[magduf]

That may be, but it is important? What's most important is executive compensation. From everything I've read, executives at American corporations get far more compensation and big golden parachutes than their European counterparts. So obviously, the American system is working much better for the people who really matter.

[dwaltrip]

What is your point here? Obviously shareholder value is one of many things that matter. I vehemently disagree that executives are the ones who truly matter.

Executives may often have excessive power and influence, sure. And there is much room for improving how the system affects all individuals. Is this what you are trying to imply?

[magduf]

No, shareholders don't matter at all, only executives and their compensation and golden parachutes. If this weren't the case, companies wouldn't be rewarding these executives so richly while allowing them to do things which harm shareholder value in the long term.

You can disagree all you want, but executives actually run the corporations, and their boards of directors (stacked with other executives who are buddies of theirs) don't care what you think, and will continue to run these companies for the benefit of the executives rather than the shareholders.