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Is Corporatism the biggest threat to life on earth?

Is Corporatism the biggest threat to life on planet earth?

  • yes

    Votes: 26 54.2%
  • no

    Votes: 14 29.2%
  • yes, but not a threat to life

    Votes: 8 16.7%

  • Total voters
    48

Billo_Really

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Because of Corporatism:

-we attacked Iraq
-we are losing our freedoms and personal liberty's
-we are losing our jobs
-we are losing our natural resources
-we are losing our humanity
-we are losing this planets ability to sustain life
-we are losing the lines of communication that are necessary to solve
this and any other problem

...in return, we are getting...
-commercials. Lots and lots of commercials. Everywhere you look, we get commercials. That distract us from reality. The "filler" for the void of life.

Corporatism is real. The "eminant domain" vote is a good example of its existance. The Patriot Act is another. The War on Terror is another one. And television is the weapon of choice. Before TV, you needed a standing army to control a population. Now, with the "box", your easily controlled! With the best thing being, you don't even realize it. TV blinks at 60 cycles per second, which puts the observer into an "alpha" state, which in turn makes them more receptive to suggestion. People that watch TV are "receivers". Receiving the message of Corporatism, "Buy something! Buy something now!"
 
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Billo, I think I love you!


Very well said!
 
Is this a concept that is too difficult to think about. Because, this thread, is the mother of all other threads. This is the reason we are posting all the other threads. And I do mean ALL!
 
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What a refreshing view from a Moderate Green Party member!
 
No. The biggest threat to life on earth is.......death. Betcha can't argue that logic. teacher wins again
You're right. Because that would preclude there was logic in the arguement.
 
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No. The biggest threat to life on earth is.......death. Betcha can't argue that logic. teacher wins again.


actually the ONLY threat to life is death. So... i'd assume the thread is asking: is corporatism the biggest cause of death on earth?
 
actually the ONLY threat to life is death. So... i'd assume the thread is asking: is corporatism the biggest cause of death on earth?
You know what you do when you assume...
...however, in this case, you are correct!
 
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It is interesting why this thread is not viewed much when it is so important to understand that the reason we are in Iraq is because of the doctrine of Corporatism. Since we started this war on terror, we are now in perpetual war with no way to predict a clear ending. Companies like Haliberton love this. They get paid for services seldom rendered and when they are, they're not quality you would expect. But the effects of this war are having an impact on our economy. I know the numbers look good on wall street right now, but in the long run we are selling away our childrens future. The following is an excerpt from Craig Hulets website www.craigbhulet.com in case anyone would like to read more from an obviously "biased source", which has nothing to do with the validity of the point he is making.

Craig B. Hulet:
I have argued elsewhere that “this war will likely last a generation.” That we are facing an “international urban guerrilla war which began in earnest on 9/11,” that we cannot ultimately win. (See www.kcandassociates.org for some 80 articles directly pertaining to Iraq, and guerrilla warfare) But everything has changed since 9/11. America is not any longer the free Republic based upon democratic principles it once was. American democracy is for sale. The wars the United States, all of us taxpayers as guilty as Bush and his gruesome crew, we are fighting in the Middle East and Central Asia can only create more instability in the region, and increase terrorist attacks (which have reached a higher level since 9/11, not fewer as we have been told (see KC&A site).

These are the wars of a weakened nation-state with dreams of Empire bedazzling the perfunctory leadership. We have a military much too large for homeland defense but one that is much too small, too weak, to rule an empire These are corporate wars for corporate resources for a corporate empire that bears no resemblance to America per se. Wars in behalf of corporations that have not paid a dime in income tax since 1989!

A majority of U.S. corporations haven’t paid income tax in any year since 1989, as they used accounting strategies to duck the 35 percent corporate tax rate, the General Accounting Office reported recently in Washington....The congressional auditing agency said last week that 63 percent of all U.S. companies used a variety of legal -- and some illegal -- methods to zero out their tax liability between 1996 and 2000.... During the same period, 94 percent of U.S. corporations reported tax liabilities of less than 5 percent. Similar results were found for the period 1989-95 in a previous GAO study. (Source: (Source: Majority of firms don'’ pay tax, April 7, 2004; Accounting strategies used, GAO reports RYAN J. DONMOYER BLOOMBERG NEWS)


The preceding really sucks! The only way I have a right to bitch about my government is because of the fact that I pay taxes. If I didn't do this, then I have no right to say anything at all because I'm not contributing to this country. If you have nothing to contribute, then you have nothing to say. Yet corporations have a lot to say when it comes to the direction of this country. And it is NOT in the American citizens best interest.

