Reply #119: Mussolini is definitely not my hero but he must be yours

[davidgmills]

I am a lawyer and have been fighting large corporations daily for 25 years. I have some idea of what vast amounts of economic power can do. I am also a small businessman (solo practitioner) and face all the same things small businesses face.

I am not against corporations per se, but I am against the way they use their vast economic power to monopolize and to take over our governmental functions. Having privately held corporations count 80% of our vote is just one good example.

We need corporate reform in the worst kind of way. We need to control their vast economic power. That's what many of the governmental agencies were designed to do, but of course now they are being run by ex-ceo's.

I would start by making public corporations give voting rights to their employes as well as their shareholders. I would also require public corporations to give voting rights to persons charged with defending the public good. I'm still at a loss as to what to do about the many privately held corporations that wield so much economic power.

You show a real naievte about corporations, my friend. Under existing law, the shareholders, officers and directors are charged with one obligation and one obligation only -- to maximize profits for the shareholders. The officers and directors have a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to do this. So how can you say we need people with good morals running corporations? That is not what they are duty bound to do. They are duty bound to make profit -- not to be moral citizens of the universe. Until the law requires corporations to put people on their boards who are duty bound to take care of the corporations' employees and others who are duty bound to defend the public good, nothing will change.

I refuse to go to Walmart -- haven't been in ages.

I shop at the smallest chain grocery store I can find, and get much better service by the way.

I own Saabs -- a small company, that has unfortunately (for the most part) been taken over by GM 100%.

My phone service is with XO, a small phone company, and again I get much better prices and service with them.

And unfortunately, I use cable for my intenet because I have no choice yet. But as soon as I do, I will change.

I shop whenever I can at a local store.