31-28B How intractable is CEO greed?

As horrible as the COVID-19 crisis is, it has brought out the best in the American people – the selflessness of front-line nurses and doctors, for example, as well as the generous community spirit of local food businesses. Yet, it has also amplified one of the worst character flaws in our society, namely the “me-first” greed of corporate chieftains.

Just last year, we were told that a new, more-democratic corporate ethic was emerging. The CEOs of 181 big-name giants signed a public pledge that henceforth they would run their corporations not solely to maximize shareholder profits but also to benefit workers, communities, and other economic “stakeholders.”