Op-Ed: Corporate Profit Drive Redesigned to Protect Stakeholder Interests

(BEND, Ore.) - Corporations today hold the key to further progressive and potent development of world resources to reinforce and strengthen progress around this diminishing globe which is our mutual home.

There is no longer conceivable doubt that the corporate combination of effective management with rapid access to essential asset-strength, when required, is the 21st Century pattern for any possible progress.

Worldwide developments within our embedded capitalistic system make overwhelmingly clear not only that patent and potent fact; they also illuminate, also without question, that the problems imposed on corporate management by its current slim, sole, legal but lethal purpose - to produce profits on an ascending scale - must be purposefully redesigned and developed.

Not only does “required redesign” now dominate corporate progress as ongoing businesses, but it also will become “absolutely essential to the two most essential areas for world preservation”.

Conscientious and competent usage of what world resources remain an option to us all, and comprehensive sharing among all stakeholders as the corporate form is rebuilt to work properly, is essential for the common good of all and for the widespread distribution of wealth cooperatively produced.

That’s why the Boston-based Summit On The Future Of the Corporation, assembled in Faneuil Hall, site of first steps towards the world-shaping American Revolution, is now considered an historic event in its own right, with world-shaping consequences sure to follow sooner rather than later.

Not only do we now face a painfully-plundered planet, “primarily due to corporate raids on natural resources without competent guidance and never any mercy”, but large-scale stock-holding criminality, contrived corporate “person-hood” and widespread corruption via “corporate campaign contributions” have now been proven in promiscuity and full depth for all to see with their own eyes.

An amazing, continuous record, with the latest likes of Enron and more than 50 others firmly on the record. “Contrived corporate person-hood”? Railroad Era public records clearly illuminate an ongoing continuing assault over decades, ending with paid-for and Supreme Court-allowed erroneous case-note establishing a false assumption for “precedent” clearly leading to millions and billions of dollars in “corporate campaign contributions” made to appear legal on that erroneous basis.

Such comprehensive corporate effort to assure - even guarantee - ongoing corporate sweep-up of all possible profits, even at some cost in community and stakeholder adverse consequence, are clearly driven by “short-term benefits” imposed by stock-market speculation. That pressure is irretrievably exerted by open-market stock-acquisition and its inescapable overwhelming necessity “to protect, preserve. progress share-value under any possible circumstance, at any cost.”

“Make your mark - or lose corporate control to merger threat” has become the litigious liability inexorably facing corporate management.

Corporate money-power, cannily if unethically applied to any and all governance-systems worldwide, is obviously and unmistakably forging a new and highly disturbing element in any further development of democracies; particularly in now-rapidly/developing nations until now left out of the past distributions “of the world-resource pie we must all share, or die”.

Thus we can now begin to understand fatal consequences fully documented, already “on the way” and mercilessly bound to become huge and massive in momentum and consequences for the entire world.

Thus redesign in depth and operating detail is now essentially the only answer in reality for corporate power already in place and poised for still further devastating, disastrous damages, not only to the globe itself but to any possibilities of democratic developments still under way.

Three years of full bore cooperative study and effort preceded the Boston Summit, involving opinion leaders from business, civil society, finance, government, labor and law. Their mutual charge and dedication was simply “to explore the corporation of the future”.

Their heavy duty efforts, culminating in full consequential report at the Summit, resulted in six striking Principles Of Corporate Redesign, clearly --and very persuasively-- stated in comprehensive summary now available to the general public, as well as to government groups and corporate management.

Not only does the Summit material- available cover these basic Principles, but also supplied are solidly-recorded examples of corporate redesign at work: “clearly demonstrating that the new operational dimensions can be fair for all stakeholders, meet every possible legal requirement, be effectively managed as re-designed --and create ongoing competitive advantages leading to profits.”

Perhaps the most essential redesign Principle is No. 1: The purpose of the corporation is to harness private interests to serve the public interest.

Without possible doubt, history shows that was the original intention of all ongoing effort in the earliest corporate development, with heavy emphasis on its essential importance throughout early centuries of corporate continuance.

