"US businesses don’t succeed in spite of government. They succeed because of it" (by Sally Kohn)

[OneGrassRoot]

By Sally Kohn / July 19, 2011
New York

"While big business whimpers about high statutory tax rates, the effective tax rate paid by most corporations in America is often far lower than most other developed nations (thanks to loopholes and accounting tricks). Meanwhile, corporate tax receipts accounted for 30 percent of US federal revenues in the mid-1950s. In 2009, they made up just 6.6 percent of federal revenue streams.

<snip>

What would Oprah and Henry Ford have done? Imagine if, when Henry Ford wanted to start the Ford Motor Company, he had to not only drill for oil himself but also oversee the laying of pipelines and production infrastructure across government-owned land so his cars could have gas to make them go. And when the American auto industry was expanding in the 1940s and 50s creating jobs throughout the nation, imagine if Chrysler and General Motors had to not only build their own factories and assembly lines but actually plan and construct the roads and interstate highways for cars to drive on.

Imagine if Oprah had to regulate the television spectrum for herself and that at random, bandwidth pirates could intrude on broadcasts of the Oprah Winfrey Show because there was no Federal Communications Commission monitoring ownership of and access to the public airwaves."



FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0719/US-businesses-don-t-succeed-in-spite-of-government.-They-succeed-because-of-it


:applause:

[defendandprotect]

1. Mann vs Ford ... Imagine if corporations had to pay for the damage they do -- !!

[OneGrassRoot]

4. To be held accountable...what a concept. n/t

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[Newest Reality]

3. Imagine what it would be like

if huge, multinational corporations could use lobbyists and various payoffs do get and do anything they damn well pleased without the consent of those impacted by their decisions and without liability for the results.

Oh ... wait ...

[unblock]

5. they don't just succeed because of government -- they EXIST because of government

the corporation is a completely artificial, government-created concept designed to allow a group of investors to get together and create a business with SOME of their assets while gaining government protection for THE REST of their assets in the event the business fails.

a purist who really wanted to engage in commerce without any government help whatsoever would have to remain a simply partnership or sole proprietorship.

the minute your business incorporates you've already gotten government help.

[defendandprotect]

6. Absolutely -- and corporations are dictating to Fed and state governments now ....

We are under corporate/fascist control now because government at all levels

is under their control --

The parasites are controlling the host -- !!

[OneGrassRoot]

8. Word. n/t

[surrealAmerican]

7. k & r

This has been said before, but apparently not often enough.

[jtuck004]

9. K&R n/t