I agree with the majority of comments made by stevenmeyer, Poirot, Squeers and Ammonite. Pilger is spot on.

The corporate boys club is a collective in itself with a deeply entrenched self-serving culture influenced by a narrow perspective of capitalism and delusions about 'contribution' to societies.

Greed is unchecked and continually 'sponsored' by governments who tweak feebly at the edges without making any real progress in addressing wage inequity. Looking out for number one is applauded, the collective ideal scorned except when it comes to government subsidies or bail outs.

There is some irony in the continual hand outs to corporations and agricultural sector which is not viewed in the same narrow prism of social welfare. The biggest dependents are the corporations who are continually propped up by taxpayers and through lack of appropriate government regulation. Pilger is right as far as brainwashing.

“there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first.”

Individual men and women make up a society. The collection of taxes to pay for universal health care in the event of any of us needing to depend on the system for a short while; or disability support in the event that a few of us may need it to survive. Or schools, or roads etc. Makes perfect sense and ensures a safety net for even the lowest income earners who often work in the hardest and most laborious jobs.

Imagine the decline in community wellbeing if all these aspects of society were managed under the umbrella of profit incentives. It is happening to some extent with the privatisation of essential services.

Some aspects of society should reasonably work for the benefit of the majority not small elite groups who wield the most power.

Slightly bewildered here Pelican, But Isn’t your words describing a Socialized Economy or Political economy?
The only thing for you to do now is substitute the word Corporate Cowboy for Buearocrat and you have reached the same point as what others and what I have said; That is not Private enterprise or Individual s trading nor is it business in society trading and exchanging amongst each other ;
Good Lord It is The State Corporation; Fascism remembers? Socialism of the right, or to put it in the political spectrum for its correct positioning;
Conservatism;
But not how it is that you defined it; Conservatism is back to the good old days of Monarchical and Oligarchic ruling class; Or the Elite Privileged; and later the ones that gave you Socialism to keep you confused ; and it worked.
Lucky it was not a king cobra snake chasing you, it was that obvious you nearly stood on it, and then it would have bitten you; and then what?
Heheh

The State formulates data based on Statistical information – This means there is a set formula to compile information in a set format to then calculate answers to questions that it asks ; So they already have the answers to their question;
Our question is based on the law of Large Numbers;
Now you get a different answer – something that is somewhat closer to the truth;
How many small and medium businesses go bankrupt each year? And its cause?

In Relation to Small and Medium Business; who is the largest Debt defaulter in Australia each year?
What owner of a contract agreement can have it rescinded , such agreement without compensation – Again in relation to Small and medium business?

I can write many other matters in relation to this subject , but the main point of this argument is based on factual information that is not released by State of Federal departments ; And it is very well much the same all over the world;

These businesses go belly up because of Governments, They do not have been granted Monopoly privilege or any other privilege granted by the state as the message has been portrayed here;
and even when the State is the causality of failure in all instances; you don’t hear about it.

The Monopoly privileged , Well as Kevin Rudd said to the banks enquiring about perspective Losses during the Fiat inflation collapse of the world finances ; The Government will cover the debts::: Remember? , Did you or John or Squeers or anyone actually ask how? ,
Yes Fiat Inflation – Print more money