Re: Public/private

["Forstater, Mathew" <ForstaterM@xxxxxxxx>]

Title: RE: [PEN-L] Public/private

Oh Jim I think that Doug’s example does apply. “publicly” traded does not refer to the state.  Anyone in the “public” (private sector) can privately own the shares.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Devine, James [mailto:jdevine@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2003 5:11 PM
To: PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Public/private

 

 
> Forstater, Mathew wrote:
>
> >"The confusion about public/private is highlighted by the very fact
> >that the term 'public' in one sense refers to the state ('public
> >sector') and in another sense refers to the people ('the public'),
> >whose actions, when not on behalf of the state, are thought to
> >constitute the 'private' sector."
>
> And don't forget the "public" corporation, owned by a relatively
> small batch of rich people.
>
> Doug

Isn't "public corporation" short-hand for "publicly traded corporation" (where shares aren't held in private but are bought and sold on the public, open, market)? In that case, the linguistic confusion between public and private (highlighted by anonymous' quote above) doesn't seem to apply.

Jim