Both concepts of a wise selfless bureaucracy and kindly corporate boards just waiting for an opportunity to cut profits to bring jobs to America are so outdated and false it's ridiculous, but that's the choices we are given.
None of it is worth crap, and that's what either candidate will bring to the table and to our plates.
The faster people realize that the only interests that either government or corporations is profit and power the faster people will realize how high that steaming plateful is. When enough people realize just how screwed we are perhaps, just perhaps, they'll stop reaching for their canned ideology and demand accountability for all in office, not just a party they don't like.
People talk about Islamacists being indoctrinated? Hell, we have our own equivalent, which makes either the market or Obama into demigods who rightfully have dominion over us and by being owned we shall be free.
That's as ridiculous as any religious dogma.
the pessimistic view you express has existed since the beginning of time.
Reality, which is clearly observable, is when people work to make things better, they get better.
The problems we face aren't any worse, and probably not nearly as bad, as people have faced for centuries.