If we stopped being so dependent on big corporations

[bobhikes]

Why are people thinking we must have big corporations to run our lives? Why do we not go back to each family-supporting themself with food and being more of a society that helps each other on farms, or in small businesses that are needed to have small communities?

Family-run bakery, woodshops, farmers, blacksmith and so on. why the big overproduction of products?
If we where less dependent on government and rich people we would maybe live more happy feel freer?

It comes down to price. A big corporation can keep costs down and sell the product for pennies on the dollar. Where a mom and pop shop have high costs and low volume. People need to choose community over price and price always seems to win. Even community stores charge more than necessary at times so they can get a bigger profit. There are plus's and minus's to each but overall price is the biggest reason.

 

[Father Heathen]

You're living in the past ... No offense but that just won't cut it with over 7 billion people cramped in mega cities around the world.

People aren't capable enough to fend for themselves anymore or live on farmsteads. That's why they always vote for politicians that will take their freedom in exchange for taking care of them and giving them sense of security. Security of safety, security of economy etc. But people don't care about personal liberty enough.

And yet, complaining on RF about government will
earn one great scorn from many the left. They'll
say that business is the problem. But They vote
for the very politicians who treat us so badly.

So who are the pro freedom politicians? Certainly not those with a history of opposing the establishment clause of the first amendment, women's rights, LGBT rights, cannabis legalization, adult entertainment, etc.

 

[McBell]

That's a commonly said thing.
But it's empty.
All the worst politicians were voted into office by people, not corporations.
And these politicians got re-elected for doing what they do.
Again, people re-voted them to remain in office, not corporations.
And there's a great difference in power.
Even anti-corporate types, if they're honest, will recognize that
government has much greater power. We can avoid doing business
with any corporation, but we cannot avoid government, especially
the fed. Government can capture us, beat us, torture us, force us
to kill, imprison us, rob us, etc, etc. No corporation can do that.

So at what point does influence become control?

 

[Revoltingest]

So who are the pro freedom politicians? Certainly not those with a history of opposing the establishment clause of the first amendment, women's rights, LGBT rights, cannabis legalization, adult entertainment, etc.

Gary Johnson was recently.
And Bernie looked like the Democrats' most anti-war candidate.
What happened to them?
People preferred the status quo candidates.

 

[Revoltingest]

So at what point does influence become control?

That would be a difficult thing to quantify.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

A corporation originally made the bus.

I wonder...
Why do so many people worry about corporations,
yet remain silent about government having too much
control?
I think about my life...
Who tried to send me to Vietnam to kill or be killed?
Corporations never did anything to me even
remotely approaching that evil. Powerful they are.

You act like corporations arent well and truly part of the same military machine. We are in an oligarchy. Corporate America benefits just as much as political fat cats with war profiteering. Everything wrong the government does, corporations do. Just with less transparency or interest in anything but the almighty dollar.

 

[Revoltingest]

You act like corporations arent well and truly part of the same military machine.

Are you acting like corporations run government?

We are in an oligarchy. Corporate America benefits just as much as political fat cats with war profiteering. Everything wrong the government does, corporations do. Just with less transparency or interest in anything but the almighty dollar.

By your objecting, do you mean to say that corporate
power over government is greater than our power to
control government's leaders?

I'll disagree because the Ameristanian voter likes war.
Sure, sure, they complain when someone else's party
is waging it, but Presidents & Congressmen win re-election
when waging war. Voters keep them in office, eg, GW Bush,
Obama. Hillary voted to start 1 & continue 2 wars, yet
she got more votes than any other presidential candidate.
Yet you've made no argument showing how corporations
direct leaders to go to war, & continue the war. Thus, it's
mere conspiracy theory.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Are you acting like corporations run government?

By your objecting, do you mean to say that corporate
power over government is greater than our power to
control government's leaders?

Yes, on all accounts. We have failed as a nation to properly separate corporate from politics. Which is every bit as important as separation of church and state. We are unlikely to see anybody dismantle the military industrial machine while so many corporate lobbies exist who benefit from it.
You want to see a politician willing to stand up to big military succeed? Remove corporate lobbying and corporate donations.

 

[Revoltingest]

Yes, on all accounts. We have failed as a nation to properly separate corporate from politics. Which is every bit as important as separation of church and state. We are unlikely to see anybody dismantle the military industrial machine while so many corporate lobbies exist who benefit from it.
You want to see a politician willing to stand up to big military succeed? Remove corporate lobbying and corporate donations.

Any evidence based argument for this conspiracy?
Which company or companies directed Ameristan
to start & stay in the Iraq & Afghan wars?
Did you vote for Hillary?

I offered voting records to support the correlation
between the people's desire for war, & the result
being war.

 

[74x12]

So who are the pro freedom politicians? Certainly not those with a history of opposing the establishment clause of the first amendment, women's rights, LGBT rights, cannabis legalization, adult entertainment, etc.

System is broken. Two parties. Two wings. Same bird. Controlled elections. They have you riled up over distractions. Politics as usual. Both sides are hating each other over perceived threats to their way of life.

