60 Comments

I remember reading 19th century novels and being glad that America did not have the idle class like the British gentry. But that's what our investor class is, isn't it?

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I take exception to the idea that the contract-enactors and others in companies (large or small) "are neither greedy nor are they socially responsible. They’re merely doing what they understand to be their jobs." Every one of us is responsible for our own behavior (both what we do and what we don't do). This notion that we are not is a primary accelerant of horrible behavior on a regular basis. To set it in high relief, "I was just doing my job" is merely a softer sounding version of "I was just following orders." How a company behaves is nothing more or less than the sum of how its people behave. This is the central problem with capitalism. We get into trouble with capitalism because we more or less treat it as if it is an everything-system when it is just a partial definition of an economic system, and people have more than economic needs. Since capitalism pursues profit at any cost, it should be entirely unsurprising that when left unchecked it will devour the planet, abuse workers, and even do harm to customers. Selling addictive drugs is well within the bounds of capitalism. So is murder. So is ecocide. What puts these things off limits is not capitalism itself, but non-capitalist forces imposed to constrain it. Ending slavery, or child labor, or choosing to sell widgets instead of cocaine ... these things are not products of capitalism. They are products of us imposing limits on capitalism. We have always constrained trade so that it complies with the wishes of some king or some congress or some unlegislated sense of decency, or some fear of retaliation. There is no actual debate on whether or not we should or will regulate capitalism. There is debate on what principles and methods will be employed. That debate is primarily populated by people leaning toward responsible behavior and those leaning hard away from it. We mustn't ever support the idea that people are not responsible for being irresponsible.

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I appreciate you and your perspective. Always on target. I wish you had run for President! Thank you for who you are and all you do!

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Joy Beaver suggested sending a note of support to President Biden. I did. Thanks for the suggestion. At the end I shared a sort of mantra that came to me many years ago which I try and live by. It helps me keep my vision clear and my heart working. the saying: ...soften your heart ...heal the world.

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It grieves me to read again about how big business is hurting the average worker's well being. We need strong federal laws to protect workers so they can thrive. Workers are the backbone of our country not the CEO's of corporations with stock portfolios. Congress needs to pass Biden's agenda which will lift up the lives of our citizens and begin to fight the effects of the changing climate before it's too late. Also congress needs to pass voting reform to protect the votes of all voters.

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Thank you for the work you do and the part you play in education me and the general population.

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I'd list Patagonia as an exception; and some of the B-Corps. (No person or company is perfect, we can always find flaws and ways to improve.)

But I fully agree about the need to change laws, for the common good!

Lots of behavior is individually 'rational' but collectively irrational. The goal of good laws and regulations is to rectify this.

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Corporations are not socially responsible if their bottom line rules every decision. I wonder who believes them? It's a shame that our Supreme Court gave them the 'Citizens United' status.

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We've all worked or heard of companies who give their workers a one time "bonus" and boast how wonderfully they treat their workers. It has nothing to do with rewarding workers, if they really wanted to do that they'd give them raises. This is exactly what they're doing today on a larger scale to protect their profits. The last thing they want are regulations and tax hikes that will hit their bottom line. I don't buy into their marketing ploy and hope most people don't either. We need to call them out.

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Beware those nicely dressed women on TV who assure us that natural gas and oil will help keep us energy independent, but of course dependent on Big Oil here. This is a form of virtue shading that seems to go on forever.

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Exceptionalism

It's great bein a Corporation

Social conscience gets to take a vacation . .

Profit gets all your might

and you get Free Speech rights . .

and pretty soon your own space stations . .

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As usual Robert I completely agree with you on the responsibility of corporations, after all that is why they were created. To make money and avoid taxes, period.

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Agreed. Well said.

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Thanks for your input Mr. Reich.

The ordinary people's voices is insignificant to corporate input because money talks and there are probably no lobbyists running around for the people.

I wonder if our politicians even bother to register the common folks objections

I keep donating for the HR1 bill but feel I am just throwing money into a pit

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You are a treasure. So thankful for your insights. You articulate so clearly some of the many swirling thoughts (and fears) in my head. Even though the information is alarming- it is calming to find that others have similar priorities and perspectives.

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Looking back on history I see this as evolving: Neglect by corporations to promote social responsibility + people in positions of power negating to act "for the common good" = further destruction the Earth and masses. (masses x despair) + (conflict, war) = destruction to the 10th power for all rich, poor, and in-between. Result is the uprising of survivalists masses who will begin the status quo all over, again.

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