- Capitalism and Alternatives -

So who DOES create the wealth?

Posted by: Jason ( USA ) on August 08, 1999 at 14:08:34:

In Reply to: Erm, no. posted by Red Deathy on August 05, 1999 at 10:49:51:

: It demonstrates two specific features I beleive are general-
: 1:The management do not create teh wealth, and the owners have no interest in the runnning of teh company.

So who DOES create the wealth? In the case of Union Carbide or most other public corporations, the owners are shareholders who do definitely do no have an interest in running the company. The shareholders are also not liable when unfortunate disasters happen, such as Exxon Valdez. I'm pretty sure Exxon's intentions were to sell that oil for a profit, not to dump it off the coast of Alaska and kills hundreds of wildlife. Of course, a socialist somehow doesn't see it that way, and I'm not sure why. Same with the Bhopal accident. The government has done similar things, and we all know the government isn't worried about making profits! So how could a socialist/communist government help make problems like these better? There would probably just be more accidents and more releases of radioactive airborne molecules on cities and towns, but the gov't would just keep it undercover. Besides, the gov't owns the media, and if the media keeps its mouth shut, nobody ever knows, right? Just need to look back to Bosnia to show how a gov't controlled media is certainly NOT in the best interest of the people!

: 2:Capitalist firm's bureaucracies are subject to teh same laws as government bureaucarcies, and specifically empire building.

Yes, capitalist firms are subject to the same laws... and what is your point here??? The government is probably one of the biggest lawbreakers in America. While excellent management at a corporation is keeping a tight ship (in most cases, but of course, there are exceptions), whoever is managing the government's operations couldn't give two flips if something isn't done right. The gov't doesn't have a gov't over it to press charges, or shareholders who could get upset.

: : Shoot, under socialism, plane engines could be dying in mid-air, hundreds dying in fiery crashes, and it wouldn't bother the people who made them.

: It would, and their interest would be to find out what went wrong, for a capitalist firm, like Union Carbide, or like tobacco firms, self-iterest lies in avoiding blame and avoiding responsibility- as UC has for many years, trying not to pay out compensation.

Don't you think corporate management would want to know what went wrong??? They certainly don't want another big accident, because next thing you know your reputation is ruined and nobody wants anything to do with you or your company!

Jason


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