BIG business was once someone's small business which eventually grew into the great American dream for them. I do not begrudge anyone their personal success story.
As an example, Cindy McCain's parents initially sold everything they owned to get $10,000 to start their own business, which now is worth a fortune.
Not every small business is as fortunate. Big business can shut the doors of small businesses wanting to become big business (or even just profitable). I've been on the receiving end of this. Big businesses have buying power unavailable to the small businesses, unless the latter joins buying groups or pays affiliated markets to get discounts... this doesn't come cheap, either.
...I believe fully in capitalism, where people do what they want with the companies they privately grew.
If growing a company were as simple. It's a crying shame anyone who wants to grow a company has to be political, but they do.
A) I do NOT believe our government should bail out faltering PRIVATE companies. I do not believe our government should have much to say about the running of any PRIVATE company, B) except where it comes to the safety and protection of its employees (like child labor laws). More extensive laws should certainly protect public companies to protect stockholders, which include pensions, life savings and even money invested by individuals working at low wage jobs.
C)... mortgage companies and credit card companies should be held accountable for extending credit to people who have not demonstrated creditworthiness. These companies should NOT be bailed out by the government. And those who accept such credit and then get into payment difficulty should not be bailed out by the government. There's a fine line in all of this.
A&C) If government didn't bail out 'some' private companies (although I'd not call any company on a scale big enough for the government to bail out, private) everyone would feel and live the repercussions. No, it's not fair that some companies have a safety net, but to consider the alternatives is scary, too.
B) The issues in -B- would be hard to execute without government being involved in company business as represented in -A-.
A,B&C) BUT, once government does step in, it should NOT leave the parties involved
unaccountable... they should be taking names and kicking bu**s.
Big government is what scares me.
Me too!!!
What ever happened to ethics and personal accountability?
They went out the window to be replaced with greed and power.
We live in a country where some who describe themselves as "poor," are obese from too much take-out food. My single young adult nephew and his 2 girlfriends and their seven children receive all kinds of government assistance and none of these adults work for a living. I was raised in a tenement project and I still have family ties to the kids of some I was raised with, now grown up and receiving their own government checks. One liberal poster said I was passing on urban legend. Wow! He/she has no idea how many collect government checks who are young, able-bodied, and able to work. They can afford cigarettes and beer, but they cannot afford medicine, housing or food for themselves or their children.
A sister, who is taking a psych class, asked me how I felt about this very thing Sunday night. Needless to say, I had a lot to say. I've seen this at work, myself. My sister's question was whether it was 'nature or nurture' - I should have added the word 'government' in my 'nurture' answer.
I see a need for much government reform. There is far too much wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars. I think both Democrats AND Republicans should forbid lobbying period. But NEITHER side will do it because of the personal benefits to the legislators who depend on them. Lobbyists spent tens of millions of dollars wooing both parties at each convention. Obama stayed out of it. McCain said he did not condone it. Neither side made loud negative noise about it.
Even if Obama and McCain absolutely believed against lobbying and have every intention of stopping it, they won't --- they won't be able to, at least it won't happen in our lifetime. It's too involved, and networked too broadly, to be abruptly stopped.
I think it is wonderful that the favored percentages for the candidates has stayed neck and neck... that is the first of many messages that need to be sent to anyone and everyone who wants to hold a public office. It would be even better if the highest percentage was under 'undecided.' What better, and long coming, MESSAGE could be sent than if everyone voted 'independent.'
These are my opinions.
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