Why People Do It: Blaming Big Business
Let's Be Rational Here
In order to understand the truth about why people blame Big Business for our current economic struggles and corrupt governmental situations - you really have to step back and see the bigger picture. That requires stepping out any firm ideologies or knowledge about the system, and put yourself in the shoes of billions of people. This also means giving up hope for a "right" answer, because there isn't one, and there isn't a "one size fit's all" solution to educating people either.
Once you do that, it's easier to open up and see that there is no "one reason" why people put the blame on Big Business. It's usually a combination of complex and simple psychological reasons. It would take too much time to get to detailed about it, though I'll leave you with a list of the most common reasons why people blame big business for just about everything.
1. They were told it was Big Businesses FAULT
Most people, and I do mean MOST, blame big government simple because their mother, father, brother, sister, friend, co-worker or television told them that it's all Big Businesses fault that we're broke, out of jobs and building up the debt.
2. They don't know who else to blame
Plenty of those same people who have been told that it is Big Businesses fault, have looked into the issue a little bit, but they've reached a point of overwhelming confusion in trying to understand who is really at fault. When this happens, they continue to follow the crowd and keep blaming big business.
Which leads me to the next reason...
3. It's easier to blame Big Business
The next majority of people blame Big Business because it's easier than admitting the truth of the situation - that EVERYONE has played a part in our economic issues, including YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU. We all have, myself included. We've wanted luxury items like iPod and Laptops. We've enjoyed our fair share of Big Mac's and Whoppers. We've driven our automobiles and panicked when rumors of oil shortages spread. There are so many factors that have played into why the economy is falling apart, that for a lot of people, it's just EASIER to blame Big Business. Blame has this interesting thing of making a person forget that they can and do effect the larger world around them, and that there are consequences for every action - Big and SMALL.
4. They don't recognize that there are other factors INLCUDING their own behavior that have effect our current situations
Then again, there other people who blame Big Business for all their problems because they just truthfully don't yet realize that there are other factors at play. They probably didn't pay much attention in high school history class, and still don't now that they could get to know the whole system - so they aren't aware of everything that is going on. This one plays into the "it's just easier to blame Big Business" theme.
5. After intense research, soul searching and contemplative hours thinking about it - they have come to the conclusion that Big Business is the Big Evil of the
Getting down into the side of the minority - There are people who take intense amounts or personal time - be it days, weeks or years - diving into the world of Big Business, Big Government and Physics of Economics, and they've finally realized that there is no "right answer", and there is no one entity, issue or individual that can take ALL the blame for our current economic situation. They know that it's up to the eye of the beholder, and they have decided that in their perspective - Big Business IS the Big Evil of the world. Big Business is greedy, dirty and scandalous. It pollutes and steals and monopolizes.
Want to know more? This article has a thought provoking take on REAL vs REGULATED capitalism
6. They think that we are Currently using a Capitalist System
This is an interesting reason, as even though we DON'T have a capitalist system, some of the people that stretch themselves spiritually in an attempt to accumulate their own beliefs about the rules and limitations imposed on them by the rest of the world, decide that they don't like big business (for whatever reason) and they equate Big Business to a capitalist system.
Most of the time this equation comes from propaganda and publications that are biased on the side against capitalism. Those publications tend to focus on only one side of the hypothetical future (because there has NEVER, not even ONCE, been an actual Capitalist system in history, EVER.), over emphasizing the aspects of potential negativity that could come from capitalism, and under playing the fact that it is PEOPLE who take advantage and they would do so regardless of what system was in place.
The reality of our situation, is that we have a semi-capitalistic or pseudo-capitalist system. Our system is actually a form of socialist system with a capitalist front - you can tell, because we have all these REGULATIONS that prevent us from FREELY enjoying our economy in the way that capitalism actually prescribes. These rules force us to share, play nice, pay for people who can't or won't pay for themselves and to value our products/commodities/services above regulation prices.
TRUE Capitalism is NOT regulated. Regardless of whether you feel the economy should be regulated or not, you can't call it a capitalism if it's regulated. Yet many people just don't get this, and so they blame capitalism, because if we did have a capitalist system, it would probably still be the people running those big corrupt businesses that would gain the upper hand in the economy and take advantage of people (because it doesn't matter what kind of "system" you have, the people who intend to have the most power over others, will do everything they can to take it regardless of the rules/laws). This kind of thinking creates equation-theories like:
Corrupt People are usually more Successful + I'm broke = It's Capitalism's fault
and:
Capitalism makes it easier for people to be greedy + Greedy people usually run Big Businesses = We must have a capitalist system
When it should be:
People who are Determined ARE more Successful (regardless of motive) + I'm broke = Where's my motivation?
Again, this reason for blaming capitalism is a minority reason. This kind of a thought pattern usually rises from confusion about what kind of economic system we have in place, which is actually called Keynesian Economics. And don't feel bad if this was previously your opinion on the matter, the propaganda out there right now, is designed to confused and befuddle every person from the moment they start learning about economics in elementary school.
In Summary
Here's the shortlist for those of you short on time. In general, people blame Big Business for EVERYTHING because:
- They heard it through the grape vine
- They're confused and don't know who else to blame
- They don't yet realize that they to play a part in our economic troubles
- They have a notion that their own actions count, but it's easier to blame Big Business
- They've chosen to believe that Big Business is the Big Evil of the world, and it must be stopped.
- They don't like capitalism, and even though it has very little to do with modern Big Businesses, they equate the two as the same.