The Right To Question Wrongs

Welcome Comrades,

For those of you who haven't read any of Michael Moore's books, I'll paraphrase a fun example of american corporate insanity. He was seated next to an executive of a car company on a flight a few years ago. The executive was familiar with Moore and they struck up a conversation. Moore asked about corporate responsibility. The exec replied huffily that the only responsibility a corporation has is to make a profit for it's shareholders. Extrapolating from that theory, Moore asked, "Then why doesn't Chrysler sell crack? I understand the profit margin is amazing, and the customer base is very loyal." That stopped the exec for a moment. Apparently, there are some other considerations besides profit. We're just not supposed to ask.

How did we allow the controlling class to convince us we didn't have the right to question methods and motives, or that we had no right to determine the direction of big business and the economy? Well, of course, if we were shareholders in the corporation we could (depending on the whim of the board of directors.) Unless you have a personal stake in the company, you aren't really entitled to a say in what goes on.

Bullshit. Of course, we have the right. It's embedded in every corporate charter that is approved by any state in the union. It is the right of any citizen to demand justification of any organization under the jurisdiction of the government - that's you, the public. Remember? By the people, for the people, etc.? It is within the power of any state's attorney general to revoke a company's charter. So, why don't they? Why don't companies that pollute, price-gouge, lie about earnings and destroy pensions ever have their charters pulled? Hmmm, I can't think why... Except, naturally, that we, the people, don't really understand the intricacies of finance, so, it's best left to the experts. Yeah, right. That's what they want you to believe. Just because they keep force-feeding us that message doesn't mean we have to swallow.

Hasta la victoria siempre,

TVD

--- 12/21/02

©2002 TVD