In looking at a few of the comments on this post, I need to clarify things. I am not saying capitalism has utterly failed, or we need to bring in the State, or it's time for socialism, Marxism, communism, or anything else.
I'm saying it's OK to call out corporations and corporate executives when they do bad things, even if they are doing it to make more money. Or make their companies more money Or make their investors more money. It matters not if they happen to create a few extra jobs along the way. Wrong is wrong, and should be called out as such.
That's all. I don't think that's too much of a stretch. It should have been done far more often than it was. Because now those corporations have turned coat and become part of the anti-Western juggernaut, which has moved the ball halfway down the field against what conservatives value.
To be honest, of everything conservatives have defended, from a 'defending capitalism' vantage point, the worst thing was defending corporations cutting corners and diminishing the quality and quantity of goods while pocketing the money at the top. Because among young people today, so my sons have assured me, they see capitalism as that which gives less, produces less, and results in less, just so those at the top can have it all. Since this practice was defended in the name of defending capitalism, it's not exactly unfair for them to link the two. And when that is what they see, it's also not hard to understand why they are casting their nets in other directions.
Again, it's OK to call out corporations. Not only is it acceptable, in order to defend capitalism, it should have been done every time corporations were doing things antithetical to what capitalism is supposed to accomplish. Doesn't mean bring in the government or invoke our inner Stalin. It just means let people know that when corporations do such things, even if it does help their bottom line, it is not what capitalism is all about.
Be careful not to blaspheme the true god of America: Mammon. You will quickly find that many "conservative Catholics" do not accept Capitalism to the extent it can be squared with Catholicism, they accept Catholicism to the extent it can be squared with Capitalism.
ReplyDelete(Tom New Poster)
DeleteAnon:
We older conservatives have seen a lot of "solutions" to the problems of capitalism. They often killed millions of ordinary people who just wanted to own a home and maybe their own business, all in the name of "social justice". I think you have in the back of your mind that government should come along and just take money from people we (Catholics) think have too much. History suggests that government is a blunt instrument and won't stop at dispossessing the "rich" but very quickly get around to us kulaks.
Please don't bore with with "distributism", for I have never read any set of coherent distributivist proposals for a national economy, even from people like Ahlquist. If you want to keep government from becoming a monster and devouring everything (including the liberty of Catholics) it needs to have limited power and responsibilities, including over the economy. If you want to keep capitalism from running amok, you need rules, enforced by government. How you balance those in a given generation is a practical as well as a moral problem.
Far be it from me to bore you with distributism, when you are older and wiser (in your own eyes) than Christ Himself! Maybe Mammon will judge you on the Last Day. Maybe, but I would not bet my soul on it.
DeleteI think we have a basic conflict about expectations. And costs.
ReplyDeleteYou say we ought call out corporations for doing bad things or cutting corners. OK. ...Who defines "bad" or "cutting corners"? We too often assume that all will be OK; Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, insurance, or something will solve problems. ..We promptly ignore the assumptions involved with each.
Ironically, we almost always do so to save ourselves cash.
For example, I have several health care options through my employer. ..Seeking the most comprehensive plan requires paying as much as half my monthly rent--or did before my rent went up too. I instead chose the less comprehensive plan--with far fewer benefits, the better to buy food, gas, power, and general needs. ..I knew that if I suffered serious illness, .. I will be bankrupt before my plan kicks in to save the day.
I have thankfully been able to save a bit more since then, so I won't (quite) be bankrupt.
Similar constraints dominate most every other subject-matter I consider.
Much of our troubles ultimately come down to financial readiness. Can we handle loss of employment or serious illness with our own resources? If not, there are steps we can take to begin to solve that problem. ..We (need to) watch our own bottom lines every bit as much as do corporations.
Incidentally, there's lots of difference between government waste and billionaire waste. The former comes from you and me, we don't have much choice. The latter comes from that person's own choice. However foolish the billionaire, at least he (usually) isn't spending our money.
Wow, you really have no idea how the real world works, do you?
Delete"Far be it from me to bore you with distributism, when you are older and wiser (in your own eyes) than Christ Himself! Maybe Mammon will judge you on the Last Day. Maybe, but I would not bet my soul on it."
Delete"Wow, you really have no idea how the real world works, do you?"
Anon, do you really think that the belittling 'tone' you use in your criticisms of other's opinions gives your opinions veracity and gravitas? Grow up and maybe your own opinions may be looked at more seriously because you have not offered anything constructive.
(Tom New Poster)
ReplyDeleteThe sad history of the sanctimonious and self-righteous in revolutions is to be destroyed like the Girondists in the second cycle of violence, or (if they survive) guard the death camps.
Dave, you didn't need to apologize for the first post.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who apologizes for the corporate oligarchy we live under now has his reward.
The corporate oligarchy and the ravenous state are the two faces of the monster which is devouring us.
ReplyDelete