Quote Originally Posted by Euphoric
Corruption cannot be eradicated with the destruction of capitalism. Its a symptom of greed, which appears to be basic human nature.
What makes you think greed is basic human nature? Just because you see it all around you? By that logic, I could have declared racism just part of human nature 200 years ago. It's clear that our behavioral patterns are not biologically geared to make us greedy, or you would have a real hard time explaining the Israeli kibbutzim, the Spanish collectives of the 1930s or the way that practically every pre-agricultural society has ever functioned.

Even if greed was somehow inevitable in society, why create a system that actually rewards it? Crime and disease are also inevitable, but we don't have a social system that puts the best criminals and disease-spreaders in the top positions of power. Well, not the disease-spreaders at least.
So, I voted for "time will do the job.." eventually culture will evolve and corrupted systems of government will become obsolete. Either that or humanity will go extinct. Either way is looking good for the elimination of corporate evil.
Why leave it up to evolution? You're putting an awful lot of faith in future generations doing the work that we should be doing now: getting rid of corrupt and greedy social institutions. They don't just go away on their own, you know. People have to overthrow them and put in place new systems, better systems. History shows us that man always yearns for greater and greater liberty. You will see this if you study up on history's great revolutions: the French Revolution, the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution. The socialist merely acknowledges that the struggle is not yet complete, and that greed can be eliminated with one simple action: the elimination of private property.

Who would be greedy if industry were collectivized and organized to meet the needs of the masses, and if the means of production and the means of living were the common property of everybody? It is no secret that we have the industrial and material capability to produce what everybody needs to live a happy, healthy life. And yet the vast majority of the world's wealth is concentrated into the hands of a few because we reward the greediest. Because of this, millions are forced into poverty and starvation, while enough grain to feed all of Africa is deliberately destroyed each year just to keep grain prices up. If the food industry's purpose in our society was to feed people and not to make the food industry owners richer, these people would not have to die. Capitalism is killing people, and I would be honored if I were somehow able to sacrifice my life to end it.