 

[dfnj]

Why are people thinking we must have big corporations to run our lives? Why do we not go back to each family-supporting themself with food and being more of a society that helps each other on farms, or in small businesses that are needed to have small communities?

Family-run bakery, woodshops, farmers, blacksmith and so on. why the big overproduction of products?
If we where less dependent on government and rich people we would maybe live more happy feel freer?

I'm all for home fusion power along with 3D printers capable of making everything you could ever possibly buy at Walmart. It's just these twos appliances are a little ways off.

I think the Chinese are taking the right approach:

China spending US$3.3 billion on molten salt nuclear reactors for faster aircraft carriers and in flying drones – NextBigFuture.com

Having a serious alternative to burning fossil fuel is the first step to a better World and a better quality of life!

 

[Revoltingest]

System is broken. Two parties. Two wings. Same bird. Controlled elections. They have you riled up over distractions. Politics as usual. Both sides are hating each other over perceived threats to their way of life.

My advice....
Vote 3rd party in at least 50% of elections.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Any evidence based argument for this conspiracy?
Which company or companies directed Ameristan
to start & stay in the Iraq & Afghan wars?
Did you vote for Hillary?

I offered voting records to support the correlation
between the people's desire for war, & the result
being war.

I did vote for Hillary because it takes a staggering lack of insight to think she was worse than Trump. But I'm under no delusions believing she doesn't benefit from corporatism and corporate driven foreign policy. Though not nearly as much as Trump does, making no secret that he's using the office for personal gain with non-divested businesses.
But I'm not writing you an essay for the obvious.
Military spending: 20 companies profiting the most from war
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...overnments-how-does-that-influence-us-policy/
Big money behind war: the military-industrial complex
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy

 

[Revoltingest]

I did vote for Hillary because it takes a staggering lack of insight to think she was worse than Trump

So...knowing that she voted to start the Iraq war, & to continue
it, & to continue the Afghan war, & threatened obliterating Iran,
you chose to vote for her instead of any 3rd party candidate?
This choice, one writ large, cannot be blamed upon corporations.

. But I'm under no delusions believing she doesn't benefit from corporatism and corporate driven foreign policy. Though not nearly as much as Trump does, making no secret that he's using the office for personal gain with non-divested businesses.
But I'm not writing you an essay for the obvious.
Military spending: 20 companies profiting the most from war
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...overnments-how-does-that-influence-us-policy/
Big money behind war: the military-industrial complex
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy

Military purchases from defense contractors does not
prove that these contractors direct government to go to war.
You need to show that they actually direct government
to go to war. I ask again which companies directed which
politicians & Presidents to start & continue the wars?
If the claimed conspiracy is real, there'd be some evidence.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

So...knowing that she voted to start the Iraq war, & to continue
it, & to continue the Afghan war, & threatened obliterating Iran,
you chose to vote for her instead of any 3rd party candidate?
This choice, one writ large, cannot be blamed upon corporations.

Military purchases from defense contractors does not
prove that these contractors direct government to go to war.
You need to show that they actually direct government
to go to war. I ask again which companies directed which
politicians & Presidents to start & continue the wars?
If the claimed conspiracy is real, there'd be some evidence.

Smh. I can't even with you. You're as bad as the yecs. Theres no evidence because your biases prevent you from looking at it.
Good luck with that. I'm done.

 

[Revoltingest]

Smh. I can't even with you. You're as bad as the yecs.

Oh, the old ad hominem tactic.
When you lack argument & evidence, just claim that I'm prejudiced
against your beliefs. And then you equate me with the YECs?
But you're the one expecting me to believe your claims without
evidence....to take your word on faith.
I think you're bordering on a rule violation, so we should stick to issues.

 

[Father Heathen]

Gary Johnson was recently.
And Bernie looked like the Democrats' most anti-war candidate.
What happened to them?
People preferred the status quo candidates.

those with power and influence will use it to maintain it, pulling every string they can to keep things the way that best benefits them.

 

[MonkeyFire]

I think all American people should own up all the big corporations on their own and reap the benefit to themselves.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Why are people thinking we must have big corporations to run our lives? Why do we not go back to each family-supporting themself with food and being more of a society that helps each other on farms, or in small businesses that are needed to have small communities?

Family-run bakery, woodshops, farmers, blacksmith and so on. why the big overproduction of products?
If we where less dependent on government and rich people we would maybe live more happy feel freer?

I guess it all depends.

let's face it because of large corporations we have many things that we otherwise would not have had.

Things like cars, entertainment hardware and software, and of course the PC and smartphones.

without large corporations we may or may not still be happy but I guarantee you we will revert considerably back into time. Think Amish style here.

It might not be god-awful, but I also don't think I'd like it as much.

 

[Revoltingest]

those with power and influence will use it to maintain it, pulling every string they can to keep things the way that best benefits them.

I say that they're not all the same.
So it matters who one votes for.
If you don't like what a pol does in office, vote for someone
with a better record....or likely to have one in the future.