 
the american economy is the fattest goose laying the most golden eggs the 
world has ever seen. 
of course, this remarkable creature has been fed on some pretty rich food, 
and has been rather wasteful and rapacious in its consumption. 
whether the proverbial goose can, or should be allowed to, survive is 
surely a vital issue for america and the world. 
it is difficult enough to understand the american economy now, let alone 
what it will be. 
nevertheless, there are some important trends to be noted and questions to 
be raised with regard to the future. 
one of the facts of american economic life is the growing complexity and 
size of corporations. 
if included in a rank of the nations of the world according the gnp (gross 
national product ] the total value of the goods and services a nation produces 
in one year), general motors would be number 16! 
even henry ford would have trouble competing with that kind of clout. 
and what chance does the neighborhood grocer have against huge chain 
stores? 
quasi-monopoly implies power. 
to be sure, it is not the same as in the days of morgan and carnegie: 
once known primarily as a man of action, the businessman still remains 
that. 
but the areas of significant action have changed. 
the old competitive system has been replaced by a system of "imperfect 
competition" in which the corporations compete with one another less in prices 
than in brands and in "products," that is, in alternative materials for 
achieving the same results. 
as for the big fortunes, a drastic tax system has made them archaic. 
the heads of the corporate empires no longer get their sense of 
fulfillment from personal accumulation, nor is their prime quality that of 
acquisitiveness. 
they are still movers and shakers, but for a different reason than before.