Only in latest decades has government, always the only possible creator of the corporate format - allowed distortion and perversion to degenerate into not-so-pure pursuit only of profit at any and all costs in both corporate control and ethical operation.

Major tools for such corporate perversion include “privatization”, with corporations undertaking responsibilities long left to government “deregulation”, simple abandonment of essential government control via workable, fair and ethical requirements and “globalization”, “worldwide spread of the corporate disease” buttressed by the unfair-advantages conferred on developed nations vs the rest of the world by so-called “free trade”, often enforced on less-developed countries by fiat and force.

Principle No. 4 states: Corporations shall distribute their wealth equitably among those who contribute to the creation of that wealth. Please note this specifically relates to those involved in the corporate enterprise as participants. In no way does it impact on continuing societal action or lack of action - except by sure and ethical insistence on the human right to profit from equal opportunity and effort.

Thus the modern corporation is directed into wider opportunity for those who make its success possible - all shareholders - in exchange for the much narrower and proven extremely vulnerable current pattern of privatized “ownership”, often by negligent and impotent and highly speculative profit/only and at any cost stockholders.

Issues linked to this Principle include living wages, employee ownership, profit sharing, stakeholder councils, election and removal of board members and of management, public reporting, management of ethics, and checks and balances on management power.

Other Principles treat in detail every demanded essential problem, issue and point to illustrate, summarize, explain and justify the Summit three-year determined drive to provide precisely those practical guiding insights and overviews most essential to further corporate development - with added ethical, moral, diversity-protecting, and democracy-supporting management actions and activities.

Also available from Summit sources is a complete set of actually-operating corporate identities, redesigned and rebuilt over several past years on these same basic principles --and providing solid proof that they work, improve life and security for all stakeholders, and still produce highly-acceptable levels of return-on-investment: I.e. “profits”.

For full access to all Summit reports and publications, send request for detailed list to info@corporation2020.org, visit the website at Summit.org; or write: Corporation 2020, 11 Arlington St., Boston, MA 02116

Writer's files are being culled and terminated, so this access is workable for only ten days from date of publication.

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Jeffersonism 101 December 18, 2007 6:25 pm (Pacific time)

People the data below is what the real dishonest people do not want you to know, much less start to think about: Anybody can look it up! It's IRS data. You can find the data anywhere. This below government information doesn't fit their false narrative, doesn't fit their false template, so they don't publically discuss it. That's fraud! It's MSM journalistic malpractice. That's abusing the truth. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal updates the tax numbers. Before the Bush tax cuts, the top 1% of wage earners paid 37% of all income tax revenue. Now, after the Bush tax cuts, the top 1% are paying 39% of a total income tax bite. That's a 2% increase in the share of total taxes paid by the rich, the top 1%, since the Bush tax cuts went into effect. By the same token, before the Bush tax cuts, the top 5% paid 56% of all income tax revenue. Now the top 5% are paying 60%, after the Bush tax cuts. Now, you might be saying, "How does this happen Jefferson?" It's simple. You have to stop looking at things as a zero-sum game. You have to look at the dynamic results of what tax cuts cause. They cause more jobs. They create more wealth, and as more people gain wealth, they move into these higher tax brackets. There are more people in those brackets, therefore the aggregate income tax collected goes up. They are paying a bigger portion, which, you know, generating revenue to the Treasury is what this is all about. But it's really not, see, because of the Democrats and the Drive-Bys, it's about control. It's not about raising revenue. It's about getting more power over you by taking more of your hard-earned money and your hard-fought individual freedoms. Suffice, that Oregon kicker refund was because of the success that the tax hikes created...think!

Jefferson December 17, 2007 6:31 pm (Pacific time)

Former Clinton labor secretary and perennial industrial policy hustler, Robert Reich, is a leading negative indicator, a socialist who may still be bitter about not getting Billy Barty's role in television program Wild Wild West. Whatever he predicts, the exact opposite occurs. In the 1980s, Reich declared that the U.S. economic growth rates were in a permanent slump and that we needed to adopt the economic model represented by the once famed Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry. In 1982, Reich co-authored Minding America's Business with Ira Magaziner which recommended that the federal government start directing the economy. That people is what I warned you about earlier, these socialist's come wrapped in different packages and talk a good game but it always ends with big daddy government taking over and screw you and your freedoms. Socialism does not work, but they continue to push this loser, tells you a lot about their character and desired end game...

