L. H., I think you missed my point. The stockholders of the corporations you love to hate are not villians, they just want the money they invested to pay-off so that they can enjoy a reasonable retirement after many years of toil. They obviously want the companies they invest in to produce well so that their retirement income will be assured.

There has been many a hue and cry (even here on the Mudcat) about the Enron debacle. And that is what it was! The executives of the firm looted the shareholder's (which included the employees) investments in the company. If, however, the bubble would not have burst, and Enron would have continued to prosper (say for ten years or so) do you think the shareholders would have been complaining? I don't think so.

DougR