Who has more power? Corporations or People?
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M$23 Answers
The availability for the first time in human history of a dependable food supply ...made it possible to support larger societies. .... food surpluses became common.... freed some workers to do other forms of work, such as crafts leading to the division of labor. Surplus food and crafts were traded with others. (Trade) Durable goods could now be saved and some people accumulated more than others. (Accumulation of valued goods) People now had possessions worth fighting over. (Feuds and wars over possessions). Captives from battles were forced to do less appealing work. (Slavery) Some people accumulated much over time while others accumulated little. (Inequality increased). The wealthy wanted to pass their benefits on to their children. (Wealth became hereditary) Wealth and power became concentrated in the hands of a few. (Power becomes concentrated and chiefs, kings, and feudal society emerged). With the agricultural revolution 5500 BC The invention of the plow drawn by animals made agricultural production vastly more efficient than before permitting far more land to be farmed by fewer people. This resulted in an even greater food surplus. It also freed far more people for other types of work, creating an even greater division of labor. Jared Diamond details some of the additional specifics of the process.
So as robbrown discusses above, it is the organization. An individual or a small band of hunter gatherers against a large organization/army is no match to its overwhelming power. Part of the reason is because we live in a domination system: http://www.noogenesis.com/malama/nvc/domination.html and we are educated from birth to give up our power by a State controlled school system. One characteristic of a domination system is the "suppression of the self" the denial of our feelings and needs, "because we are educated by our society to ignore them so we can become some kind of interchangeable part in a vast money making machine, where feelings and needs are not important. In a domination system, the language of feelings and needs is not necessary, only obedience to authority. My boss just wants me to come to work and do the job. If I don't feel like it, well too bad because there are plenty of people waiting in the wings to take my place." The corporation derives its power from this kind of thinking, and it is deeply embedded in the language we use.
However, all is not lost. A small band of like minded individuals can influence a large organization to change its policy, and thereby use its power to take down another large organization! I mention one example in my Mahalo question of the "keys to success": http://www.mahalo.com/answers/society-and-culture/what-are-the-keys-to-success Over a period of 15 years or so, a small band of individuals were able to influence the policy of a large retirement fund to divest itself of investments in South Africa, thereby changing policy there regarding Apartheid, and encouraging the release of Nelson Mandela soon thereafter. The small band of like minded individuals is kind of like a virus, infecting one cell in a large organism, which then replicates to release more viruses (or memes if you like) and the infectious idea jumps from one cell to another taking over the whole organism, or in this case, large organization, getting it to do its bidding. I personally believe that success depends on the underlying "intention" to be based on love and compassion.
So, I do hope we can do something equally amazing here at Mahalo.com! I'm very excited about that possibility! If you would like tips on getting in touch with your feelings and needs, and not be slave to the system, my first "managed page" is about how to listen with empathy and compassion: http://www.mahalo.com/listening-skills
Aloha!
Duen Hsi Yen
http://www.ahealedplanet.net/medicine.htm#timeline1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel:_The_Fates_of_Human_Soc...
http://www.noogenesis.com/malama/nvc/domination.html
http://www.mahalo.com/answers/society-and-culture/what-are-the-keys-to-succ...
http://www.cnvc.org/en/what-nvc/articles-writings/anger-and-domination-syst...
http://www.mahalo.com/listening-skills
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M$
Corporations are more powerful. They are organized and directed by a singular vision.
When individuals band together, they become more powerful.
Trade unions are a good example of this. Many auto assembly plants are ran by large multi-national corporations. Individuals have banded together within these companies to ensure adequate working conditions, high wages, benefits, etc. In this case, the corporation is powerful, but the group of individuals (the union) is capable of stopping work and hurting (or closing) the company.
More than ever, individuals are increasing their connections with others. The Internet thrives when people come together to contribute and communicate. However, these connections don't mean that we're banding together. Mahalo is a good example of this phenomenon. We're all interconnected through our answers, the tasks we complete and the pages we manage. However, these things are all completed independently and only with the direction of the "company".
Other forms of the organization are also receding. In the past, people would organize themselves with religion in their churches, in their community with their neighbors, in social groups, etc. These groups of individuals are receding and as a result, corporations continue to become more powerful.
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M$
I didn't even see your answer before I answered. Good answer! Right on the money.
Good luck getting enough people to ban together to destroy a corporation though.
I tend to believe in the golden rule.
Do you really believe without people the companies will fail? Look at AIG...I bet not one person who is getting bent over because of them wants them to survive but the government is helping them. Look at GM, they build a car that gets about 4 mpg you are saying there arnt enough hippies in the US that wanted that care banned? Did it happen...not till they went bankrupt because of GWB...which is about the only good thing that came out of his destructive path is we are now STARTING to realize what BS we let happen and are putting an end to some of it.
Dang it I rant to much....Sorry rob, Blushes at rob and his white horse....
Whoever has the money, makes the rules. I mean most of our votes don’t mean crap because of the lobbyists. They influence more then we do, and the corporations back them.
Maybe I am just a pessimist.
1) The state is more powerful than corporations
Any government can make laws, throw people in jail, ban business practices, break up companies that are held to be acting against the public interest etc.
Case in point Canada just kicked Facebook's butt on privacy:
BBC: Facebook changes privacy policy
2) In a democracy, the people collectively are the ultimate source of state power
If a majority of people vote for healthcare reform consistently, there will be healthcare reform. There's nothing that the insurance companies, pharma companies, medical professsion or anyone else can do about it, if that is what the people vote for.
In democracies where healthcare is largely state-controlled, it's because people voted for that. In countries (well, there's only one rich democracy in that category) where there is no state-backed universal healthcare, it's because people didn't consistently vote for it.
3) However, money talks, even in a democracy
Money isn't neccessarily corporations, it could be rich individuals, unions, even groups like trial lawyers. Thorugh campaign contributions, lobbying, media relations etc, people with money, including corporations, can get more of a hearing than people without.
That's partly why it has happened for example that copyright periods in the US have gotten longer and longer and longer over time, and we had to go through the whole DRM fiasco.
4) Public opinion still wins in the end, if strongly felt and well-organised
Think about anti-smoking laws, pollution controls, limits on oil drilling. The fact that big corporations stood to lose lots of money on those things didn't stop them from happening. Slowed them down maybe, but not stopped.
5) People are potentially very powerful, but they don't feel they are
Because they think they can't do much, they don't do anything at all. And so while they could be very powerful, because of apathy, lack of confidence, cynicism etc, they often aren't too powerful in practice. Which then reinforces the self-fulfilling prophecy of "We can't do much".
Conclusion...
In the short-run, corporations are often more powerful than people.
In the long-run, the people win every time.
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
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M$
Peace!
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M$
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M$
So if corporation is there it is more powerful than an individual
Own
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M$Even using this 5 eras scenario - we must not forget that behind the social web there are (other) corporations (but these ones might hear better)
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$when the corporation were formed with co-operation of all indivuals , the elected body of corporation will look after all the developent activites with cooperation of standing government.
Any progress will start from the individual so both are interrelated hence for any progress both should be considered.
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M$
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M$
Take a look at what happened with the latest Google/Apple/AT&T situation. Apple rejected the google voice application for the iPhone. The people were upset. The FCC got involved and went to all three companies to get clarification into the mess. More to come on this I am sure.
So....the answer....corporations....but it may be changing very soon.
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M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
If a large corporation such as Microsoft or Google decided it was going to fund terrorist groups or rebels I'm pretty sure that a large percentage of its customers would boycott them causing the company to eventually fail.
Corporations are essentially slaves to the people.
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M$
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
