Corporate realities

To be against or opposed to corporations is a foolish and simplistic position. To be in favor of altering the influence of corporations in our political system is a more sane and balanced attitude.

It can be hard to criticize corporations and the role they play in our societies because we have grown up within their influence. It can be hard to imaging how things could be different in the same way that it was difficult for people five hundred year ago to contemplate a wall of separation between church and state.

It is worth noting that more than half of the world's largest economies are corporations, not countries. Countries are defined by geographic boundaries while multinational corporations move with relative ease in the globalized economy.

Worth reading although grossly outdated is an overview by Corpwatch with an attempt to summarize the economic and political clout of corporations prior to the Citizens United ruling and massive bailouts in more recent years. These new developments have transformed too big to fail into too big to jail. At least Bernie is telling it like it is...unlike corporate media....and by the way, if the 16 trillion dollars that was given to the banks were divided up and given to the citizens, that would have given us each more than $50,000.

Global Trends provides an updated version and list of the top 100 economies.

Today, corporate profits are at 60 year highs while main street continues to struggle. The reasons for this are obvious to some while unimaginable to others. It might be the tax rates, stupid. Okay, that's not nice, but corporations are owned mainly by very few people and have reaped the vast majority of economic benefits over the last few years while the majority of Americans have struggled. Is that fair?

Perhaps you should join the 99 for 90%. We need one another to educate each other.

Here is an article, Calling All Rebels, featuring Chris Hedges and David Cay Johnston that I found to be powerful. With notable quotes like, Yeats, "the best lack all conviction and the worst are full of passionate intensity.” and I'm not sure who asks this,"The power elite, including most of those who graduate from our top universities and our liberal and intellectual classes, have sold out for personal comfort. Why not us?"

and lastly it closes.... Those who do not rebel in our age of totalitarian capitalism and who convince themselves that there is no alternative to collaboration are complicit in their own enslavement. They commit spiritual and moral suicide.