In his latest “Economic Pamphleteer” column, Prof. John Ikerd discusses the consequences of corporations holding many of the same political and legal rights as real people, but not being tied to the same obligations to the public interest, noting:
Whenever corporations are allowed to participate in political activities, whether by influencing elections or public policies and government regulations, their logical motivation is to increase their competitive advantages in markets and to remove any legal restraints to maximizing the economic interest of their shareholders—regardless of the social or ecological consequences. There are no social or ethical incentives for the actions of corporations, other than those that also serve the economic interests of their shareholders. There are no social or ethical restraints on their actions either, other than those imposed by the government.
Read the entire column for free to learn more about how corporate power threatens real people, and what we can do about it. |
