Corporations in the United States used to be permitted to operate only under limited contracts of usually of about 10 years. The contract obligated corporations to serve the public interest and general welfare of the community.
Upon completion of the 10 year term, the corporation would have to demonstrate that it had fulfilled its duty to the public good if it wanted to renew the contract and continue operating.
Today, of course, everyone accepts it as reasonable that corporations have no duty to anyone but their shareholders. The absolute supremacy of the profit motive is now regarded as perfectly legitimate, and there is no question of restricting any corporation to a specific time period and of dissolving it at the end of that period if it is found to have not served the interests of the community.
This history is important to understand because it reveals to us the rational alternative to the current system. It also illustrates for us the extent to which corporations have surpassed the government in their power and authority.
There was a time, not so long ago, when business actually had to adhere to rules, when corporations were subordinate and had to justify themselves through contributing to the welfare of the broader society.
The only reason that has changed is because the corporations became too powerful, they have subordinated government.
Corporations have over 35,000 lobbyists in Washington DC; they actually write the laws of the country, they determine how the budget will be allocated, they set the political agenda of the most powerful country in the world.
Do you imagine that they do not write the laws, allocate the budgets, and control the political agendas of weaker countries?