Rich vein, ER. I've been struck by the way that conservatives despise what they think of as "collectivism", while worshipping the corporation as the highest achievement of capitalism. And struck by how often those starry-eyed propagandists have little experience with the reality of the modern corporation-collective.

"Collectivism" has an objective meaning that encompasses pretty nearly all organizations of humans: A group whose members are expected to exhibit loyalty to the group, that is, to work generally in the group's best interests. Collectivies are distinguished by their depth of hierarchy. The United States is technically a flat collective--an egalitarian class-free republic with a basic expectation of loyalty we fetishize as "patriotism". The Catholic Church, the People's Republic of China, feudal Europe, and all militaries, are/were collectives with a steep and formal hierarchy.

A corporation is also a collective with a steep formal hierarchy. In the conceptual space of collectivism, it's about as far from America as you can get. Yet conservatives drape corporations in flags and bunting and celebrate their newfound personhood. "Corporations are people, my friends!" declares Mitt. In the conservative mind, only a commie would criticize the corporation. Weird. Ironic, but weird.

We let corporations carve out exceptions to our basic principles; they're islands of resurgent feudal collectivism colonizing more and more of our once egalitarian society. They eat away at America from the inside. And we let them.

The theory is part of the larger tapestry that includes that sick synergy I see between the West's corporate collectivism and China's industrial collectivism. Twin sons of different mothers. Those at the pinnacle of both systems see that their prosperity arises from common sources and common precepts.

Hell, modern capitalists and traditional communists start out addressing each other as "Chairman". Everything flows naturally from there.

Working together, they will rule the galaxyworld!