> >> Hence, perhaps an argument for democratic control intrudes? . . . > >Actually I think it would be just the opposite. . . . > Ah, this depends on how democracy is structured, naturally. If > corporations are treated as individuals and allowed to "participate" > in politics as they are now, this *might* be true. On the other hand, > were industries and the entire economy itself under broad democratic > control, things could be quite different. Also, how is more democracy As I said to JD, yes, they could be even worse. > within a company (deciding on the products offered, perhaps steering > investment and production strategies of the company to more humane and > environmentally sensible uses, etc.) going to afford the company any > more avenues for external political action? Is not the current Why should we expect workers to want to be any more human and environmentally conscious if it is the company's profits in which they share, either through an explicit profit sharing scheme, or implicitly in terms of higher net income translating into higher wages? > political system (in the U.S., anyway) almost entirely run on > corporate money? Is it not possible that a democratic society would > decide that self-interest is not the way to run productive enterprises? As you said, it depends on the rules of the game. I don't know how you organize individual decision-making that looks to the national interest, rather than ways which bring more proximate, tangible benefits to the individual, family, enterprise, community, industry, or region. > Is it not true that the two concepts of unbridled self-interest and > non-trivial democracy are anathema to one another? It seems like a > very narrow view of democracy that is expressed by Max, one that by > its very definition is guaranteed to be used instrumentally by the > powerful to further their own interests. Curses, exposed again. I'm not ready to give you an elegant answer, or much of any other kind right now. You started this with a comment that I thought deserved to be shot down. My hope is that class-based political formations would promote a broader, more humane and communal notion of self-interest, and this would work its way through whatever democratic structures were available. I would argue that the availability of enterprise-level control promotes narrow considerations, not to mention inefficiency, while political regulation of industry embodies a better mix of public interest and private capacity to allocate resources. Cheers, MBS =================================================== Max B. Sawicky Economic Policy Institute [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1660 L Street, NW 202-775-8810 (voice) Ste. 1200 202-775-0819 (fax) Washington, DC 20036 Opinions above do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone associated with the Economic Policy Institute. ===================================================
