Things I think about in class...

Today I write to present an issue that has been more apparent to me during my abroad studies that it had previously been in my American endeavors. Because I am a business major, many of my classes abroad have an international business focus (big surprise, I know). I am accustomed to this, never less, it is entirely new to me to be educated by a non-American, Italian-raised professor. Obviously the same national pride that I experience is present in her as well; it is simply not for the United States of America. This often seemingly trivial matter has taken me by surprise in the most unlikely of places; one of the reasons I suggest to everyone I meet that studying abroad (twice) is not only one of the best decisions I have ever made, by one of the best one could ever make. (There are other avenues to new cultural experiences, ask Mr. Pankey this and I am sure he would be glad to talk about how they have changed his life.)
However, this is not what I prepared to write about. An issue that has struck me here is that the Italian business front is much different than that of America in many ways. Foremost, though there are malls, supermarkets, etc. in Italy, ther are typically much smaller that those found on American soil. In the U.S. there is a massive corporate focus on creating and sustaining maximum profits in spite of whoever or whatever is being affected in the process. Not to say this sense of capitalism has not found its place in Italy, but the idea does not seem as pervasive here. The majority of businesses I have experience in my home away from home are family owned and operated because Italians believe much more in establishing a relationship with whom they do business.
Admittedly, because Italy does not seemed as focused on capitalism, the rest of the world has begun to leave it behind in a sense. The infamous American sense of capitalism, which has so long been legally obligated to pursue that which is most beneficial to the shareholders before all else, has only been recently been placed behind humanitarian concepts such as Corporate Social Responsibility or ecological concerns. These issues have become necessary hurdles in the business world, and for good reason: where there used to be standards governing these practices, the desire for profit has eliminated any consideration for them. In a world where an incorporated group of people can be considered a legal person, there are many who might wonder where these "individuals'" sense of right and wrong have gone.
The part that irks me is that the only reason these issues are now governed is that someone laid claim to something these practices were damaging, e.g. nations addressing that dumping was damaging THEIR ecosystems or that unfair business practices were limiting THEIR market share. This enforces the belief that one day, someone is going to own everything. Water, land, air, pensions, etc. are all going to be privately owned commodities. This transition has been happening for many years; there was a time when the concept of airspace and the extension of ocean off the coast of a country were not even recognized as legitimate. In the eyes of some, this can be beneficial because who better to protect these assets than those with a vested interest in them? However, I am of the opinion that like communism, this an idea that looks great on paper, but in reality opens doors for corruption, bribery, and malintent.
While America in her own eyes is a much more advanced and stable economy, why is it then that capitalism has made us less civilized? Which is the "right" way to operate? I know this has all been one sided and mostly without solid direction, but hey, its just an opinion. I'll stop writing and let people formulate their own ideas.