Henry Ruark December 17, 2007 2:58 pm (Pacific time)

"Unless you become more watchful in your States and check this spirit of monopoly and thirst for exclusive privileges, you will in the end find that the most important powers of Government have been given or bartered away, and the control of your dearest interests have been passed into the hands of these corporations." -- Andrew Jackson, farewell address, 04 March 1837 Do believe he was close follower of real Jefferson, who made much more sense than does our fraudulent nonentity so afraid of real ID he seeks concealment behind stolen name --which we can well take as usual behavior on principles displayed in statements. OR does he really consider himself superior to both the real Jefferson AND this other President, Jackson ???

Henry Ruark December 17, 2007 2:40 pm (Pacific time)

Nonentity now denouncing longtime common practice in publication: Conglomeration - combining previous essays into book. It's same principle as assembling working-kit from products or tools produced previously, except in literature it offers opportunity to update, confirm and document entire flow of ideas. But that's obviously outside range of understanding involved here for nonentity. Conglomeration has worse name applied to corporations, where one gulps down another when stock-price drops only sightly --profitable company or not. That's how huge ones get even huger and more voracious. Which is major reason for Boston Summit, reported here for you exclusively, with new principles fitting closely to points made in Reich book. By the way, N/N, have you read the book ? Took me since about 7 last night, just finishing complete review to find Reich in essence now suggesting some of same principles as Summit does --spelled out here in detail for all to "see with own eyes", while we await anything but inane verbosities from him at every turn of screw now tightening inevitably by his own words, for any thinking reader.

Henry Ruark December 17, 2007 1:50 pm (Pacific time)

Nonentity no-nothing: Yr last demands answer from famous Marx Bros movie, with Chico's statement: "WHO you gonna believe, me or your own eyes ?" Anyone other than those surrounded by piles of pelf from short-trading on WSt. can answer this simply by seeing own situation in last five years. That'sallthat'sneeded here.

Jefferson December 17, 2007 1:05 pm (Pacific time)

Well the gnome is back in academia and from his below "witty observation" he no doubt has hit his zenith, empirically speaking: "Reich said he knows from his contact with people in Berkeley, Calif., which he now calls home, in Cambridge, his former home, and in Truro, where he spends his summers, that there is a lot of discontent with the Republican Party over the current administration." Yep, that's a slice of America, all right. P.S. He is known as someone who recycles his previous newspaper articles (nearly word for word) into recent publications as if they were newly written. Ummm, is there a technical name for this?

Jefferson December 17, 2007 12:54 pm (Pacific time)

Anyone who has had the misfortune to listen to one of Reich’s rants on Kudlow’s show or other shows must be getting tired of hearing the same spiel. Each and every one of Reich’s tirades is basically a depiction of the U.S. as if we were still in the midst of the Great Depression (sounds like Henry's prediction!). In Reich’s view poor Americans are faced with hopeless odds to overcome their grim fate as citizens of the U.S. Poor Americans are totally unable to help themselves and are crushed by the policies of conservatives who unfairly demand that people work for a living. Only the huge, smiling. paternalistic hand of Big Government can save these poor, helpless Americans. Ergo, the socialist unmasked!

Henry Ruark December 17, 2007 12:45 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Reich happens also to be on board of several corporations, and other businesses, as well as proprietor of his own entrepreneurial interests. Per DOING, record speaks for itself, unless one hates academic and literary achievment, perhaps due to lack of success in same for self, with no disclosable record, note even basic education above high school. Unclear, perhaps unclean service in certain clandestine organizations is black-mark for most persons with any knowledge of their operations. IF one wishes to advise, the responsibility to confirm any possible preparations for that dangerous action is to inform prospective client of why you have right to be heard. Works in dialog precisely as it does when one is consultant collecting (nicely, thank you !) for that ongoing difficult occupation, always demanding special academic preparation and then practical, provable operating experience, too. Where's resume we can check for neocon nonentity ? Offered to post mine side-by-side, but heard no response, ever. This also constitutes 21st invitation to direct contact, requiring only ID to Editor. OR do-your-own OP ED, but that also demands open ID, as it definitely should !!

