

Turning to page 229, chapter 9, the initial sentence burst right out, "Government and business in the United States tend to have an adversarial relationship as business attempts to minimize government involvement in the private sector and Washington attempts to manage the needs of all citizens by exerting its power over the corporate realm." This phrase set in context of reality is much more intricate.
Today, a backlash exists towards big government and government spending. Conditions that have surfaced within the past several years have made this a suitable accusation. Additionally, there is criticism towards deregulation, an enormous component that caused the market to crash. By creating more and more agencies, our government is becoming extremely large; hence paying for these different agencies and services becomes more difficult. Consequently, this has led to a tremendous debt crisis the country now faces. Those who are against this trend have an extremely legitimate point. Yet, I do believe that certain industries must not have the main ambition be: “maximizing shareholder value.” In my opinion, the sole purpose of the government is to establish and help the middle class thrive; for many industries, the government is better able to serve this endeavor.
An issue that was mentioned above is a matter that needs to be addressed in the United States. The objective of many corporations when it comes to government relations is to eliminate as many restrictions as possible imposed by the government. This is a huge concern, particularly in certain industries; such as the Financial Companies, Food Companies, Energy Companies, etc… These Industries are crucial for the strength of the country. If the government eliminates rules and regulations, which it has for many of these organizations, it will cause problems, like we just experienced. The financial industry has been deregulated for the last 30 or 40 years. We now see the drawbacks that are produced when rules are purged. It is reported that the banking industry has never had more lobbyist, in Washington, than it has today. Therefore, we have witnessed virtually no regulation toward these financial institutions since the recession/depression.
This is where the paradox begins, given that large corporations fund most of the political campaigns, those politicians essentially have an obligation to repay them in some way. Also, in many instances, there is a blurred line between government and corporations. For instance, at one moment there is an individual working as the CEO of a big construction corporations, and at another moment, he is the vice president of the United States. This cozy relationship between Government and Corporation is common for both political parties, they move back and forward, from private to public, and their agenda’s may be different than what the American voter believes.
In retrospect, I sense that all these issues, regarding Corporate Government Relations, has created massive trouble. Corporations should not exert so much influence on the Government, and the Government needs to focus on serving the middle-class. Many people are unaware of these problems, and are unable to make accurate decisions when voting, or questioning the people in charge. This feeds the silent monster, and perpetuates the supremacy these individuals have at the top of the spectrum, while silently destroy the middle class.
I disagree with you when you say the main objective is for the government to help the middle-class thrive. How do you propose this to be true? It is just this type of thinking that leads people to feel entitled, or dependent, or that they deserve something from the government. The middle-class doesn't need government to "help" them thrive, people thrive through hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Some middle-class members thrive because they have an entrepreneurial spirit and innovative vision that they implement for society to enjoy. These people do not expect anything from government, except the expectation of increased taxes.
ReplyDeletealthough we disagree on some things I still take your insight as thoughtful.Nice Post.
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