>The only issue I have with your characterization of government is that you make too much of a distinction between "the government" and any other organization o

>The only issue I have with your characterization of government is that you make too much of a distinction between "the government" and any other organization of individuals, such as a corporation or business. In my opinion, they are not even close. A corporation or a business is accountable to its shareholders but not to society at large. And it's mostly accountable to shareholders in the "get us more money" way, and not the "be ethical and do good" way. A corporation is only accountable to society in as much as they are accountable to the law (passed by the government). Note that in most cases you cannot even "vote with your wallet". For one, because the harm they do might happen thousands of miles away from where consumers are (as it often happens) so buyers don't care. For another, because even if the harm is domestic, it doesn't necessarily affect the same people as those buying (e.g, treating workers badly or dumping toxic waste in a river in South Dakota doesn't directly affect consumers in the rest of the 50 states). >What you call a democratic government is still less accountable than a normal capitalistic business, and I'll argue that the government is strictly less accountable, because the government is the only organization (with a few potential counter examples) that can and does use a massive campaign of organized violence to maintain and exercise power The difference is that the government must balance millions of expectations and demands, whereas a corporation does not. A government must at some deegree satisfy it's voters, must keep the main opposition at bay, must be accountable to foreign powers (diplomatic agreements, ecological treaties etc), cannot favor a corporation or a lobby too much because of counter-action of opposed lobbies, etc. Plus there are binding documents it has to follow to some deegree, from the constitution to common law. A company has far fewer such restraints. Especially a global one.