Are major corporations really private businesses? E.g., is it more accurate to consider Google to be a private corporation, or just another agency of the U.S. federal government–with some PR dressing to make it seem like they aren’t? Does the U.S. federal government use the FBI and it’s impossible-to-comply legal code to essentially blackball any remotely useful private agency to become another wing of the U.S. federal government?
Does private business even exist in the U.S. anymore, aside from maybe some plumbers in the Midwest?
Google is a Chinese government agency. I’ve read somewhere that they refused to work with Pentagon. Apple will comply to any law enforcement data request, even Russian or Chinese.
A business that would not be solvent without any form government assistance or is a major accomplice in the government’s crimes, willing or not, can be considered an extension of the state. For example, most every social media company complies with the government when asked, therefore they are all branches of the government.
For years I’ve said that economists, politicians etc were not really framing the debate we should be having. When they talked of private ownership vs public ownership they were never intending to talk about actual Persons owning the means of production and distribution but ENTITIES … of privately held entities vs publicly held entities.
We need to be talking about the difference between Persons owning and operating business vs any form of artificial legal entity being the business.
To me, a private business is one where you get paid in cash, and are in total control of what you earn. I’m retired; and worked since I was 17. I paid enough taxes. No problem doing superb residential plumbing for cash. I no longer do the commercial or industrial plumbing - pipe fitting. The old joints can’t handle that physical stress anymore. People who know me, know I do superb work. I am never out of part time jobs. Word of mouth is amazing. Heating system, fresh water, drains, kitchen & bathroom, etc. I do it for 25% to $50% less. Just takes a bit longer; but never ever a complaint. Few people will complain about waiting an extra three or four weeks, if they save a pile of money. Got the gandkids; and no kid will turn down $500. to $1,000. in cash for three or four weeks working with grandpa. Also nice to be able to pick & choose the work you want. Even better; I simply make a material list, and the homeowner does the buying & running. I charge strictly for high quality labor. Never had an issue; since people who hired me know, I will be there if a problem surfaces. I get 5 STARS. I tell em, get an estimate, and I always undercut if I am dead sure I can save them money & make some for myself.
The liberals whining in this country that you can’t make a living amaze me. If you can’t make it here, you can’t make it anywhere on earth. I started my first business with less than 3k, I retired when I was 45.
What really pisses me off are the macho guys I meet who are all “and what do you do” and look at me funny when I say, “whatever I want”. You pretty much have to lie to keep them off your back, “I work from home”, is better than, “my money works for me, I don’t work for money.”
Seriously, get a puritan work ethic and stop spending your salary on junk. Put your capital to work. Hell my “poor” housekeeper gave me a cash offer for my last home, she bought it, with cash, for her daughter. On cleaning houses.
I mean, I sort of understand poor people, I grew up poor, single mom, section eight apartment etc. But all it took to break that cycle was being willing to go to the public library and reading up on how to escape poverty. Is that really too much to ask people to do?
