Nowhere GirlOct 3, 2023
It should be obvious by now that privatization and "running government like a business" are nothing more than dog whistles for the looting and authoritarian control of public goods.
Show threadG.I. Robot 

@gwynnion

I mean, it's right there in the concept... have you ever voted for your boss? How about your bosses' boss? How about anyone at the company you work for? Ever voted for any of them?

Businesses are NOT democracies. They are dictatorships. Anyone who says they want to run the government "like a business" is saying they want a dictatorship.

Oct 3, 2023 at 11:18pmWeb
Show threadRiley S. FaelanOct 4, 2023

@GuyDudeman Businesses are a little bit democratic, namely at the point where the stockholder assembly gets to elect a board.

The catch is, they do even that little bit of democracy in the most plutocratic way they could think of.

@gwynnion

Show threadSean WoodsOct 4, 2023

@GuyDudeman @gwynnion I also find that anyone who uses the phrase "running government like a business" isn't very well versed with a few key facts:

1) Most businesses fail after a year
2) Most people can't explain what "run like a business" even means.
3) Most of the most successful businesses you can think of are not actually "run like a business". And once they do, they fail pretty spectacularly. (See: General Electric, Toys R' Us, Hewlet Packard...)

Show threadprasoonOct 6, 2023
@etoyoc @GuyDudeman @gwynnion "Come over hun, let me run you like a business" ~ the avg politician selling you a neoliberal govt model.
Show threadPatrick Lam Oct 6, 2023
@GuyDudeman @gwynnion I guess it sounds a bit weird but as faculty we sort of vote for department chairs and dean.
Show threadBrendan JonesOct 6, 2023
@GuyDudeman @lightweight @gwynnion This is why the whole idea that we live in a democracy gets to me. Sure, our political sphere and public goods are somewhat democratic (depending on how representative your representative democracy actually is. Two party system? First past the post? Not so democratic in practice), but the entire production of non-public goods and services is not democratic at all.
Show threadHenryOct 6, 2023
@GuyDudeman @gwynnion true capitalism would have no government involvement in private business. No lobby no special interest. No treating a corporation as a human being. Government which taxes citizens has one job, and that is protect people from business.