What was the decade of corporate greed? How did it affect our economy, social, and political areas?

Question

What was the decade of corporate greed and how did it affect us economically, socially, and politically? Thanks for any help you can give and/or some websites!

Answer 1

There have been several:  The "gilded age" of the 1880s-90s, for one, which gave us the robber barons and untrammeled capitalism.  The 1920s also had their issues, which helped lead us to the great depression.  The 1980s and 90s gave us Donald Trump and the other members of the second generation of robber barons, along with the high water mark of the deregulation which left us in the mess we're in today.

Answer 2

The Nineties.  It was a time of high individualism.  

Answer 3

It would help if you defined just what you meant by 'corporate greed.'  There have always been companies and individuals who have tried to make what others would consider exorbitant profits and some have done so by less the honest means.  At the same time there have always been companies and individuals who honest to the nth degree and provided products and services at what most would consider reasonable profits.

Whenever there have been business ventures identified as making what to most people seem to be very large profits it is usually with new business directions, new products, new ideas, and those profits last until competition catches up and competition brings profits down.  This could hardly be considered corporate greed.  Whether through new investment or through financial institution savings these ‘profits’ reenter the economy producing new jobs and profits for others.

Consider the music industry.  Some individual produces a DVD, or CD, or Record, and makes millions for this effort.  From my perspective this is hardly something that is worth millions and adds no benefit to society except through reinvestment and savings, and yet few would consider this as an act of greed.  

Think of Michael Moore when he produced the file ‘Roger and Me’ and passed it off as a documentary and made tens of millions of dollars.  And yet, even when he admitted that it was little more than a propaganda film he wasn’t considered the recipient of corporate greed.

How about the none profits, for example the Humane Society of the United States which gathers in donations annually that exceeds 100 million dollars and yet, they have not facility to care for animals and basically distribute these funds into their structure of more than 20 organizations, and yet they are not considered a recipient of corporate greed.

There are many such examples which can be made but my point is that you’ll have to be far more specific to get a reasonable answer.

Answer 4

corporate greed has been around for longer than a decade,it still exists today!!

the effect of oil prices effect the price of food and other goods that are transported,wasn't there talks between britain gov and the saudi about oil price/supply.the money Northern rock,house prices falling,increase in the charges for utility's( gas/electric).Are banks classed as corporations? socially i don't think that the poverty problem is going to be sorted anytime soon.

Answer 5

If you ask me, it is the present decade.  Corporate greed is unbelievebale .  Just look at Exxon -Mobil and Wal Mart for example.  When you read the paper every day you can't help but notice how it affects us.