The Glade 4.0

They hadn't agreed to the sale. They were talking about it.

No means no. :p

GM said no, and Germany still wants to put the dick in.

What makes this interesting to me is the potential conflict of interest between GM and the US Government. It has already been shown that our glorious leaders have no qualms about forcing decisions on GM to satisfy political goals rather than economic, so I'm curious how this will play out.

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this. I think my first thought was, "Hmm. Are we going to have Secretaries of State brokering corporate sales and mergers, now?"

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this. I think my first thought was, "Hmm. Are we going to have Secretaries of State brokering corporate sales and mergers, now?"

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

Hopwin, we, as the aggregate public to whom the government is responsible, are now shareholders via the government. The shareholders' interests *are* our interests, if we want the government to get repaid its "investment" and thus to not have wasted our tax dollars.

There's no reason to have anybody making decisions based on what's good for the economy or our national manufacturing base. They need to make decisions based on what is healthy and profitable for the company, so we can get our money's worth.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

True but too often capitalism exists in a void which allows corporations to continue ignoring the social ramifications of their actions in pursuit of a dollar. I would rather collect both economic and social benefits as a shareholder.

So long as people freely enter into contract to purchase that corporation's goods and or services the society feels that the actions of the corporation are in the interest of society.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

True but too often capitalism exists in a void which allows corporations to continue ignoring the social ramifications of their actions in pursuit of a dollar. I would rather collect both economic and social benefits as a shareholder.

The obvious answer is, they want it, but don't want to pay for it.

Which society? We live in global society where we can export the negative aspects of capitalism via outsourcing. Is it good for the Chinese people to get cancer by drinking the polluted waters of the Yellow River? If not how do they cool the demand for the goods that are purchased here in the US?

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

Hooker Chemical, its customers, and its employees benefited. So has everyone that has been employed by the EPA funny enough.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

That's the point Elmarnieh... they benefitted without paying the price of the output. They dumped all the negatives on the populace at Love Canal while reaping the benefits.

At the time of the dump's closure, Niagara Falls' population began to expand drastically. The local school board was desperate for land, and attempted to purchase an area of expensive property from Hooker Chemical that had not yet been used to bury toxic waste. The corporation refused to sell, citing safety concerns, and even took members of the school board to the canal and drilled several bore holes through the clay, to demonstrate that there were toxic chemicals below the surface. However, the board refused to capitulate.[10] Eventually, faced with the property being condemned and/or expropriated, Hooker Chemical agreed to sell on the condition that the board buy the entire property for one dollar. In the agreement signed on April 28, 1953, Hooker included a seventeen line caveat that explained the dangers of building on the site. Hooker was thus released from all legal obligations should lawsuits arise in the future.

Prior to the delivery of this instrument of conveyance, the grantee herein has been advised by the grantor that the premises above described have been filled, in whole or in part, to the present grade level thereof with waste products resulting from the manufacturing of chemicals by the grantor at its plant in the City of Niagara Falls, New York, and the grantee assumes all risk and liability incident to the use thereof. It is therefore understood and agreed that, as a part of the consideration for this conveyance and as a condition thereof, no claim, suit, action or demand of any nature whatsoever shall ever be made by the grantee, its successors or assigns, against the grantor, its successors or assigns, for injury to a person or persons, including death resulting therefrom, or loss of or damage to property caused by, in connection with or by reason of the presence of said industrial wastes. It is further agreed as a condition hereof that each subsequent conveyance of the aforesaid lands shall be made subject to the foregoing provisions and conditions.

The problem is not capitalism - it is the idea of public property.