-Caveat Lector- -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [mil-corp] The Corporate Consensus: A Guide to the Institutions of Global Power Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 20:47:23 -0400 From: International Network on Disarmament and Globalization <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mil-corp <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Network members - A notice for an interesting book published by the Public Information Network. I features a section on globalization and militarism. Thanks to Bob Olsen for sending this along. Steve **** The Corporate Consensus: A Guide to the Institutions of Global Power © November 2000 by George Draffan http://www.endgame.org http://www.endgame.org/corpcon1.html see also http://www.endgame.org/corpcon.html Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project HCR 82, Fossil OR 97830 telephone (541) 468-2028 114-page illustrated paper copy with footnotes and references available for $5.00 postpaid. Make checks payable to Public Information Network, PO Box 95316, Seattle WA 98145-2316 Part 1: The Dynamics of Power click here for Part 2 Table of Contents Cultural Power: the Colonization of Our Minds Mass Media, Media Monopoly Public Relations: Smoothing the Rough Edges Educating the Public, Incorporating Public Education Foundations and Think Tanks: Educating the Public, Persuading the Lawmakers Legal and Political Power: Leveraging Authority Corporate Law Formal and Informal Advisory Groups Revolving Doors and Interlocks: the Keys to the Club Lobbying and Political Influence-Buying Economic Power: Avenues of Wealth Mergers, Oligopolies, and Cartels: The Real Game of Monopoly Political Risk Insurance Banks and Development Agencies: The Engines of Globalization Trade Treaties and Structural Adjustment: Forced Participation in the Corporate Economy Police and Military Power: the Ultimate Weapon From Colonies to The Global Economy: Protecting Corporate Profits Protecting Capital and Fighting for Resources The Military as Industry Synergy: The Web of Power Introduction In the past century, the limited liability corporation became the most powerful institution in the world, both politically and economically-and increasingly on the cultural level as well. Corporations accumulate wealth and exercise power through alliances with other corporations, and through relationships with local, national, and international government officials. The World Trade Organization (WTO), with its explicit jurisdiction superceding national laws, has recently provided a focal point and raised the public's awareness of the concentration of political and economic power in the hands of fewer and fewer people. Multilateral financial institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, controlled by the richest nations, are privatizing the economies and restructuring the social policies of the rest of the world. But the World Bank and the WTO are only the more visible institutions of corporate power. Government agencies charged with protecting public health and safety are run by executives on loan from the corporations that are supposed to be regulated. Corporate lobby groups write legislation and buy candidates for political office. Corporate-driven think tanks and educators enjoy the prestige of university appointments where corporate agendas are developed and disseminated. Corporate foundations decide which charities and which environmental groups will get funded. Investment bankers control more money than the World Bank, and their unregulated speculation in national currencies has plunged Latin America and Asia into financial crises. Governments have become "mere salesmen" promoting the multinational corporations which are the "muscle and brains" of the global economy. The purpose of this report is to help provide an understanding of the organizations that are most influential in economic and political decisions on the national and international levels. Individual corporations wield enormous influence over government policy-makers, communities, and entire regional economies, but the true measure of corporate power is the ability of the owners and managers of corporations to unite to influence political agendas and to subvert national and international law. Therefore the focus of this report is on the full range of institutions which support corporate power-including think tanks, policy groups, lobbying associations, trade bodies, and multilateral trade and development agencies-rather than on individual corporations (see Appendix 4 for a list of the 500 largest corporations). Some institutions (the Business Roundtable, the Chamber of Commerce) have long been recognized as major corporate associations. Other organizations (the World Trade Organization, the European Roundtable of Industrialists) are relatively new on the scene, but are undeniably centers of corporate power and globalization. The inclusion of other institutions in this report (NATO, the United Nations) may come as a surprise to some readers, but the discussion will show that they too promote corporate power. We believe that knowledge of these organizations is critical to understanding and addressing the sources of the environmental, economic, and social problems posed by corporate power. The usefulness of this knowledge will depend on the kind of work an activist does. Some activists will find it useful in helping the public understand how the political system works. They may wish to point out to people that their elected and appointed officials meet every year with corporate executives for a week of schmoozing and strategizing in Switzerland, or remind local journalists that U.S. Cabinet Secretaries are corporate executives, and giving government contracts to their business partners. Other activists may find the report useful in their efforts to change the way the trade policies are made, perhaps by focusing on the interlocks between the U.S. Trade Representative and her Industry Sector Advisory Committees, which are made up of representatives of major corporations. Activists who wish to challenge corporate charters may wish to focus on corporations whose executives have also been leaders in the lobbying and policy organizations. A list of the world's largest corporations, and several lists of the leaders of corporate politics are included in the appendices. How economic, legal, and political mechanisms work together to create and maintain corporate power are surveyed in Part 1 of this report. An expanded version of this survey, with historical and modern case studies, is available on the author's website at http://www.endgame.org. Part 2 is a series of profiles of the most powerful lobbying, research, and political organizations promoting corporate power. ....... snip ........ see http://www.endgame.org/corpcon1.html see also http://www.endgame.org/corpcon.html -- International Network on Disarmament and Globalization 405-825 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1K9 CANADA tel: (604) 687-3223 fax: (604) 687-3277 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.indg.org To subscribe to the e-mail list, send an e-mail to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] SUBSCRIBE mil-corp "FirstName LastName" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> as the first and only line in the message body. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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