CommonDreams: Big Business Is Even More Unpopular Than You Think

[marmar]

Published on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
Big Business Is Even More Unpopular Than You Think
by Robert Weissman


The U.S. public holds Big Business in shockingly low regard.

A November 2007 Harris poll found that less than 15 percent of the population believes each of the following industries to be “generally honest and trustworthy:” tobacco companies (3 percent); oil companies (3 percent); managed care companies such as HMOs (5 percent); health insurance companies (7 percent); telephone companies (10 percent); life insurance companies (10 percent); online retailers (10 percent); pharmaceutical and drug companies (11 percent); car manufacturers (11 percent); airlines (11 percent); packaged food companies (12 percent); electric and gas utilities (15 percent). Only 32 percent of adults said they trusted the best-rated industry about which Harris surveyed, supermarkets.<1>

These are remarkable numbers. It is very hard to get this degree of agreement about anything. By way of comparison, 79 percent of adults believe the earth revolves around the sun; 18 percent say it is the other way around.<2>

The Harris results are not an aberration. The results have not varied considerably over the past five years — although overall trust levels have actually declined from the already very low threshold in 2003.

The Harris results are also in line with an array of polling data showing deep concern about concentrated corporate power.

An amazing 84 percent told Harris in a poll earlier in 2007 that big companies have too much power in Washington. By contrast, only 47 percent said that labor unions have too much power in Washington (as against 42 percent who said labor has too little power), and 18 percent who said nonprofit organizations have too much power in Washington.<3>

These results have proven durable. At least 80 percent of the public has ranked big companies as having too much power in Washington since 1994. In 2000, Business Week and Harris asked a broader question: Has business gained too much power over too many aspects of American life? Seventy-four percent agreed.<4>

The November 2007 poll also asked about support for measures to control corporations. These results are eye-opening as well, though perhaps not in the expected way. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/16/6399/

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. K&R!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. great facts here...

The U.S. skepticism to regulation is only skin deep. When polls present specific regulatory proposals for consideration, U.S. public support is typically strong and often overwhelming — even when arguments against government action are presented.

For example:

After hearing arguments for and against, 76 percent favor granting the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco, with 22 percent opposed.<5>
After hearing arguments for and against, 75 percent favor legislation that would significantly increase energy efficiency, including auto fuel efficiency standards, and the use of renewable energy.<6>
Eighty-five percent favor country-of-origin labeling for meat, seafood, produce and grocery products, and three quarters favor a legislative mandate.<7>
Seventy-one percent say it is important that drugs remain under close review by the FDA and drug companies after they have been placed on the market.<8>
And, from a Harris finding a week after the poll showing skepticism about industry regulation in general, the polling agency found that those who think there is too little government regulation in the area of environmental protection outpaced those who think there is too much by a more than 2-to-1 margin (53 to 21 percent).<9>

[electropop]

9. If you generally say "more regulation?" the GOP framing works

because they've turned "regulation" into a dirty word, like "librul." If you talk about specific problems, the frame breaks.

[90-percent]

3. KK & RR

KKK & RRR

-90% Jimmy

[IDemo]

4. 18 percent believe the sun revolves around the earth??

That would make up a sizable fraction of the 23 Percenters, but it still makes the mind reel.

:wtf:

[Tesha]

16. Well, the Bible says it, don't it?

The Bible says it, they believe it, and that settles it!

Don't you go trying to lure them into no temptation with
none of your smart-mouthed, high-fallutin sceince stuff!
That's demonic!

Tesha

[havocmom]

5. off the the Greatest Page with ya!

Thanks for posting this. Gives one just a bit of encouragement that fellow citizens are not all as asleep as corporate media had hoped.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. People know when they are getting screwed

and more and more are relying on small mom and pop stores and co-ops to get what they need.

[Echo In Light]

13. On a visceral level, without even studying it, I'm sure many do...

But there remains a huge disconnect between that gut feeling and how they proceed from that point. The media here retards the mind and poisons the spirit. Be the media!

[Zorra]

7. It is a crying shame that they don't vote their conscience then. n/t

[Richard Steele]

8. K&R

[Kurovski]

10. I'm amazed that I haven't seen this on the TEEVEE!

I guess I better add: :sarcasm:

Actually, I'm surprised at the numbers.

[yurbud]

11. this makes them even less popular than their tools, Bush & Cheney

[yurbud]

12. vote this up on buzzflash & digg LINKS

http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=37103

http://digg.com/political_opinion/Big_Business_Is_Even_More_Unpopular_Than_You_Think

[yurbud]

14. they are still WAY more popular than sitting on a hot curling iron naked

[Tesha]

15. Well, actually, they both orbit the center of mass of the system.

> These are remarkable numbers. It is very hard to get this degree
> of agreement about anything. By way of comparison, 79 percent of
> adults believe the earth revolves around the sun; 18 percent say
> it is the other way around.

Well, actually, they both orbit the center of mass of the system
formed by the Sun and the Earth, but given the disparity in the
masses of the Sun and Earth, that center of mass is located deep
within the Sun so for most folks, it just don't make no nevermind

But for us three-percenters, the few, the proud... ;)

Tesha

[bvar22]

17. WOW!

That is a list of Hillary's and Obama's BIGGEST campaign contributors: