Ask Auntie Pinko
September 12, 2002

Dear Auntie Pinko,

I've read some Chomsky, Zinn, and other authors talking about the role of corporations in our society and government, and I understand that their aims and interests are often counter to what's best for 'average Americans'. I also see many writers attribute the loss of civil rights and government protections since 9/11 to the wishes of corporations. My question is, what exactly does Big Business dream of, and what does their utopia look like?

Clay
Tifton, Georgia

Dear Clay,

Let me start by deconstructing one of the assumptions in your question: The notion that "corporations" and/or "Big Business" can have aims or dreams or anything of the sort.

In spite of the legal fiction of "personhood" applied to corporate entities in this country, we must try to remember that they are not people, and that they are "corporate." They are legal constructs created to engage in economic activities. And the "corporate" part of the name means that they represent more than one individual's economic interests. It's important to remember this, Clay, because sloppy thinking can keep us from effectively addressing the problems posed by these entities.

Auntie Pinko (perhaps surprisingly,) is by no means a knee-jerk anti-capitalist. The moderate socialism I admire and believe in has a large and important place for private sector economic activities. And while capitalism has its evils, and they are many, it should also be remembered that the creation of collective private economic activity was a major factor in permitting western civilization to move beyond absolutism, and a major factor in creating the conditions for political and social self-determination.

That said, let's go back to your question: What is the utopian vision of corporations? I would have to say, Clay, that the rather scary reality exposed by your question is that they don't have a utopian vision - or any vision at all outside the immediate self-interests of their owners and leaders.

And that is precisely why we cannot permit "pure" capitalism to form the economic basis for our society. Capitalism is based on self-interest, which is notoriously short-sighted.

I can hear my capitalist friends pointing out that when capitalism is as widespread as it is in America today, doesn't corporate self-interest represent so many people's self-interest that it can truly be said to be "democratic?" Perhaps. But let's explore another aspect of capitalism: The self-interest represented by the market is immediate and short-term self-interest.

With the broadening of participation in the stock market, our form of capitalism has moved closer than ever to "pure" capitalism. The measure of success is today's profits. While individuals are free to forego short-term gratification to assure their long-term well-being, the market cannot do so. Without imposing some restraints on capitalism, in the form of regulation and oversight, our society is terribly vulnerable, not to the prospect of achieving a "utopia" we may or may not want, but of being forever tossed like meaningless flotsam on the stormy waves of a "utopia" based on what's in the till at sunset.

And when night falls, we'll be on our own.

Thanks for asking Auntie Pinko, Clay!

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