It is not impossible to combine free enterprise and ethical standards.
The problem is, quite simply, that any time free enterprise is asked to adhere to ethical standards it threatens its workers with unemployment.
We want you to clean up your pollution.
That will cost money and force us to lay employees off.
We want you to provide your employees with safer working conditions.
That will cost money and force us to lay employees off.
We want you to stop using toxic chemicals.
That will give our competitors in other countries an advantage, we will lose business, and be forced to lay employees off.
It is total disingenuous nonsense but John Q. Public living from paycheck to paycheck almost always caves in out of fear.
If you want to control people all you need to do is scare them. George Bush did that to get his war and corporations do that all the time to get their way. Corporations will behave ethically when they are forced to do so by an uncowered citizenry.
