Hello everyone. I have a question about the relation between businessmen and liberalism. Is it possible for business people who own/work for corporations to support liberal and anticroyism ideas? I am asking this because companies continuously try to use government for their benefit in expense of their competitors and consumers, which is definitely cronyism and anti-liberal. In other words, are there any "good" corporations and businessmen or the current good ones are the next corrupted? I would appreciate it if you could write your opinions. Thank you
In my experience they don't support anticrony ideads when they aren't the crony, and do support them when they are. I don't think you can look to them as a group for principled support of free markets anymore than you could any other group of people.
yes
It all has to do with which side of cronyism you are on. If you are the business trying to get favors or the politician receiving benefits in return for favors then then you will be supporting the status quo. On the other hand if you are the small business that is being hurt and undercut, not due to legitimate competition, but to extra favors being given to one company by the government, then you would be the one supporting anticronyism ideas.
Simply, free markets are anti-massive corporation/anti-monopoly. but they are pro-entrereneur/pro small business because they encourage open level competition.
Cab21, could you explain it more please?
So, corporations do not benefit at all from free market?
I mean, when they are outside the lobby, they only struggle to be part of it?
- Are there any reasons for them to support free market? I mean, they only support free market because they are not part of a lobby? Aren't there other benefits from free market for them, for their operations, their fame, their quality, their profitability, their technology/knowledge etc?
* Furthermore, I would like to state that the big firms that formulate lobbies and oligopolies are a minority in comparison with the number of other firms. By this, we could conclude that the majority of businessmen support more open industries, more free trade and more free market.
What do you mean by benefit? They can benefit in a free market, they can also get their asses handed to them by their competition. Which is why they generally like to keep their profits private but socialize their losses, and use the government to stifle competition. To what degree they act that way will depend entirely on their ideology vis a vi their perceived interests. If you have a very libertarian CEO of a corporation, he may legitimately be interested in a free and open markets, his or her personal success be damned. Most such people though are your standard left or right type, and argue for intervention when it helps them, and against it when it hinders them.
Are there any reasons for them to support free market?
No more or less than anyone else.
do you mean do any business owners or workers not want to register as a corporation? i think some would support not having to register at all with a government, but do because the current system makes it illegal/ and or hard to not do so. i'm sure many arent asking the government for favors and privalige, but don't want to be disadvantaged or arested for not particpating with the government whatsoever. i think corporations in a private market would hire private firms to do some of the tasks the government currently does, but that does not mean the person wants the government to do the task, but that they want some of the protections of a corporation to be privatly protected through contracts. i think right now some of the privaliges of corporations are nececcesity's to take in the current system, but i don't think taking them means advocating for the current system.
another thing could be is that i don't neccicarly think businesss would see IP rights and limited liability as being anti-liberal and croynyism. they would likly look to such servies in the private market with dros if there was not a government offering such legal protection. but there are some people that may be against ip and limeted liability that have corporations. i'm not sure if a true liberal person would have to use the black market.
with the title of businessmen , there are plenty of business owners that don't use corporation status for their business, but do use some form of government protection, but there as well i think they would rather have the protection services be private.