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On Tue, Oct 17, 2000 at 10:17:17PM -0700, petro wrote:
Even if they do (which I haven't heard of, but I could be wrong), the trend right now is more corporate power, less governmental power. As I said before, we are already seeing this trend, what with corporations able to circumvent countries' environmental codes and whatnot. It will only get worse.
Then you aren't paying attention.
Corporations have *NO* power over you that doesn't come from the barrel of a government gun.
That's like saying that the person with the power in a police department is the street cop, because he's the one doing the actual arrest.
The one calling the shots is the one to be afraid of.
No. The one *shooting* is the one to be afraid of.
Without governments Companies (not corporations, corporations are inherently creatures of the state) would have to do their bullying directly and that would severely cut into the bottom line.
I'm sure the companies could do bullying themselves for far less than they contribute to candidates in order to have the bullying done for them.
No, for several reasons: (1) Armies and police forces are expensive to maintain, especially given that for corporations they are needed in geographically diverse areas *occasionally*, and that by buying the government they get access to them, but *only* when they need them. (2) Private armies/mercenaries tend to be dangerous tools--they have the guns, and loyalty to the paycheck. They also can easily turn on you, or be bought. (3) If one engages in warfare, one takes the risk of getting shot. If companies were to engage directly in actions involving force, they would risk having some of their targets bypass shooting at the foot soldiers and go straight for the top of the chain of command. By buying themselves a government, that risk is averted. Try thinking outside your box a bit. When the rules are gone, there are no rules, and there are interesting ramifications there. -- A quote from Petro's Archives: ********************************************** Sometimes it is said that man can not be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the forms of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question. -- Thomas Jefferson, 1st Inaugural