Not Socialism, but Free Business Enterprise with Social Responsibility

Under our current unregulated free business enterprise system, Big Business can exploit and abuse power to amass fortunes for an elite few with just enough trickling down to convince the majority of the middle class that they are well off or will become well off if they work hard. This has resulted in a small class of extremely wealthy people and an increasingly larger population of poor people, with half of the lower middle class struggling to keep afloat. Big business is taking over and small business is being eased out.

Under a more regulated free business enterprise system, big business could be curbed from exploiting its power and destroying small business. This could be accomplished by enforcing anti-trust laws, restricting mergers and takeovers that create monopolies, putting the control of the corporations into the hands of the owners of the corporations (the stockholders) and returning profits as cash dividends instead of using profits to expand operations with greater remuneration for the Ceos. (investors should make the decision to determine how much and where to invest.) Ceo's salaries and perks should be under the control of the stockholders as well, and not determined by the nonrepresentative Board of Directors or the CEO himself.

Incidentally, the salaraies and perks of government officials should also be under the control of the tax payers and not the officials themselves who now determine their own salary and perks.)

Under this proposed system, there would be less exploitation, more competition to keep consumer prices under control, and and a more level playing field for small business to function. There would still be greed and we would still have an elite wealthy class, but perhaps with more reasonable gains; a larger middle class at a higher level of gain; and a less fortunate class assisted by the social responsibility of the government.

What would constitute social responsibility?

Universal Health Care, Free public education through college, and possibly more government control of public transporation and vital utilities. The argument for "competition" is mute in these areas as they are basic necessities for all citizens and should be available to all without competition.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?