>I am not a big fan of Bill Gates (to say the least) or private philanthropy
>(which is negligible vis a vis government resources expended to on social
>issues) - but corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is a big thing in
>Europe, supported by governments (http://www.csreurope.org/,
>http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-dial/csr/index.htm,
>http://www.societyandbusiness.gov.uk/ )is really a Left idea - advanced,
>inter alia, by such promonent Left luminaries John Kenneth Galbraith.
>Galbraith's argument is particularly worth mentioning inthis context,
>becaouise it holds that coprorate organization makes possible what market
>forces render impossible - public benefits. Basically, the argument goes
>that organization isolates busiess operation from cut-throat market
>competition and therace to the bottom it promotes, and creates a surplus
>that can be used for social purposes.
Galbraith wrote that stuff during the Golden Age. In an era of deregulation and relentless shareholder pressure to maximize profits, it's hopelessly obsolete.
Doug