We need to recognize that unlike human beings who have a finite amount of life here on earth, that corporations, that are artificial constructs of the state, are perpetual in nature, which is why some corporations, have already been in existence in America for well over one hundred years, which signifies that the biggest corporations of today, that earn billions upon billions of dollars each year, are not going to be going away into that good quiet night, anytime soon. This means that the power and influence of corporations need to have governmental guardrails imposed upon them, for without such, their influence, often effected through the purse, will get the rules to unfairly favor their interests, which may easily be in conflict with the greater good.
When it comes to public companies, they are on notice with their shareholders that each and every quarter, they need to boost revenue and increase profits, or else there may not only be replacement changes to those in the highest corporate positions, but also what many a shareholder will not tolerate is seeing that the stock price suffers a decline. So then, because corporations are driven by profit above all, they are going to pursue all the legitimate ways to maintain and enhance that profit, and will be sorely tempted when feeling constant pressure to thereby “game” the system to increase those profits, if not to outright violate the law in their pursuit of profits.
All of this indicates that guardrails are absolutely necessary or else unelected corporate power will essentially run this country under the misguided belief that what is good for these corporations is good for America; whereas the reality is that corporations that run roughshod over the people, are primarily benefiting those that are its corporate executives, their employees, as well as their stockholders, and care not too much about the general public, because they are driven primarily by profit.
When it comes to environmental damage, employee exploitation, collusion, and market power, which permits these corporations to charge a higher price or fee because competition doesn’t exist or has been compromised, this signifies that the general population is being exploited so that the few can get over on the many, which isn’t fair or right. Further to the point, corporations have a strong tendency not to want to pay their fair share in taxes, which means that those of the general population will either have to pay more, or the federal debt of this nation will continue to increase, so that unborn generations will be burdened with that debt that they never personally incurred.
The bottom line is that corporations have an inherent obligation to this county which permits their existence, and to assure that they are attune with that obligation, appropriate guardrails need to be in place, that makes these profit-driven enterprises to do their fair part to contribute their fair share to the general welfare of the people, which is where the government comes in, for it is our governmental representatives that not only should be on top of that watchtower to observe but also they need to enforce appropriate rules and regulations to see that these corporations are beneficial to the people, in whole, as well.