Why do Americans have such a bizarre understanding of what the 'private sector' is?

[Jaysonava]

Sure Amazon is technically private. But it's not a exactly a lemonade stand on Beach Street.

Facebook is nominally private, but it's not someone knitting homemade scarfs in granny's living room for the market.

These organizations have enormous public impact.

So Americans forgive the corporate abuse of the people because it's 'not government'. So by not being in the public sphere it suddenly becomes okay?

Will Americans realize that these companies and corporations are hardly de facto 'private'?

[tartaarsaus]

It’s a fairly standard understanding of what the private sector is in an economic sense.


By definition, if the government does not have a controlling stake, it is a private firm. It could he a private firm with many public stakeholders, but - again by definition - this is not relevant for whether it’s in the public or private firm.

[Jaysonava]

I am not talking about legal terms. i am talking Boyt the historical understanding of private and public. Back when a market was considered public. And a housewife private.

I am talking about the uniquely anerican worldview 🌎 that Microsoft, for example, is just a little 'private business and that if something better comes along the free markets will 'correct themselves', we will progress and it will be rags to rags and the better company will prevail. And that all this will happen with no government.

And that these companies have nothing to do with government.
Because Microsoft is merely a private company. Nothing to do with the government. Nothing to do with the public. Not in any way accountable to a large groups of people.

Do you see the delusion?

[tartaarsaus]

This is not a legal term, it’s an economic term

[tartaarsaus]

And this is far from an uniquely American worldview. It’s a fairly standard economic view everywhere

[Jaysonava]

No I don't think that people are as willing to distinguish between the wealthy class and the government in other countries. I think that there is more an understanding that a private company is in some way involved with the government.

And it is a legal term? Why do you say it is not a legal term? I think that half of the issue is the legal concept is awry. Things that are considered "just people handling their own affairs" have a sever impact on the government.

[Jaysonava]

I think that the legal concept of private and public does not match what those words actually mean.

[OlderAndWiser]

Where would you draw the line between public and private?

[Jaysonava]

I don't know it's a tough question. A book was written recently about how the British empire was 'private' because the East India Company was 'private'. But... wait... it wasn't private. Nothing was 'private' about the East India Company or the empire. When Taxes are involved and parliaments.

[JimBeams]

I don't know why Canadians can't figure this out.