Re: [greenyes] corporations

[Alan Muller <amuller@no.address>]

At 08:05 AM 2/25/2004 -0500, you wrote:

> If I may make a constructive note on the corporation issue.  I am not sure 
> corporations are the axis of evil per se.

Agreed.  It is not a question of evil intent.  But the more "efficient" the 
system becomes at "maximizing stockholder value," narrowly defined, without 
regard to broader social issues and needs, the more danger we are 
in.  There is already a corporate-controlled "world government" evolving 
under the label of World Trade Organization, etc.  The big transnationals 
are rapidly escaping from the control of national governments.  (And many 
of the right-wingers who yap about loss of "national sovereignty" and 
complain about the UN don't seem to notice or mind....)

When corporations were originally chartered in the US for the operation of 
large enterprises with long life cycles, such as canals and railroads, 
people saw the need but were aware that they could be opening Pandora's 
box, and they tried to build controlling mechanisms into corporate charters 
and the associated statutes.  We have lost these controls.  How do we get 
them back?

Privately held enterprises have more flexibility in the agendas they 
pursue, but they are out-of-control in different ways.

But this is a rant that departs considerably from recycling issues per se.

Alan Muller

Alan Muller, Executive Director
Green Delaware
Box 69
Port Penn, DE 19731 USA
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