Another Republican Fallacy

There are many fallacies in Republican ideology (like the idea that "trickle-down" economics is beneficial to everyone), but one of the most pernicious and damaging ones is the idea that whatever is good for Big Business (corporations) is good for America. This has never been true. The Republicans push this idea as if all businesses are the same, whether they are corporations or small local businesses (and some brain dead voters actually buy into that idea).

But what is good for corporations is not always good for small local businesses. In fact, usually the opposite is true. And small businesses are beginning to realize that giving more power to corporate entities means that small businesses have less power (and less chance to survive). Corporations are in the business of driving their competitors out of business so they can have a bigger market share and profit margin -- not in establishing a marketplace where all businesses have an equal chance to compete. Corporations like to preach "competition" (because it sounds good to the public), but they hate the idea of having any real competitors.

That's why I wasn't really surprised when I saw this article over at Think Progress. It seems that a significant majority of small business people are opposed to the United Citizens vs. FEC Supreme Court decision, which allows corporations to spend millions of dollars in secret money to control electoral politics. It turns out that:

Two-thirds of American small business leaders believe the controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United v. FEC case handed down two years ago on January 21 hurts small companies.

In fact, only nine percent of small business leaders thought the ruling positive, according to an independent national survey of 500 small business leaders released today by the American Sustainable Business Council, Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority.

The survey also found that 88 percent of small business owners hold a negative view of the role money plays in politics, with 68 percent viewing it very negatively.

This only makes sense. If the corporations are able to buy enough politicians, it will not be just bad for workers -- it will also be very bad for small businesses. Once they control the government the corporations can depress wages, destroy unions, reduce benefits, and virtually enslave workers. And they will be able to give themselves enough of an advantage to drive small businesses completely out of existence.

The Republican mantra that what is good for the corporations is good for America is not just wrong -- it's dangerous, and it will destroy not only democracy but our free market system as well. The truth is that the American economy has always worked best when there is a balance between corporations, small business, and workers. The Republicans are destroying that balance, and with it, our economy.