Flag of Convenience
Wake up
Yes you, John Q. Public. Days of big brother are here. The war is being lost on all fronts. You need to help. Knowledge is power, and the price of liberty is being ever vigilant.
Think these are just clich�s? Think America is great? Well it is, but the oligarchies are fencing us in. By means of law, software, judiciary, and police. But worst of all offenders is a little idea that was born in France around the 1500's: the corporation. Now I'm not against all corporations. They are an efficient way to channel capital and resources toward a common goal. My soon to be boss is incorporated. It helps protect his personal assets from being seized, so his three children can go to college.
What I am talking about is a relatively new form of corporation: the trans- and meta-nationals. These are the biotechnology, production, drug, auto, software, and media entities that have been created in the last 20-30 years. During the age of the "Robber Barons" (or Captains of Industry - depending if you were winning) huge corporations were formed, both horizontally and vertically. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act ruled this act of creating huge economies of scale, unconstitutional. More importantly, this law wasn't put to actual use for about 25-30 years to break up the Rockefeller monopolies; before this it was a tool of the monopolies to act as a leverage point to enter into new markets.
Now we have corporations that trans- (as in cross) boarders of states (nations). This is not a problem per see, but the huge economies of scale that these trans-nationals dwarf the GNP of all but the 13 richest states. When a trans-national can bend multiple countries into spheres of influence (a parallel to trans-national power is found in China preceding and after the Boxer Rebellion) the effects are disastrous. With the advent of Meta-nationals, corporations of even larger economies of scale, horizontal and vertical structures, and Flag of Convenience ambitions, the threat to individual liberty is at stake. With Meta-Corporations changing states to as fast as we change styles, all in search of a better deal, this creates huge economic ripples in the local economy.
Today trans- and Meta-National Corporations are bending their spheres of influence to their will. The DMCA, WIPO Treaty, the presidency are all working to ensure that the "free market" is free for those in power now (not as in beer). International law, with no judicial, democratic and oversight is being drafted in the States and in the EU. The idea that we can just move to Canada or some other port of call is no longer true. The Trans- and Meta-Nationals have already beaten us there.
Solution:
- Ever present vigilance
- Civil Disobedience
- Non-violent protest
- PAC's
- Democratic uprisings
Will it be solved:
No, unless john Q. Public can't drink Frappucino, pay at the pump, or by something at gap.
And until I can't do that also.
Comments
Post a comment
This is the permanent home of Flag of Convenience. I wrote this post at 01:43 on August 21, 2001. This post is part of grubbykid.com, a weblog. If you liked this entry, why don't you read some other posts such as The creative web will not die or Conveyor? Or you could go to the site archives or return home. All are good choices.
