Re:Silicon Values
by wpietri on Monday August 29, 2022 @11:54AM
(#32639711)
> meaningful regulation of corporations can't really happen
Isn't that overstating the case?
I agree corporate lobbyists have an outsized and often harmful impact. But just recently we have seen California moving toward ending sales of gasoline-powered cars. Or at the federal level, greenhouse gasses are now legally a pollutant that the EPA can regulate. With just one more Democratic senator, we would have seen the end of the carried-interest loophole. And organized labor, which serves as an important check on corporate power, has been on the rise, in part due to Federal support.
I'll also note that places like Facebook, although not yet particularly regulated, are running scared from a lot of proposed legislation, and so are increasing transparency and reducing harm in hopes of heading it off. That too checks corporate power, and is a strong sign that they don't see themselves as untouchable.
Personally, although the challenges are large, I think there's a fair bit of cause for optimism.
Isn't that overstating the case?
I agree corporate lobbyists have an outsized and often harmful impact. But just recently we have seen California moving toward ending sales of gasoline-powered cars. Or at the federal level, greenhouse gasses are now legally a pollutant that the EPA can regulate. With just one more Democratic senator, we would have seen the end of the carried-interest loophole. And organized labor, which serves as an important check on corporate power, has been on the rise, in part due to Federal support.
I'll also note that places like Facebook, although not yet particularly regulated, are running scared from a lot of proposed legislation, and so are increasing transparency and reducing harm in hopes of heading it off. That too checks corporate power, and is a strong sign that they don't see themselves as untouchable.
Personally, although the challenges are large, I think there's a fair bit of cause for optimism.