CDR: Re: why should it be trusted?

[petro]

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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