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Articles : CorporationsWho Can Protect Corporations From The Left?
Andrew Potter, a writer for Macleans.ca, raises an seemingly interesting issue…
What if the corporation, despite what we think we know about their activities in harming the environment, plundering public programs whenever possible, and treating its workforce in an ever increasingly shoddy way, is truly a slave of the Left? What if the true ire towards the corporation is coming, ever increasingly and justifiably, from the Right?
What if… bear with me now… what if the corporation is not a rapacious juggernaut laying waste to the planet and its resources and is, in fact, beholden to ‘special interests,’ like environmental groups and human rights organizations?
The proof of this thesis is offered up as follows: Drug companies are considering offering drugs to AIDS patients in the third world at reduced costs, British Petroleum has re-branded as Beyond Petroleum, and a select group of companies out there are ‘being drawn into the global warming issue.‘ Damning accusations, to be sure.
It’s becoming an oft repeated argument finding traction with Milton-Friedman-as-gospel commentators that Enron wasn’t the fault of unfettered greed by a corporation. In fact, Andrew Potter argues, the Enron debacle happened primarily because management wasn’t keeping a tight rein on spending. Their crime was not being corporate enough. It wasn’t the public who got screwed, he also helpfully points out, it was the shareholders. What are the rest of us whining about?!?
One of the problems with making up history in support of your argument is that you have to ignore huge swaths of the record in order to make your case. Potter’s take on history comes apart when one begins remembering what Enron actually did during its existence, and not just the final coup that killed it. The orchestrated California energy crisis, fraud, unethical behavior and a myriad of corporate malfeasance, most of which stemmed from as far back as 1996. The shareholders weren’t the only ones living through rolling blackouts on account of Enron and other energy corps holding the state hostage during peak hours, regardless of the collective faulty memory of the business communitee.
One would be willing to cut Andrew Potter some slack for his piece, were it not for the group ‘dedicated to reintroducing free-enterprise values into the corporate world‘ that he introduces to his readers. They are called the Free Enterprise Action Fund, which he explains ‘seeks to stiffen the spine of management, encouraging it to resist pressure from activists and keep focused on the task of operating the business in the interest of shareholders.‘
It is an interesting choice of example, and again, an interesting case of factual omission. What Potter fails to mention is that the FEAF is a mutual fund operated by Steven Milloy and Tom Borelli. You might know Steve, a registered lobbyist from 1998 through 2000, with clients including the American Petroleum Institute, Dow Chemical, the International Food Additives Council, and FMC Corporation.
Steve, when he’s not busy saving Exxon from being criticized for funding global warming skeptics, is the Junk Science (i.e., global warming and ozone depletion) commentator for FoxNews.com. He’s been criticized for a variety of unethical actions and statements, like dismissing EPA reports regarding the dangers of smoking. He’s also been accused of making misleading and false claims, and for offering ‘impartial journalism’ attacking global warming while accepting funding from big oil, as well as offering health related reporting under editorial oversight from big tobacco.
Big tobacco, by the way, is where Tom Borelli comes from. He is the former head of corporate scientific affairs for Philip Morris. That himself and Steve have no actual money management experience to speak of doesn’t make an appearance in Potters work either, but methinks it’s pertinent for the readers to know that the mutual fund he is highlighting is run by people with no qualifications outside of a proven ability to lie to others about the harm being done by their business associates. And we all remember what that got us with Enron.
Even if Andrew Potter apparently does not…
Posted by Truthcansuk
This is an incredibly important issue to raise. The devolution of journalism has created a public that thinks there are no facts.
Making up history is the job of governments and public relations firms.
wow. great job!
Great article, but I’m a little surprised it was pushed through without another edit.
Example: “One would be willing to cut Andrew Potter some slack for his piece, where it not for the group”
There were some other glitches, but whatever. I’d 5 it if you could 5 articles.
