I’ve always believed that business would lead to world peace.

[tecelote]

This is because business people need to work with other business people to be a success.

Politicians need war. Business people do not.

Business is a world of win and lose and it’s time that war lost to peace because American citizens cared to make it so.

Business has a bad rap right now because of the media, politicians and politics.

The thing about business is that your dollar is your vote. Businesses live and die by the money you spend with them.

It’s your choice who you do business with and you vote every day. You can make a difference by supporting businesses you like.

Business needs co-operation. War needs hate.

Support businesses that you like. It’s very important to creating a better world.

[MrSlayer]

1. Lockheed Martin is my favorite business.

Oh yeah…never mind.

[CincyDem]

2. And if ya ain't got a dollar, well then ya don't get a vote. n/t

[Journeyman]

3. In 1913, many believed war was impossible because it wasn't in the interest of business. . .

but of course, one of the roots of imperialism was the furtherance of business interests. . .

[tecelote]

5. War is not business.

War is politics. It is business run through political channels.

Most business people are not in the business of war.

Most business people are small businesses.

Shopping locally is the best way to support good business people. National companies report to stockholders who may not care about your local living standards.

Support your own community. Support what you care about. Dollar by dollar your vote makes a difference.

[SharonAnn]

11. Big business wants monopoly control of markets.

War and the consequent military control is a good way to get that.

Plus war profiteering is way more profitable than open market competition.

Business really doesn't want open, free trade. That's competitive, requires more work, and the profit margins are lower.

[Brainstormy]

6. I respectfully disagree

with several of your points. Business has a bad rap because it's earned it. We actually DON'T always have a choice about who we do business with. (Try, for example, not giving any of your money to Monsanto, the big oil companies, big Pharma, major banks. I could go on and on. ) As fewer and fewer businesses come to control economies, politics and government become less relevant.

The corruption in politics comes from corruption in business. War is business.

As much as I often fear government, I fear "business" more.

All that being said, I concur with your suggestion to support local business. But I don't look to business for a better world.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Oh for goodness sake

[Make7]

8. Yes, banks have a bad rap because the media is too hard on them...

... and politicians never give them what they want.

If everyone would just let Wall Street conduct their fraud business practices without any scrutiny, the world would be a better place for all.

[rug]

9. All we are saying is give biz a chance.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. I try to shop with the best companies. I use The Blue Book to find businesses that share my views.

[LiberalAndProud]

12. Tell it to GE and Haliburton.

Cheney's Halliburton Made $39.5 Billion on Iraq War
http://www.zcommunications.org/cheneys-halliburton-made-39-5-billion-on-iraq-war-by-angelo-young

http://www.corpwatch.org/section.php?id=16
Defense Contracting Fraud

On July 23, 1992, GE pled guilty in federal court to civil and criminal charges of defrauding the Pentagon and agreed to pay $69 million to the U.S. government in fines — one of the largest defense contracting fines ever. The company said in a statement that it took responsibility for the actions of a former marketing employee who, along with an Israeli Air Force General, diverted Pentagon funds to their own bank accounts and to fund Israeli military programs not authorized by the United States. Under the settlement with the Justice Department over violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, GE paid $59.5 million in civil fraud claims and $9.5 million in criminal fines.

I tend to disagree with your assessment. It would take a lot of convincing to make me believe that war doesn't make for good business.

[Ikonoklast]

13. Businesses use war to further their bottom lines. War is Good Business.

Businesses have a' bad rap' because they are mindless, mostly have no morality except that of making a buck in any way possible, legal or not, and buy politicians to further that agenda.

Businesses love them some Right Wing Fascists. Ever wonder why?

[sofa king]

14. Let's lay some Smedley on you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler

Smedley Butler was a Marine Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient. In 1935 he wrote a book called War is a Racket.

http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html

Butler was prompted to write such a book for two main reasons. The first is that his heroic efforts were in Mexico and Haiti (and half a dozen other places in this hemisphere, as the Marines were sent about to defend and enforce US business interests.

The second reason is that in 1933, Butler was approached by conservative business leaders (of whom The Guardian alleged Prescott Bush was a part) and invited to be the figurehead leader of a coup, which would overthrow recently inaugurated President Franklin Roosevelt. Butler instead blew the whistle, forced a Congressional hearing before it was swept under the rug, and had his story verified.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot

So, uh, there's that.

[sofa king]

16. Or let's put it another way.

Business kept North America embroiled in warfare, more or less constantly if at a low level, from 1628 to 1870 and beyond.

Business interests overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy.

Business interests fought a dozen war-lets in this hemisphere which are not taught in schools because they were private wars being fought by business interests, using US troops and paid for by US taxpayers.

Business oversaw the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Iran, which led directly to the Iran-Iraq war and dozens of terrorist incidents, and which explains their desire to acquire the nuclear weapons which could spark the war that kills us all.

Business allowed the NVA to use the Firestone rubber plantations in Vietnam as command, supply, and staging areas, because US and South Vietnamese forces were prohibited from shelling the rubber trees.

Business created the Kingdom of Kuwait, which eventually led to the first Gulf War.

Business (French business interests in this case) intervened on the side of the Hutus in the Rwandan genocide, after they killed at least half a million people.

Business interests diverted US troops to protect oil pipelines instead of the main Iraqi artillery depot in the last Gulf War, allowing insurgents to make off with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells which were used to make the IEDs that killed or injured thousands of American troops in Iraq.

So in other words, I think your idea sucks.

[Yavin4]

15. "Businesses live and die by the money you spend with them." Um. No they don't.

This is a very common misperception among Libertarians.

[tecelote]

17. Wow! Only people who hate business responded.

Yes - there are many problems.

But, my point is that you have a better chance to change things through business than through government.

You vote with your dollar.

Intertwined with government - yes for big business.

Many bad, bad. bad, big businesses - yes.

But, there are many good businesses as well.

Most businesses are small. They need your support so maybe, one day, a business from your community can replace one of those bad businesses you hate so much because... you voted with your dollar.