Corporate Fat Cats and Government Treats

This is a thought-provoking thesis by Dennis Prager that is in large part true: big business isn't conservative. Obviously, this runs counter to President Obama's pronouncements about Big Business, but if you look at what he does, as opposed to what he says, you know Prager is right. Specifically, the Obama Administration rewards those companies that play ball and punishes those companies that do not. Most companies play ball because they want the government treats. The result is a bland corporate political correctness, risk averseness, mediocre products, and gazillion dollar executive salaries. Prager gives an interesting example.

Jeff Flake is the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona. He was asked to come to a meeting of two big Arizona corporate types, a real estate developer from Phoenix and Jerry Colangelo who owns the Phoenix Suns. They asked him if he was going to be an Arizona Senator or a U.S. Senator. Translation: they want a new highway built from Phoenix to Las Vegas that goes through their property so that they can build a luxury destination hotel/vacation home development. Will you play ball? Flake answered that we need to deal with the $16 trillion national deficit. As Prager dryly commented: right answer; wrong audience. 

It is no accident that the vast majority of jobs and much of the innovation comes from small and medium sized businesses. They are hungry and always looking for the next new breakthrough to get ahead. Big Business instead looks to Big Government for handouts and protection from having to compete in such a déclassé'  way. Thus, you should not be surprised when you see leaders of large American companies leading the cheering for Obama. Think bad for the country, but good for GM.

townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2012/10/23/big_business_is_not_conservative