Reply #3: Exactly

[ewagner]

I have been harping on this for years.

Apparently it was in 1922 that it was decided (I think by an act of congress but it may have been a court ruling)that corporations were "persons". When that happened, it opened up the floodgates for the abuse we are now seeing.

I think this issue fundamentally differientates democrats from repubs. Without government acting as watchdog and policeman, capitalism will (and has) exploited the financially vulernable, ripped off consumers, destroyed the environment, raped natural resources, and, perhaps most importantly, endangered the public health, safety and welfare.

The role of government as "traffic cop" is more important now than ever because of mergers and mega-mergers creating larger and more powerful corporations.

In Robert Reich's book, "The Work of Nations" (1990) he said that the '50s were the era of the "great bargin" between government and industry. Government would provide,a safety net for the poor, and a class of educated workers who could fill the needs of industry for labor and middle level management. Corporations/business would provide good paying jobs for creation of the great American "middleclass" as well as the hope for advancement into middle or lower/upper level management. (the great American dream). That bargain has been violated and a division between classes has become wide.

This should be a core message of the democratic/progressive movement.