The Big Business myth

“I don’t like George W. Bush,” said an American friend of mine. “He belongs to the fat cats. He is financed by big business, and that’s bad.”

I don’t see why it is considered so detrimental, but many people apparently feel this way about politicians backed by major corporations or the wealthy.

It is not as if Big Business is one unified, monolithic entity bent on ravaging everything in sight. “Big Business” is really comprised of many businesses, some of them competing directly with one another for market share. Big businesses sue each other all of the time. Sun Microsystems has had problems with Microsoft. There is nothing inherently devious or wretched about Big Business.

The real collusion lies with Big Labor and Big Brother Government. This is where the vast majority of actual coercion takes place. Yet most people are not nearly as concerned about Big Government/Big Labor as they are about Big Business, when they should really be worried about the reverse arrangement.

Take Big Government. Big government taxes and regulates you (in many cases) without your direct consent. The tyranny of the majority, legal precedents and other issues emerge to stifle your individual liberties. There is often very little choice when dealing with the government. People usually can’t switch governments with relative ease.

Big Labor is the same way. In many jurisdictions, there are no “right-to-work” laws protecting you against labor unions. In many cases, in order to work, one must (is forced) to “join” a labor union. And once you do “join” a union, you are then forced to strike when the union leaders call for it, almost regardless of your own personal preference. Scabs (reluctant strikers) are often ostracized, intimidated, threatened and harassed–in some cases, even brutally beaten by union thugs. Moreover, you may even be forced to pay for political activities you do not approve of, or candidates you do not support.

What about Big Business?

With Big Business, or businesses in general, the consumer is generally king. In a free market, if you don’t like the product or service, you do not have to buy. In many cases, you can go elsewhere to get the product or service you desire.

Big Business is not out to murder or torture the “little man” on the street. Indeed, in many instances, the interests of the so-called “little man” are the same as those of Big Business.

The average American today is a part-owner, a shareholder, of blue chip stocks: in his mutual funds, individual retirement accounts, 401 (k) plans, and pension accounts.

What’s good for business–big, small and medium alike–is often good for America (as well as the CNMI).

Biba business!