“Too many corporations are finagling ways to dodge paying Uncle Sam, despite the benefits they receive from this country.” -- Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., who requested the GAO report. The Senator has it precisely backwards. The taxes paid are for the subjects to pay; the wars fought are for the corporate empire, American-led but not American in any sense of the term. The corporations are instructing the federal government, defining it, driving it. It includes foreign corporations with American board members and often an American (if that term means anything any longer) as CEO.

Overall, the report said that more foreign-owned corporations avoided taxes between 1996 and 2000 than their U.S. competitors -- 71 percent to 61 percent, respectively. When the study focused on larger corporations, defined as those with more than $250 million in assets or $50 million in gross receipts, tax avoidance by U.S. corporations outpaced foreign-owned companies. In total, foreign-controlled corporations paid an average of $11.88 per $1,000 of gross receipts in 2000, the study said. U.S. corporations paid an average of $14.75 per $1,000. The Senate Finance Committee is reviewing 55 boxes of IRS records on almost 700 private agreements that the agency has struck with multinational corporations on the way prices have been set for intracompany transactions since 1991. Such transfer pricing arrangements can be a source of abuse when goods are sold between subsidiaries at inflated prices. The IRS and companies say their private pricing arrangements, which are voluntary and often done in conjunction with tax authorities in other countries, avoid legal disputes when the companies are audited. (Ibid.)

Companies use losses, improper intercompany pricing arrangements and accrued tax credits to reduce or eliminate their tax bills, the GAO said in the study, reported by The Wall Street Journal. 45 percent of all international trade is intra-firm trade; it is between Ford of Bonn and Ford of Detroit. Of the 100 largest economies in the world, America the largest, 55 are corporations! America is now a corporate state, Corporatism is its ideology. What better describes Corporatism (Corporazioni in 1920s Italian terminology) than the hiring, by corporations like Halliburton KBR, of corporate mercenaries, whose funds are derived ultimately from taxing the subjects of empire, who pay trillions of dollars in taxes as individuals, all the while the same corporations reaping the harvest pay not one nickel in taxes to the empire?


Haliberton and KBR should be banned from receiving any contracts in Iraq do to a conflict of interest with the Vice-President.
 
I said yes, but truly, isn't it capitalism itself which is the biggest danger? Capitalism ushers in corporatism, as it naturally leads to large, powerful corporations, the very ones you claim to hate, Billo. So are you simply opposed to an advanced form of capitalism, but not capitalism itself, thus ignoring the root cause of corporatism?
 
Corporatism is anti human and elitetist.

The best blend that seems to work best, is blend of socialism, and capitalism.

this protects the little people and distributes huge amounts of money more equally and sales and demands for product always go up and there are more jobs created, and more people to pay taxes, not just the poor and middle class. don't forget how much actual profits have gone down since Bush and the right wing were elected. It is giving corporation back their money in tax refunds makes Bush look good. If Bush had given that money to People jobs taxes would have increased. The actual money would have increased in amount many times because of supply and demand. Bush cares nothing for America, accept using American soldiers to die in Irag in Bush's phoney war. :lol:
 
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I feel that corporate involvement in politics is a big thread to our system, freedoms, fundamental goals in a democracy and capitalistic society, but it's not remotely the biggest threat to life at all, and anything that is (such as nuclear proliferation) immediately outweighs it and wins by default.

But it's a big problem, and can manifest itself in areas that will caues greater problems that genuinely are a threat to life.
 
A corporation is an artificial person. It is a creature of statute; and, unlike a natural person, a corporation can, potentially, exist indefinitely. Once formed, a corporation has all the rights and privileges of a natural person, except voting (which it does with its checkbook), or appear in federal courts except by attorney, for unlike a natural person, a corporation may only act through its officers, directors and agents. A corporation, like a natural person, may be licensed to do business in a state other than its domicile. Like a natural person, a corporation may be held accountable for it acts, and even convicted of crimes. Corporations have been around for some time. Our cities and most towns are municipal corporations through which local government is exercised.

The problem is not with corporations, but those who would abuse its franchise, and much that is wrong with our country is due to such misuse. The pernicious influence of corporate corruption is ubiquitous, even in the halls of Congress where their lobbyists peddle their influence. It is their doing that much of the tax code is so unfairly balanced to the point of subsidization of corporate business, and it is their agenda that sponsors much of the so-called “reform” legislation that has been recently enacted. It is like a cancer that has spread into every cell of our social structure and civic institutions to the detriment of individual rights and liberties.

