Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot  Let me explain what a corporation is.
Once upon a time, there's a guy named Maricones. To make a living, he makes and sells widgets.
One day, Maricones realises that if he has some help, he could make and sell more widgets. So he hires Russian Rocket and Elucidate. Russian Rocket will help him to make more widgets. Elucidate will help him to sell them to customers.
After some time, the business grows. Maricones hires a few people to do R&D to improve his widget design (they are called the "Research & Development Department"). Maricones hires a few more people to do sales (they are called the Sales Department"). Maricones hires a few more people to do delivery, obtain raw materials and manage his inventory of widgets (they are called the "Operations Department").
At some point in time, Maricones decides to incorporate his business. There we have it - Maricones Widgets Limited. The main purpose is to limit his personal liability. Maricones has invested $100,000 in his little company, and that is all he is prepared to commit. By incorporating his company with a share capital of $100,000, he achieves that effect.
Time passes. Maricones Widgets Ltd now has grown massively. 30,000 employees in 20 countries. Maricones himself has retired and sold his shares to 20 shareholders. In turn, they IPO'd the company to raise financing for further expansion.
80% of the company is now owned by anyone who wants to buy them. These include the uncles and aunties on the street, many employees, a couple of hedge funds, a few thousand retail investors, including Garentee & Solipsist. They collect some dividends every year, as investors
Meanwhile, Maricones Widgets still has its 30,000 employees. Some are salesmen, some are IT people, some are widget designers, some are widget engineers, some are in marketing, some are from the legal department, some are from Public Relations department, some are from the Finance department, some are directors sitting on the board, some are the janitors and security guards.
What do they want? They all do different things in the company, but basically they want to have a job, do some work and earn a salary.
And ultimately, for all 30,000 employees to continue to earn their salaries,and for the investors to get some dividends, Maricones Widget Limited has to keep on earning money.
THAT is a corporation.
There is nothing inherently evil about big corporations, unless there is something inherently evil about Garentee and Solipsist who bought its shares; or about the janitors who wash its toilets; or its operations personnel who check the widget-making machine everything; or Elucidate who is still selling widgets after all these years; or Russian Rocket who is now Head of Manufacturing, at Maricones Widget Limited.
If there is inherently something evil about big corporations, then there is something inherently evil about human beings - so you might as well go protest against yourself, and your father, and your mother, and your neighbour, and your beer buddy, and your classmates, and your girlfriend etc. |