[Bratmon]

> The origin of the corporation as we know it is as a vehicle for moving funds out of productive enterprises to asset-owners.

It doesn't fill me with confidence that they got this completely backwards. The advantage of the corporate form is that the wealthy owners can cash out without moving any wealth out of the productive enterprises. The whole point of a corporation as opposed to a partnership or joint-stock venture is that wealthy corporate owners can sell their stock to other wealthy people without interfering with the productive enterprise at all!

[skybrian]

I think the author agrees with that. He uses the history of the East India company as an example.