21st Centuary equivalent of the church-state battle?

[jaguar]

For centuries many fought for the separation of the church and the state, it’s not a battle you can really say has been won
For debates and discussions later I’ve come to the conclusion that the 21st centaury equivalent will be the battle for separation of business and the state, an arguably worse relationship.
Opinions?

[Griff]

I'd say you're on the mark there. Some folks would argue that government oversight is the only way to prevent concentrations of power in business. IMHO government interaction with business contributes to centralizing. Regulating organizations using private expertise create rules which barr entry by competitors into markets. Bailouts for everyone from airlines to farmers prop up inefficient businesses increasing consumer cost and decreasing the vitality of the marketplace, slowing innovation. This kind of market socialism is destructive of government and the market creating something akin to 30s fascism. This has implications in our elections and policies, you only have to watch the flow of money to see who is buying protection er... access (Loral, Sun Micro...). Take a quick look at the third way crowd and you catch a glimpse of some strange extranational fascism. Look at the Bush team and consider the foreign policy implications to the oil market. The worst part of this is that governments have armies and police powers with which to enforce choices better made by consumers. Do a search on Marine Corp General Smedley Butler if you want to see an insiders view of government acting as businesses' enforcer.

[jaguar]

Best recent example that I’ve seen was with tax haven crackdown law that Clinton was going to pass. Days after receiving nearly 300k worth of donations from financial institutions they stonewalled it then tried to stop it altogether. In the wake of 911 allot have decided it must be passed but plenty are still fighting.

My general philosophy has always been that business should operate in a carefully contained arena administered by government but not interlinked as they are today. A kind of gladiatorial contest where the gladiators cannot buy the emperors favor =)

It’s always a balance of power thing, between government and business. Big government is not good, neither is business control. Personally I marginally prefer government most of the time, governments in the end (in western countries) at least mostly are elected by their people, and business just wants to make money no matter what the cost.

[jaguar]

noone has anything to say???
awww

[Griff]

I guess our brilliance is too imposing.

[jaguar]

Won't the "crack pot rubbish" voter please stand up, please stand up....... =)
Dosen't anyone have the energy left to argue with me? depressing.

[Scopulus Argentarius]

I agree somewhat with the statement and I think that it can be generalized into a universal truth :

Groups with vested interests (cloistered too) will always blend into government in a way that is not healthy for the society as a whole. It happened with religion; the government sought to separate itself from that control. Its now, happening with business in a way that is undeniable. Examples are :business sponsored education programs that specifically serve a business (and not an industry); Larry Ellison's (Dickless wonder of the world) proposal to give the gov't a database for an ID card (Oracle sux btw); and business slapping their name on public (non-private) buildings (The sale of the naming rights of the superdome comes to mind).