So this may be a dead horse for some of you, but I find regular confusion in USMB posts on the term "corporatism". This entry from the Encyclopedia Britannica seems to be representative of most definitions I'm finding on online:
The main point here is that corporatism has virtually nothing to say about the debate between socialism and capitalism, or any of the other issues that dominate our typical left/right pissing matches.
The most common mistake I've been seeing is the use of 'corporatism' as though it applies specifically in incorporated business. That's a natural mistake, giving the similar terminology involved, as we usually refer to these businesses as "corporations", but it's important to recognize that the 'corporation' used to define corporatism is different.
Also, corporatism is not, as many seem to assume, dominance of government by incorporate businesses - though such a thing can occur under corporatism.
In my view, the most important feature of corporatism is that it is fundamentally about group rights and opposed to individual rights. It governs society by delegating power and privilege to groups organized around common interests, preferring negotiation and quid-pro-quo to rule of law and egalitarian rights. In short, your rights depend primarily on which 'corporation' you belong to.
Corporatism strikes me as decidedly un-American, and the current trend by prominent leaders in both parties (e.g. Romney and Obama) to embrace it, disturbing.
Corporatism, Italian corporativismo, also called corporativism, the theory and practice of organizing society into “corporations” subordinate to the state. According to corporatist theory, workers and employers would be organized into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and controlling to a large extent the persons and activities within their jurisdiction. However, as the “corporate state” was put into effect in fascist Italy between World Wars I and II, it reflected the will of the country’s dictator, Benito Mussolini, rather than the adjusted interests of economic groups.
The main point here is that corporatism has virtually nothing to say about the debate between socialism and capitalism, or any of the other issues that dominate our typical left/right pissing matches.
The most common mistake I've been seeing is the use of 'corporatism' as though it applies specifically in incorporated business. That's a natural mistake, giving the similar terminology involved, as we usually refer to these businesses as "corporations", but it's important to recognize that the 'corporation' used to define corporatism is different.
Also, corporatism is not, as many seem to assume, dominance of government by incorporate businesses - though such a thing can occur under corporatism.
In my view, the most important feature of corporatism is that it is fundamentally about group rights and opposed to individual rights. It governs society by delegating power and privilege to groups organized around common interests, preferring negotiation and quid-pro-quo to rule of law and egalitarian rights. In short, your rights depend primarily on which 'corporation' you belong to.
Corporatism strikes me as decidedly un-American, and the current trend by prominent leaders in both parties (e.g. Romney and Obama) to embrace it, disturbing.
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