The American corporation has been the greatest creator – and distributor – of wealth in the history of the human race.  Nothing else even comes close: no government, no individual, no private foundation.  In fact, the largesse that governments, individuals and foundations “distribute” would not even be possible without the American corporation.  (And Americans gave over $306 billion to charitable causes in 2007).

But you would certainly never know that from the news today.  Corporations – and by extension inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs – are being demonized, denigrated and blamed for every social ill – including and especially the social ills that are the fault of well-meaning but brainless government programs like Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” and Jimmy Carter’s Community Reinvestment Act.

This is the worst climate I can remember for American business in my whole life.  Yes, the oil crisis of the 1970s was bad, and yes, the car companies’ reputation at the same time was not much better.  But it was viewed as an economic crisis, not an identity crisis.  Never have I seen such worldwide antipathy for business and commerce generally.  People smashing bank windows, urinating on buildings, and carrying signs that read “capitalism is terrorism”?  (Meanwhile, actual terrorists get a pass; they’re just misunderstood and in need of a great big geopolitical hug.)

Our President is not only not helping, he is inflaming the problem, as he usurps the authority of corporate boards, unilaterally fires executive officers, and calls for federal control over salaries.  He may have “inherited” a wounded economy (*yawn* – that’s happened umpteen times before), but he has kicked it when it was down, by contributing to the perception that it is American commerce that is the problem; and that government takeover – specifically, takeover by Barack Obama -- is the solution.  And he will take the same measures with every industry he can.  It started with banks, the financial industry, and the car companies.  Soon it will be insurance and medical care and pharmaceuticals.  Every “takeover” will be precipitated by a “crisis” that will be translated as the American “public’s” call for more “federal intervention,” that will be touted as “temporary,” but will be permanent.  Charles Krauthammer has called these measures a “sideshow.”  With all due respect to that esteemed and honored journalist, he is wrong this time.  These tactics are the main event.  They are right out of the Marxist and socialist playbooks going back to the 1930s, and Barack Obama has been well-trained.

The presidency of Barack Obama is deplorable, and it is contributing devastatingly to American malaise.  It’s long past time that American corporations take matters into their own hands, and take their message directly to the American public.  So this, American corporations, is my message to you:  STOP PARTICIPATING IN YOUR OWN DESTRUCTION, AND FIGHT BACK!

The media makes it look as if corporations are dependent upon government.  It’s the other way around.  Where would the government be without your taxes?  Where would individual politicians be without your campaign contributions?  Corporations often donate to both political parties, in order to curry favor no matter who is in office.  Now that the Democrats are in power in the Executive Branch and both houses of Congress, how’s that working out for you?  Have you figured out that you are funding the very organisms that are committed to destroying you?  STOP.  Stop funding gutless politicians who take your money, and then get on national television and blame you for the problems they themselves brought on.  No more campaign contributions, no more lobbying as under the rubric of “special interests.” NOTHING.  Cut them off.  Deprive them of their lifeblood (which is really your blood).  Starve them.

More to the point, stop letting the federal government tell Americans what to think about you.  56 million people voted against Barack Obama and the initiative-destroying socialism he represents.  They and their families represent a wide and deep potential audience.  As individuals, we may lack the assets to craft a polished message that will reach our fellow citizens; but you don’t.  Most of us cannot reach millions of other like-minded folk; but you can.  You have massive amounts of power that you have inexplicable ceded to Obama and Congress.  Take it back.  Use that power not to sell products this time, but to sell yourselves.  (Here’s  my prediction: the first CEO to tell Congress to “*%$@ off” will single-handedly send the Dow up 500 points.) Continued...