Businesses do not exist to create jobs.

[William deB. Mills]

69. Parties in the 2012 Race

Dem, Rep, and Green conventions are all this summer.

I confess I have not read the Rep or Dem platforms (which may change at the conventions) since I am under the impression the words mean little. The Green Party platform is impressive, but of course no one knows how they might govern. As a list of ideas, however, it is worth reading. I particularly like their policy on corporations (a simple: "End corporate personhood" and their policy toward Big Finance, of which I reprint below their first four points:

a. Break up our nation's largest banks and financial institutions so that none is "too big to fail." End taxpayer-funded bailouts for banks, insurers and other financial companies.
b.Regulate all financial derivatives, ban any predatory or gambling use of derivatives, and require full transparency for all derivative trades, to control risk of systemic financial collapse. Require regulatory pre-approval of exotic financial instruments.
c. Re-enact the Glass-Steagall Act, which prohibited bank holding companies from owning other financial companies and engaging in risky economic transactions.
d. Oppose the federal government being the final guarantor of speculative investments. During a financial crisis, if the federal government and/or a central bank must provide relief, it should be given in an equal manner and at the most local level possible, so that benefits are equitably dispersed and burdens are equitably borne. So rather than pouring trillions of dollars into the banking system, they should have provided direct mortgage relief to homeowners suffering the most from the housing bubble and negotiated with lenders to provide partial loan forgiveness.