'s have more influence than the little guy, but ultimately they both directly impact the market. By doing so they allow profitable gain not only in their sales of merchandise, but also gains for the consumers, buy selling products for affordable prices. ( That's were competition comes in )
Problem lies with the Government in general. By their influence, whether it be higher taxes, or attempting to control the prices of goods, their influence has allowed us to personally witness the market crisis we are seeing now. It's not just lobbyists, or campaigning for a particular candidate, its a wide spectrum of things.
Corporations of any size would not stay in business for long if Capitalism wasn't part of the mix. To be able to buy low and sell higher, as opposed to a socialist country were you're told what to sell products at, there would be no profitable gain. If no money is to be made, monies can't be transferred as "investments" thus breaking down the system.