Henry Ruark December 17, 2007 11:51 am (Pacific time)

FYI-all: Robert Reich is professor of public policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy Univerisity of California. He last served in government as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall St. Journal ( NONE surely no index for socialism !). He contributes weekly commentary to Marketplace on National Public Radio, appears regularly on television, and is a co-founding editor of Yhe American Prospect. In 2003 Reich was awarded the prestigious Vaclav Havel Foundation Prize for pioneering work in economic and social thought. (Havel obviously NOT socialist NOR communist - look it up !). "Supercapitalism" is Reich's 11th book...I have 'em all. SO here's record neocon nonentity tries to smear, while dodging/weaving/lying about own background. Do you want to rely on him as source for ANYthing ??? He's unwilling --or unable by past working history-- to give us basic believability-facts.

Henry Ruark December 17, 2007 11:07 am (Pacific time)

To all: Despite continuing smear tactics by neocon nonentity, it is also true Reich et al have never practiced waterboarding as paid serf to only ones using it... Also never have seen any ID from n/n, despite more than 20 invitations for direct contact. Obvious reason is that ID will destroy any shreds of remaining credibility here. Meanwhile Reich et al, including participants in the Boston historic Summit reported here, continue to make progress on rational, reasonable change in dangerous corporate structure now openly threatening democracy...per several thousand media reports easily procured via any small effort.

Jefferson December 17, 2007 7:59 am (Pacific time)

REICH! Which one? The cookie elf? The socialist? If it is the latter, then one must always analyze everything he says as he hates capitalism, hates the succeeders in this country and is pro-redistribution of wealth. Of couse he is typical of the intellectual elite, his life is based on theory not practical business experience. If one looks at most of the cabinet members of the Clinton Administration (Reich was one, Sec. of Labor), they all have one thing in common, no real world experience, like most socialists.

Henry Ruark December 17, 2007 7:22 am (Pacific time)

To all: NOT so coincidentally, and appearing at about same time, comes strong statement from Mark J. Penn: "Microtrends" The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes". WPost describes Penn: "Probably the most powerful man in Washington you've never heard of." Penn's point is very strong, wide impact of small changes now implicit in world events. "See with own eyes" at www.microtrending.com, and use own mind to apply to coming demanded changes in corporate structure AND capitalism --if we are to survive.

Henry Ruark December 16, 2007 2:16 pm (Pacific time)

Primary news slots for the past 100 years have paid close attention to the economics of the owner. See any journalism history. "Story" is there but not in same realistic terms. Re wide reporting of same trends, it is still found in many better channels, esp. in major magazines, including FORTUNE, TIME, FORBES and NATION. Re yr choice on Interrnet and China, Reich points out fate due us on those and more, stating it is what we do now as to "final" outcome. He makes solid sense of choices you underline, stating that is what's encumbering public will to understand AND act, until finality of failures forces SOMEthing, SOMEhow...which is what Summit in Boston is all about, and why I reported --so you can learn. Best wishes to you as you "see with own eyes", perhaps starting with Reich, and using own head to evaluate what you will find. Challenge is there, if you decide to learn more.

Passing by December 16, 2007 10:17 am (Pacific time)

Thanks for making it all so clear to me, I think I understand now. You are saying that we are heading into an irreversible depression and all is lost? Will China invade us when we get so weak? Will I still have high speed internet? Oh this is really scary, thank you so much for the heads up. Though I do wonder why other media outlets do not report this in their primary news slots?

Henry Ruark December 16, 2007 7:11 am (Pacific time)

"Supercapitalism" by Robert Reich draws this from famed Joseph Stiglitz, author of "Globalization and its Discontents": "A much needed call for a reassessment of capitalism and recommendations for the mess we are in." Reich distrusts Corporate Social Responsibility, calls for solid fix on similar principles set forth in Boston Summit, occurring after he wrote this one. SO at least we on nose of news, with strongest one-time critic now ready to join solid run of world leaders for what the Summit proposes to do. ISBN: 978-0-307-26561.

