Company Empire

Author: Charles Derber
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The company itself is an economic unit and actor, but in developed countries, a few large companies are wealthy and powerful, with overwhelming influence whose actions extend far beyond the economic sphere, becoming a firmly entrenched power system that controls the entire operation of society. In response to this prominent 21st-century phenomenon, the renowned American sociologist and critic Charles Derber sharply points out: large multinational corporations have usurped the power of ordinary citizens and governments, posing a serious threat to the democracy and economic life of society. Charles Derber provides a profound analysis of the growing role and control of multinational corporations in contemporary social life: domestically in the United States, their every move directly influences the formulation of government public policies and shapes the lifestyle and living standards of the majority; in other countries around the world, multinational corporations can easily sever trade relations with individual nations or, with a smile, allow foreign governments already in financial distress to accumulate overwhelming debt through direct or indirect means. Derber, from the perspective of civil rights advocacy, raises the banner of upholding social justice, equality, freedom, and democracy, making people aware of the privileges, greed, disregard for human rights, and democratic violations of large corporations.