Saturday, December 15, 2007

Are Corporate Interests not Your Interests?

Once again I hear on the news a commentary that includes taking matters out of the hands of "evil, greedy corporations" and putting them safely in the hands of the government.

Granted there are corporations and executives that give capitalism a bad name, and those who go along with the "business/government partnership" game should be taken out and shot. But generally speaking, you've got to be completely oblivious to reality to think the government can do a better job at almost anything than a corporation or private sector enterprise.

To put the matter in perspective, just think about this hypothetical:

You have a problem that needs to be solved quickly and efficiently. You have two boards of directors to choose from who will be responsible for solving it for you.

Board 1 consists of George Bush, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giulliani, Nancy Pelosi, Mike Huckaby and Mitt Romney.

Board 2 consists of Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Muriel Siebert, Mary Kay Ash, Jack Welsh and Scott McNeally.

Assuming you know who these people are, the choice is a no brainer. Board 1 will ponder how everyone will feel about any decision they make and how it will effect them in the polls. Board 2 will come up with real executable solutions.

Capitalism is about creating value.
Politics is about creating emotion.

Corporations run on capitalism.
Governments run on politics.

Government should be used only when absolutely necessary.

Always avoid mixing the two. Like mixing vinegar with ice cream, it doesn't make either one better, it ruins both.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi,
I hate to interrupt your corporate love fest but your two teams arent accurate.

Its not just Clinton, Bush, Guiliani solving your 'problem', its the whole of congress and theoretically the will of people.

Corporations only know how to make money for themselves, not fairly govern a country. I cannot believe you would try and compare the two.

Ed Duffy said...

It's the manner in which corporations make money for themselves.

Absent government subsidies and favors (the govt/business partnership) corporations put their products and services up for a vote every minute of every business day. The will of the people is guaged and reassessed constantly and in real time.

I wouldn't put the whole of Congress be in charge of balancing my checkbook.