Henry Ruark December 15, 2007 2:31 pm (Pacific time)

Incomplete Comment, sent in error, should give title of article as "Reconciling Fascism With Reality", with URL in previous comment.

Henry Ruark December 15, 2007 11:31 am (Pacific time)

Passing By et al: Did catch --and appreciate-- your own value for this one. Since mention of fascism was necessary, "see with own eyes" via this exceptional article reference what that really means: www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18890.htm

Henry Ruark December 15, 2007 5:24 am (Pacific time)

Passing ByL Au contraire, on long experience few comments almost always mean case-states so strongly, so documented, that few disagree. Obvious situation with corporate contributions, pseudo-personhood, and fullscale criminality is so strong that fear and apathy are allowed to reign...but the worldwide reality is as shown in Summit. AND "the Second American Revolution" is well on its way, with deep descent to coming real-return of Depression, now looming, perhaps the trigger-event. OR do you prefer deficits in the trillions, deaths multiplying, and descent into fascism as alternative ?

Passing By December 14, 2007 5:41 pm (Pacific time)

Appears not many people care about this article. Real shame!

Henry Ruark December 14, 2007 12:27 pm (Pacific time)

To all: For those who may wish to comment here, be my guest: Just remember your sharing with the large number of world leaders helping to build this approach for three years, then setting it up in well-attended ($1,000 entry each corporate representative) international Summit; with flood of solid, substantive and effective information now available on all that work --including whole set of working corporate applications, now producing substantial and acceptable profits, and return on investment, too. My small part was simply to report; your small part should be to study, share in their information, THEN comment with any positive way to support and encourage strong attack on an extremely important economic, social, cultural and business issue.

Henry Ruark December 13, 2007 7:20 am (Pacific time)

To all: Corporate criminality is a solid public record, but near-criminality as below is a burgeonin problem --driven by the corporte sole, single, legal purpose to pursue profits at any cost to anyone else. "See with own eyes" at the URL given below, and evaluate with own mind, too...!! Born to Shop: How Marketers Brainwash Babies By Terrence McNally, AlterNet http://www.alternet.org/story/70488/ Santa's shopping is in full swing. Peak season for what I consider child abuse, family abuse and democracy abuse -- marketing to children. I'm of the baby boomer generation. When I was a kid, there was Tony the Tiger hawking Frosted Flakes and little elves selling me cookies, but marketing to children was peanuts -- well, probably Cracker Jacks. Everything has changed, and changed gradually on such a scale that we are paying an enormous price -- in kids' physical, mental and emotional health, and in the health of our families and our democracy. From 1992 to 1997, the amount of money spent on marketing to children doubled, from $6.2 to $12.7 billion. Today they are spending over $15 billion. Children influence purchases totaling over $600 billion a year. Children spend almost 40 hours a week outside of school consuming media, most of which is commercially driven. The average child sees about 40,000 commercials each on television alone. 65 percent of children 8-18 have a television in their bedroom.

Henry Ruark December 12, 2007 1:25 pm (Pacific time)

Matt et al: Literally billions of corporate dollars spent each week to make sure all those who begin to grasp reality are rapidly re-propagandized. It's a matter of malign drive for profit uber alles, and only possible answer is full and determined understandings set into place in large part by shared honest information in channels such as this. Cognitive science now confirming that there is in effect a psychotic influence at work in many such ongoing situations. Far too many real humans caught in corporate surround succumb due to heavy demands unsurmountable without damage to career, family, society. Which is why sensible fullscale corporate redesign is demanded, to return the working world of corporate format to what was its real beginnings: built to serve the entire community, and strongly controlled to make sure it did so.

Matt Johnson December 12, 2007 12:49 pm (Pacific time)

Hank, Why can't people grasp this simple philosophy? The problems have probably always been the same throughout history, still I appreciate your words and candor on this subject, and you seem to be one of the few that bothers keeping the flame lit, so thanks.

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Op-Ed: Corporate Profit Drive Redesigned to Protect Stakeholder Interests

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