I've often wondered why 'big business' attracts so much hostility from activists. I had always thought that it was an inevitable result of capitalism and that it benefitted society overall. However, while it may make sense to concentrate strategic business decisions in the hands of fewer, more dedicated people, it does not make sense to concentrate ethical and moral decisions in the hands of those same people. They essentially operate in a moral vaccuum, as you only get in that sort of position by putting the bottom line above all else. They also appear to operate in a legal vaccuum, and break laws to the extent that they can get away with.

Is this the main reason, or is it more to do with their actions in foreign countries?

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• Negative press can lead to lowered new investment $$ or reduced shareholder confidence.
• Boycotts get the attention of shareholders. Direct correspondence from shareholders supporting the aim of the boycott, in turn, gets the attention of the company.
• Pressure on fund managers to divest unless Company X complies with Request Y can yield positive results, as well.

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The strategy is not to get corporations to care, but getting people to care, since people are shareholders are boards are corporations are strategies are effects etc. 

Large corporations are less trustworhty b/c they have more clout, more political influence, mroe ability to get away with bad behavior, etc.  Corporations are more dangerous than government b/c if they go bad, they are far more efficient and less accountable (we don't elect shareholders).  I'm all in favor of large corporations that are good and very scared of those that aren't. 

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If Big business was only in business to make money doing what they do best, they would be reasonable, and you could do something useful by boycotting them.  Unfortunately, they let politicians on their boards of governors, as vice presidents etc.  (see Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11")

This means that big companies can go to war on their own account, to get oil, to get big contracts in putting back together what they destroyed themselves.  They can ruin our homes and the air we breathe by bribing our politicians to legislate against us.  The drug companies outlawed vitamin B12 as a drug anywhere in the US.  It doesn't do any harm to anyone much, except that it cures cancer, and the chemotherapy profiteers won't have that!

They can pay PR companies to lie about dioxins, fluoride and pcb's being good for you; that the tobacco companies didn't know that cigarettes give you cancer; that manipulating genes beyond the point of no return is perfectly safe.  They hire smart patent lawyers to steal your right to live normally.  I have no doubt that their next move is to sue you for giving birth naturally to a child that is healthy.

So, make what you can for yourself, buy only from your neighbour, work in cooperatives, swop services like letter writing in exchange for childminding, cooking for hairdressing, etc etc.  Barter what you have for what you want.  Give away what you don't need to someone who does.  Don't vote Republican for 10 years.  Think Green,  Love thy neighbour as thyself.

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Congress and Excessive CEO Pay US Politics & Gov't  (tags: congress, ethics, business, legislation, CEO, compensation )

Thomas
- 19 minutes ago - corporatepolicy.org:80

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