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The men who run global corporations are the first in history with the organisation, technology, money, and ideology to make a credible try at managing the world as an integrated economic unit.

Richard J. Barnett and Ronald E. Mueller, Global Reach

In the twenty-odd years since these words were penned, transnational corporations (TNCs) have consolidated their power and control over the world. Today, 47 of the top 100 economies are actually transnational corporations, 70 percent of global trade is controlled by a just 500 corporations, and a mere one per cent of the TNCs on this planet own half the total stock of foreign direct investment. At the same time, the new free market and free trade regimes (eg. GATT, NAFTA) have created global conditions in which transnational corporations and banks can move their capital, technology, goods, services - freely throughout the world unfettered by the regulations of nation states or democratically elected governments.
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CORPORATE STATE ALLIANCE
In most of the industrialised countries, business councils composed of the CEOs of the largest corporations and banks, have formed new corporate state alliances. In the U.S., for example, the Business Round Table's 200 members include the heads of 42 of the 50 largest Fortune 500 corporations, 7 of the 8 largest U.S. commercial banks, 7 of the 10 largest insurance companies, 5 of the 7 largest retail chains, 7 of the 8 largest transportation companies, and 9 of the 11 largest utility companies. In countries like Canada, the Business Council on National Issues has organised itself into a shadow cabinet of the federal government with CEOs heading up task forces on major public policy issues. Once policy consensus is reached amongst the principal TNCs, massive lobbying and advertising campaigns are mounted around key policy issues. Armed with a network of policy research institutes and public relations firms, these business coalitions are able to mobilise facts, policy positions, expert analysis, and opinion polls as well as organise citizen front groups for their campaigns to change national governments and their policies. By campaigning for debt elimination, privatisation, and deregulation, business coalitions have effectively dismantled many of the powers and tools of national governments.

And you thought you lived in a democracy.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

I never have thought we lived in a democracy........

And yet you two want more government regulation.

More government regulation, the more power you give to politicians, and thus the more the corporations pay for getting their way.....

Freedom doesn't come without responsibility.

I don't understand it either

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If god dropped acid, would he see people?

I don't want more government regulation, so bite me. I want to shave down government, it's too micro-managed as it is. We need them to stop stealing from us, we need them prosecuted for their crimes. We need to kick the lobbyists out of washington. Bribery was illegal the last time I checked.

The people need to be able to vote on the issues themselves and not for the suits who promise one thing and do another.

We need them to stop giving our tax dollars to CEO's who's companies are broke because they took every penny of profits in the name of salary.

But what we really need is for everyone to go to change.gov and bombard Obama's little change website with marijuana reform questions. If we all voice our opinions they will eventually have to recognize us.

We need more you's Miss.
This needs to be on a Public Notice.

+rep 4 it ,,, thx

i got some sweet photos too.

Let's not forget my favorite tage line

"the beatings will continue until moral improves"

I pledge alliegience to the flag
of the corporate states of America.
And to the CEO's for which we stand
One nation, under water, with bailouts
and justice for none.