Free Enterprise and Democracy
The basis of the ultimate rule of a free enterprise system is "one share one vote." The basis of the ultimate rule of a democratic society is "one qualified adult one vote" (or more commonly termed as "one man one vote"). The two are not the same. There is a basic conflict between the two. Most American citizens work for privately owned companies. Promotion, salary increase, fringe benefits, lay off, down sizing, merge, and so on that affect every employee dearly are not determined by the individual him/herself but ultimately ruled by those who own more shares of the company. Employees do not participate in decision making for the company unless they happen to own some shares of the company. Victims of numerous downsizing affairs can fully understand what it is like. So can those aspirants who are being bypassed for certain high positions in a private company. So can those top executives who see their companies fallen to hostile taken-over. Those who "work for themselves" like small shop owners, lawyers who have their own law firms, medical doctors who run their own clinics, farmers, and so on are somewhat better off even though they are also affected by insurance companies, government regulations, IRS, and so on. There are two societies co-existing in one: there is the society governed by people who own more shares and there is the society more governed by the rule of "one man one vote." To some limited extent, one individual has the freedom in selecting for him/herself to live in which of the two societies. The old style world wars are likely (hopefully) a thing of the past. Other than some localized conflicts, the future competition among human beings is becoming more and more in business and in finance. In this free enterprises system, the pa-and-ma shops are disappearing fast. The number of independent farmers is declining steadily. Modern medicine requires expensive instruments beyond the means of individual medical doctors who are associating themselves in increasing numbers with hospitals that are getting bigger and bigger by merging and also more and more governed by the rule of "one share one vote." The human progress, as the way it has been progressing, will result in a human society more and more ruled by "one share one vote" as opposed to "one man one vote." What is the future of democracy? Is there such a thing called "democratic free-enterprise system?" Even in this democratic, "one man one vote" society, the voters often feel helpless in seeing their elected executives and legislators pursuing affairs according to their own agenda rather than taking care of problems of real concern to citizens. As the "one share one vote" society grows, not all citizens are voters any more, unless you own some shares so that you can participate in decision making. If you are not rich enough, you just take orders and do what is told.
