from Reclaim Democracy:
The Chief Business of America is...?
Thoughts on the struggle between corporate and human values By Cedron Jones
Published November 4, 2007
"The chief business of the American people is business."-- President Calvin Coolidge, 1925.
The sentiment expressed by Coolidge remains prominent today. During the past regular session of the Montana Legislature, an assertion by members of the big-business lobby that a certain bill was “bad for business” often was sufficient to kill it.
But wait a minute. Our economy is the world's largest, and our society arguably is the richest in history. One might think so much wealth would permit consideration and pursuit of other values and goals, like stronger families and communities and a more healthful environment. So how is it that “bad for business” can trump “good for workers,” “good for the environment,” or “good for democracy?”
In spite of our great wealth, public opinion polls consistently show economic concerns near the top of public concerns. There are at least three explanations for this. One is the success of advertising and corporate propaganda, continually exhorting us to define ourselves, and life's meaning, through consumerism. Another is the growing suspicion that our economy is more fragile and less sustainable than Wall Street and the economic “experts” would have us believe. And finally, there is the growing disparity between rich and poor, which raises concerns and anxiety about money regardless of what our actual level of wealth may be.
Complementing and confusing our fixation on the economy is the success of the corporate elite in equating “business” with their large, often transnational and multilayered corporations. They've convinced many small businesses and farms to see their interests as more aligned with large corporations than with their neighbors, communities and local ecosystems.
It also depends on corporate personhood — the notion that corporations have the same legal rights as people. These factors together restrict our ability to differentiate between independent businesses and the Wal-Mart Corporation, or between a farmer and Tyson Foods, Inc., in crafting public policy. In other words, we are forced into a “one size fits all” situation — one law to cover a family farm, Wal-Mart, and everything in between. ......(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/articles/2007/cedronjones_beyond_business.php