Can you tell me of an historical epoch when you believe capitalism, as you believe it should exist' actually existed? Maybe we should also define our terms like "bigger government" since government does already possess regulations it could use to prosecute corporate crimes. Finally, I don't think you can compare the economic influence on government today of labor unions and the Koch brothers or Sheldon Adelson, and, if capitalism can no longer compete in the market place of ideas, it's time to consider
WSDE.
Germany in the five years before the World declared War on it in 1939 --- No Unions and yet the working 'man' had better working conditions than they have ever had before or since( canteens, in factories over a certain size Gyms and swimming pools ect ) a 40 hr week, paid overtime and paid for holidays, some free health care especially for women and children, decent homes for everyone, full employment, no interest, a surety of farms staying in the family and there were thriving businesses - each 'class' equal and working as one, a fair bartering system with other countries. Theirs was an especial and horrendous situation going into 'The Economic Miracle' out of terrible depredation, humiliation, poverty, sky high unemployment, hyperinflation, high child mortality rate and the starvation of millions with even more millions of refugees on their borders to boot.
Such could not be done now and I do not advocate that it should be tried, we are not German for a start, and live in other times but --- the main thing was that all who bought something to the table, from the intellectual to the road sweeper, worker and management were equally respected and worked in unison for a better and decent country to live in and bring their children up in ---- we are not, not yet, in such dire straights as they were but we are divided, rather than in unison, and all these Unions vs Managements arguments, Black vs White, Woman vs Man will not solve our problems, only deepen them and make us easier to manipulate and Rule over.
It is a great shame that the German recovery and system cannot be, for reasons of PC, looked at in its own right, apart from the usual powerful vilifying propaganda, because there in are many possible answers to our plight ----- But Gaddafi too was set upon for the same reasons --- as many others have been.
You and I come from rich countries, so everyone should have a roof and food - mine gave us a cushion for the weakest members, which meant that no one had to worry about becoming ill or even loosing their jobs--- not in the sense that they would be thrown out on to the streets and their families would starve, all that is being pulled away from us now and families are again thrown on the streets and there are people who are literally starving again. In part because 'the cushion' was misused by the 'rich' to cut down on their work force and in part because the Unions demands became so ridiculous they put businesses out of business. Simplifying agin !
And of course the work went else where ---- cheap labour and ect ---and so all of our arguments are in a sense irrelevant, which is in part what Lukey is saying, I think --- Unions, as we know them, are of another time when we did our own work - now small businesses don't stand a chance next to the Global Monsters who have no National affiliations nor love nor care --- I do not see, myself, how we can on any other level than a national one mold our societies into a better balance because we all have our especial character and history and so voice to add --- vive la difference.
Here the Unions bought us to our knees and Corporate bought us cheap --- both were allowed to get too big and bossy --- it is a balance we need to find some how isn't it?