I agree, nogunri. To be honest, I was expecting this to take a bit longer, with a lot more constructive criticism, before getting pushed through. I would completely understand if Anthony wanted to pull it for a revision, I don’t want the GNN standard for articles lowered.
If you have time (or even feel like bothering) could you PM me the glitches you noticed, or post them here? I’m trying to get a feel for what the writing of a proper GNN article entails.
British Petroleum has re-branded as Beyond Petroleum
Yeah, and the KKK could rebrand itself as Kool Kharitable Kiddies.
Maybe it is time to stop assuming that corporations have ethics, and recognise that PROFITS are their only motive. It is true that when we look at those tall shiney buildings and the suits and nice haircuts we really do assume those corporate people have morals, that they are “upright and decent folks”.
They are not. “Whatever it Takes” is their motto [see:Pres Bush] and if it takes lying cheating scoundrels to get it done, pay them extra. Nothing they do is bound by morality, from pollution of essential resources like air and water, to ruining pensioners. I could add in a few other crimes, but it might start to sound like I am angry.yeah, having conservatives love Milton Friedman’s “the only responsability corporations have is to their shareholders” and at the same time trying to be “socially responsible” seems kinda…
Ethics in buisness is only a PR front. Profit for the shareholders is BY LAW the only goal a corporation can have. Henry Ford got sued and lost when he tried to raise the wages of his empolyees, because it worked against the profits that went to the shareholders. If ethical actions work against profits, they will be thrown out. And if slavery were still legal it would be great for profit, therefore the best thing for business. In fact that is why business “have to” outsource to countries with basically slave labor, because if we tried to pay living wages to people in this countrie that would work against the profit of the shareholders so would therefore be illegal.
Great article, but I’m a little surprised it was pushed through without another edit.
me to, it’s a great artilce but it needed a couple of minor edits
for example: his readers.They are -> spacing
or:
History is again being rewritten, this time by Andrew Potter of Macleans.ca.
Andrew Potter, a writer for Macleans.ca, raises an seemingly interesting issue …
I would loose the of Macleans.ca. in the sub
small stuff like that
but as I said: great article!
“It wasn’t the public who got screwed, as the left bemoans, it was the shareholders. What are the rest of us whining about?!?”
Chances are you work for company, chances are your coporate brass is just as shit filled as Enrons. Thats why we whine.
It sounds to me, simply put, us lefties are cracking down corrupt corporations. good. Oh heavens, however could they survive???
Interesting story, but, as mentioned by others, it’s difficult to ignore its grammatical errors, including what these days seems to be a ubiquitous misuse of “it’s.”
It’s = contraction of “it is” or “it has”
Its = possessive pronoun
From story:
“... and treating it’s workforce in an ever increasingly shoddy way …”
BAD
“It’s becoming an oft repeated argument …”
GOOD
Thank you for listening.
Thanks Bubba… I actually do appreciate it… I didn’t break out my copy of Strunk and White soon enough, assuming I would be called on this stuff before it got pushed to the front… in the future, i will have to be more careful at the get-go…
Good call…
And BurningMonk is right, the repetition of title was unnecessary… something I will keep in mind for next time…
Thanks guys. I’m glad I got the chance to correct all of those mistakes.
Who Can Protect Corporations From The Left
jesus can.
i want to formally, here, on TCSs blog, proclaim my shift in leftist sympathiy. I really feel sorry for the fuckers… I mean to value your worth on the whims of the global marketplace is semantically challenged at best.
success=property, money, and good credit
pathetic
Was this written by W. Bush “El Diablo”?
Profit is their motive, that is all. What to step on to get it, who cares??? Psychopaths?
By the way, -100000000er
huh?
5er * 20 million
Yes, but negative.
That’s senor peligroso put in his place.
Latin, what are you talking about? Honestly, I am curious…
My butt smells…..............................................................................................................
success=property, money, and good credit
Maybe to you that’s what = success.
is sarcasm in the house?