So when Democrats were in office, they tried to be anti-big business, and big business still boomed, now Republicans are in full control and they believe that Big Business is the Answer to all of society's ills.
So how fast and large will big business now boom????
Proctor and Gamble just bought Gillette, so now they own like 40% of all products sold at your grocery store.
SBC just bought out AT&T.
Yup.
The big corporate mergers are back to bring you better service and more reasonable prices!
The people who Bring you Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and Nabisco's Oreo's also bring you Marborlo cigarettes and Anheiswer Busch beer! not to mention about 50 other mini-companies.
The Bigger Big Business grows, the better off America's future becomes!
Love it!
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Surely you're not trying to assert causation between the Bush administration and big mergers, are you? There was a lot of M&A activity in the 90s. I don't know if the rate has even caught up to the 90's peak yet.
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
If you don't like big business, you can always quit your job, hang up your phone, turn off your computer, take yourself off the grid, turn off the TV, put on your walking shoes, and live off the land. There's nothing better than greens from your own garden and a nice, fat bass you caught by yourself.
People lived for tens of thousands of years without the help of big business.
Of course, if you've acquired a few chemical dependencies during your life, you're going struggle when it comes to doing without the companies that keep you pumped up.
Posted by The Silverblue Sun (Member # 1630) on :
quote: Of course, if you've acquired a few chemical dependencies during your life, you're going struggle when it comes to doing without the companies that keep you pumped up.
Huh?
Let's see.
I gave up smoking November 2nd. I gave up marijuana 5 days ago (for Lent) I gave up sugared soda's a week ago.
What chemical dependancy are you talking about?
Gasoline? Tadco bell? The elastic strap in my underwear?
Skillery, what your saying is...
It's either bend over and take it like a good consumer, or live in the wilderness?
I guess that's why there's only one flavor of people in your home state, "Be divine vanilla or get out!"
---Dagonee---
I don't think it's just BUSH, I think it's the whole lot of the evil bastards we call politicians, on the right and the left, who sell us working folk down the river day in and day out.
Yes, some scary corporate mergers happened in the 90's under Clinton, and some scary corporate mergers are happening now under Bush, but when will America wake up and realize that it's BAD to have a small handfull of corporations owning and running everything?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I agree. Worse is letting them have too much control when it comes to politics.
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
"There was a lot of M&A activity in the 90s. I don't know if the rate has even caught up to the 90's peak yet."
A lot of that activity is related to the tech bubble though. The perception among antitrust lawyers is that Democrats are good for business because a Democratic administration is more likely to scrutinize M&A transactions. Democrats are more beholden to labor organizations, which tend to oppose mergers. On a more fundamental level, Democrats also favor more government intervention in private enterprise.
Enron may have changed all that. Regardless of party affiliation, most politicians today have to at least pretend to be against big business shenanigans. The pro business slant today is mostly couched in promotiong small business and not corporate fat cats.
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
Thor,
Sounds like you're doing just fine at reducing your dependency on big business. The companies pushing harmful chemicals (including Uncle Sam) are the worst.
quote:It's either bend over and take it like a good consumer, or live in the wilderness?
There are multiple levels of in-between-ness too. Having gotten rid of the chemicals, I'd move on to giving the fast food industry the finger. Then I'd start turning my back on companies that make money by subjugating and harming people and animals. Then we can start isolating companies that damage the environment.
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
quote: If you’re reading this article online or in an e-mail, it’s thanks to corporations. If you get some kind of paycheck, you can thank corporations. If you work for a non-profit or the government, you still have to thank corporations. The non-profit sector and the government wouldn’t have any money to pay you without corporations. It is also important that you understand that making a profit doesn’t equate to “greed” or exploitation. Capitalism has created the greatest society in our world’s history. Even communist countries need corporations to survive, so enjoy a nice, hot cup of reality.
Yes, but where would corporations be without their workers and the consumers that buy from them? Not to mention inventors that invent things for people to sell in the first place. Corporations are all well and good and all but it still doesn't give them any excuse to pollute and treat their workers like crap. Not saying that they all do that, some do and that should be addressed.
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
Without consumers corporations wouldn't be anywhere, that's the point, corporations exist to serve the consumer. Since everyone one of us is a consumer, corporations serve us.
Posted by The Silverblue Sun (Member # 1630) on :
quote: If you’re reading this article online or in an e-mail, it’s thanks to corporations. If you get some kind of paycheck, you can thank corporations. If you work for a non-profit or the government, you still have to thank corporations.
Bull-excrement.
So before corporations became companies, no one got paid? Society did not exist before corporations?
Totally, absolutely, false.
If Kraft was just Kraft. And Nabisco was just Nabisco. and Marborlo was just Marborlo. and Busch Beer was just Busch beer.
Soceity would be better.
Are you really claiming that by an entity like General Electric having their hands in hundred of businesses that are and are no related, we are all better off, and that we could not survive without these mega corporations?
Bogus.
Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
Wow!
He's right! SBS is right, again!
Now, all we have to do is go back and change things back to the way they were!
OK, let's make a plan--Thor, you go to China, and get them to disassemble their giant factories. I'll go to Japan, and get them to do the same. I'll also take on the giant factory ships. Dag, can you go to Indonesia and start dismantling the sweat-shops that make our cheap television sets, computer monitors and A&F Tee-Shirts? Great!
Skillery, we'll need you to go to France, and...and...and...make faces at the workers in the Renault and Citroen factories.
Crap! I'm out of ideas! Someone help me out, here...
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
I want to go to Japan.
Japan could only support one onehundredth of its current population if we returned to the days of multiple, competing companies, producing only essential consumer goods.