Questions for the Libertarians: Government, Corporations, and the Media
I consider myself to be socially and economically liberal. Thus, I'd disagree with the libertarian economic platform.
The way I see it, one of two extremes in the world will eventually materialize. One, that the government becomes large. Two, that the corporations (eventually merging to one or two or three) become large.
The main argument I have in favor of the former is that government is still controlled by the people, while a single or few corporations would have basically nothing to stop them. Granted, a super-powerful government that abandons the constituion could do the same, but my whole idea hinges on the constitution staying around (so does the libertarians).
Large multi-national corporations eliminate democracy, the people's say, in the future course. Libertarians would argue that the they can vote with market forces. This has not happened, clearly; people are dying, and poverty is a problem. Libertarians would counter that the market isn't truly free or unregulated. I would argue that an unregulated corporation would do even more of the evil things.
And with large corporations owning most of the media in the country, people have no way to find out what kinds of things should help them determine the market forces. The government can potentially break up large corporations and try to keep media free, providing a independantly informed community.
So my question is this: If unregulation and free markets have shown that corporations will merge and become larger and more powerful, eventually owning close to all media, how can a free economy let the people be informed enough to "vote with their dollar"?
Last edited by rukkyg; 10-14-2004 at 02:53 PM..
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