[InterestedInPolitics]

I would like to start a thread on corporate crime. Corporate crime is not something limited to lieing on financial statements or fudging the numbers in order to fool shareholders and investors. It also encompasses corporations using their power and wealth to run a monopoly or to prevent new patents from being introduced which could really benefit society. Perhaps even stop some very good drugs or studies that would prove the beneficiality of certain drugs or compounds. Which corporate crime comes to mind for you? Do we see or know about all corporate crime?

[Goranhammer]

using their power and wealth to run a monopoly

Impossible. Monopolies can't exist except through government. Therefore, you should blame the state, not the corporation. Barriers of entry only exist through this channel.

prevent new patents from being introduced which could really benefit society

Once again, a corporation cannot do this. Only a state can.

stop some very good drugs or studies that would prove the beneficiality of certain drugs or compounds

State again.

Sounds like your beef is with your government, not the propagandists who exist solely to delude people into thinking profit = evil.

[InterestedInPolitics]

Impossible. Monopolies can't exist except through government. Therefore, you should blame the state, not the corporation. Barriers of entry only exist through this channel.

Then why is their a need for anti-trust laws? Anti-trust laws are used to break up corporations who have managed to establish themselves a monopoly without the use of state power. I am happy to provide a link here from wikipedia regarding anti-trust laws:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-trust_law

Here is a quote from the above link:

The term "antitrust" derives from the U.S. law which was originally formulated to combat "business trusts", now more commonly known as cartels. Other countries use the term "competition law". Many countries including most of the Western world have antitrust laws of some form. For example the European Union has its own competition law.

Once again, a corporation cannot do this. Only a state can.

They most certainly can and have done so, especially in cases where they have members of Congress or President paid off and in their pocket.

State again.

Sounds like your beef is with your government, not the propagandists who exist solely to delude people into thinking profit = evil.

My beef is with certain corporations and with government when government fails to do their job in protecting the health of the public and the consumer. I have a problem when corporations start to put profit before life.

[anothermember]

stop some very good drugs or studies that would prove the beneficiality of certain drugs or compounds

State again.

What if these studies aren't going to be profitable to them will they still carry it out? Surely then they have no reason to other than good will no matter how beneficial to society it would be. It won't be the state stopping them.

[Goranhammer]

Antitrusts are a funny thing. It's only when there is a perceived monopoly. Microsoft, for example. Under strict definition, they are nothing near a monopoly. However, they are thought as such because they have rather savage competitive moves. To be honest, anyone with their salt would say Linux > Windows, especially in the business world.

Consequently, I am against antitrust laws. They're usually loosely based on bubbles. Besides, ultimately people choose what they want. Hell, there are still some simple people out there who think Wal-Mart is a monopoly. They're always good for a chuckle.

[Bleach]

Speaking specificly of Corpoations commiting crime, Corporations are pychopaths. Legaly a corporation is considered a Human being. Now, considering that a corporation is a Human being, if we take the WHO (I think it's the WHO) mental health checklist, and go through the symptoms, a corporation can be diagnosed as a pychopath.

One other piece of infomation I'd like to add, to some corporations commiting a crime is not a question of morality, (since a pychopath lacks understanding of morality) but a question of profits. The choice to commit a crime becomes a buisness decision based on risk. If the risk is low, and the chance of gaining extra profits is high, why wouldn't you comit the crime?