Is there any remedy? The courthouse doors have been all but closed for individual legal redress; and there are even efforts being made to undermine the independence of the federal judiciary which threatens to subvert the constitutional checks and balances to the excesses of government. Therefore, it will have to be the responsibility of every citizen to be vigilant in overseeing their representatives and holding them accountable lest our democracy turn into a corporate tyranny.
 
Great post, Nemo. A bit verbose, but a great post.

A point worth making is worth making so that all who hear it understand it.

But a great post.
 
This is just a classic case of Billo loosing his mind. Besides its nice to see that people who know absolutely nothing about business will trash "Corporations"?FYI: Also to the fact that if it wasn't for the Corporation "Viacom" you wouldn't have CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Showtime, UPN, which are all child companies of Viacom. So what do you know about businesses, and how about trying to run one of your own. All Corporations are made of businesses, which businesses are idirectly run by their customers. If you don't buy into their products they'lll be out of business in 2 years or less! So "Coporationism" is not destroying the world, if it is then you have in some way (or maybe even indirectly) helped contribute to it! :doh :lol: So if your against Corporations lets get rid of CBS and Fox News and call it even.

Source Viacom.com

FYI: Extremeism=Elitetistim
 
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:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
Capitalism has to continue to spread and find (or create [read:war]) new consumers.
 
NoobieDoobieDo said:
Capitalism has to continue to spread and find (or create [read:war]) new consumers.
Why are you dodging my questions? That is very inconsiderate! But Just a ponder? Can you answer this one? How has say "Microsoft" or "Haliburton" Cause war, and create customers?

So what do you know about businesses/Evil Corporations?:mrgreen:
 
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:surrender yet? Or should I go from another angle?
 
Nearly four years after 911 & no more homeland attacks on USA yet Americans are still dying. Why ???? Becuase Bush invaded Iraq !
Where's the terror ?... London & they came from Somalia & Eritrea.
Where do Fox News talk about ?... Iraq.
Fox news sponsored by Republican party... or is it the other war round ?
War on terrror, war on terrror, war on terrror all they talk about.
They promote it like it's some sports event !
Helping to keep the pseudo war on terror in Iraq in people's minds so the arms manufacturers can help boost their share prices.
 
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robin said:
Nearly four years after 911 & no more homeland attacks on USA yet Americans are still dying. Why ???? Becuase Bush invaded Iraq !
Where's the terror ?... London & they came from Somalia & Eritrea.
Where do Fox News talk about ?... Iraq.
Fox news sponsored by Republican party... or is it the other war round ?
War on terrror, war on terrror, war on terrror all they talk about.
They promote it like it's some sports event !
Now calm down, take a second to breathe. I was just wondering how does big business fit into the Iraq picture? Because Corporations are not allowed to create their own armed forces? Yes I know Fox News is Right Wing, So are you implying Fox News is the threat to everyone, or just your idea's? Because I can prove the Left wing media outlets are no better than Fox News, and they are both run by underground organizations! That's why I say watch C-SPAN, everyone can equally and logicaly debate issues. I believe they are the most Independent media outlet because on their website they state "Created by public cable, Offered as a public service". So they make it a service to report news, instead of biases outlets that make "Ratings" their primary motive for staying on the air. C-SPAN.org I hope they calm your anger at the media, there are good ones you know!
Helping to keep the pseudo war on terror in Iraq in people's minds so the arms manufacturers can help boost their share prices.
Can you prove a companies stock boosting due to the war in Iraq? I mean were loosing money and lives over there every day, how are corporations benefiting?
 
stsburns said:
Can you prove a companies stock boosting due to the war in Iraq? I mean were loosing money and lives over there every day, how are corporations benefiting?
You don't need to be Einstien to work out that arms manufacturers make money from wars do you ?
Or maybe you do.
Heck.. maybe I'm cleverer than I thought lol
 
dude, you can deny it all you want, but no country ever starts a war unless it serves some greater economic purpose. Do you think Europe thinks the war is wrong purely for moral reasons? The Europeans may think so, but all the European governments wanted was to protect their investments in Iraq under Sadaam's regime. We are lead to believe its a moral battle in Iraq. And yes, we have done something that is somewhat morally correct (i think toppling Sadaam is the only good thing that resulted from this war). But our government would never start this war for that reason only. Iraq is definately an economic asset.

Morals are what appeal to us, the public. For politicians and corporations, actions are based on gains in power and economic prospect. Is this bad? Maybe not. This mindset helps the general public in the long run, but it makes these guys filthy rich.
 
robin said:
You don't need to be Einstien to work out that arms manufacturers make money from wars do you ?
Or maybe you do.
Heck.. maybe I'm cleverer than I thought lol
You still didn't prove a STOCK going up due to Iraq war! Show me the money! :2wave:
 
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