When Corporations Rule the World (Kumarian Press Books for a World That Works)

Rating:
Summary: The Long Road to Democracy
Review: By far, the most comprehensive, well-researched, incisive documentation of systemic corporate abuse available. When Corporations Rule is not simply a litany of profligate corporate excess, though. Korten explains the dysfunctional logic of our system, outlines the horrendous consequences for community and environment, and provides clear, cogent plans of action to create real democracy and awaken culturally.

We always harangue socialism as an "extreme ideology," but as Korten makes clear capitalism is also an extreme ideology. Socialism concentrates power in a centralized government, creating unsupportable social and environmental costs. Capitalism concentrates power in huge private institutions (the modern multinational corporation), which also have enormous social and environmental costs. Both advance the concentration of rights of ownership without limit, to the exclusion of the needs and rights of the many who own virtually nothing. And as Korten shows, the impoverished many are growing.

As of 1992, the richest 20 percent of the global population received as much as 82.7 percent of the total world income. The poorest 20 percent received 1.4 percent. These figures indicate growing economic inequality, which is has become even more pronounced in the last decade. In 1998, the world's top three billionaires totaled more assets than the combined GNP of all the least developing countries and their 600 million people. Of the world's 6 billion people, 2.8 - that is, nearly half - were living on less than 2 dollars a day. Some 1.2 billion of that half lived on less than a dollar a day.

Inside America - the global economic trendsetter - this growing inequality that we see between nations is mirrored in microcosm. In fact, inequality and hardship is even more exaggerated in the Land of the Free. The wealthiest 10 percent now own almost 90 percent of all business equity, 88.5 percent of all bonds, and 89.3 percent of all stocks. In 1999, the total compensation of U.S. corporate CEOs was 475 times the average production worker's pay; and 29 percent of all U.S. workers were in jobs paying poverty level wages, defined as an hourly wage too low to meet the needs of a family of four. Moreover, with each new mega-merger and corporate takeover, more capital, power and control are concentrated in these already mammoth institutions. What ever happened to the anti-trust laws?

These are just a few of the statistics sited in the book, but When Corporations Rule offers more than statistical analysis. With laser precision, Korten essays economic and political history, uncovering the reasons for these global trends: including the illusion of growth, the loss of governmental oversight in the affairs of corporations, the rise of the Newtonian mechanical worldview and its subsequent devaluation of spiritual values, etc. His critique of globalization is absolutely stunning: including the effects of NAFTA, and the general policies of the WTO, the WB and the IMF. Finally, his call for localism, activism, spiritualism and an ecological awakening are inspiring and timely.

Not a stone goes uncovered. The failure of development strategies for the Third World (his stated specialty), critical discussion of traditional economic theory, the rise of PR, global poverty, currency speculation and corporate raiding, downsizing, contracting labor, automating, the loss of the small farm, the effects of Walmart and the like, ecological collapse, the coming Ecological Revolution, sustainability, socially responsible investment, systems theory, urban design, history of the current globalization protest movement, a detailed agenda for democratic change - these and so many other important issues are weaved together in a remarkable argument that will shock, sober and move you. I cannot think of a more important book for those who still have faith in the global economy. This troubled planet needs more Kortens. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Pulling the props from under the propaganda
Review: This very succinct and very clear account of global capitalism run wild does the job where most leftist accounts of their subject too often suffer addled brain syndrome due to Hegelian brain rot. All it takes is a few pokes. Gosh, I had no idea the limited liability joint stock corporation was a problem, like the now passe institution of monarchy. The regime of mass media is so constant in its effect that we are already filled with sound bite refutations of the obvious facts of the case. And conventional economists are usually in recovery from their neo-classical college degree. At first sight the treatment appears lightweight and the text doesn't seem to amount to much, but within a few pages the relatively loose argument does its job. Take as a vitamin supplement for couch potato syndrome, or the daily newsspeak. Nice.

Rating:
Summary: Corporations offer mirage of good living while world suffers
Review: When Corporations Rule the World by David C. Korten raises awareness about what the human race has done to this world and how they have chosen to treat their fellow man. Korten does an excellent job of highlighting how the world's environmental and social problems are all interrelated. This combination of bad habits, selfish values, and wasteful ideologies are reacting together to heading straight into a negative future. It is not all bleak, as Korten does put together themes for a sustainable future that will not enrage even the most conservative American taxpayer and businessman. The bottom line is the image of the happy, technologically advanced; prosperous society pitched by avid supporters of market capitalism only comes true for the few. The vast majority of the world is suffering the consequences of a wasteful, competitive, and present minded way of life that is losing sight of basic human and environmental needs.
Besides the provocative and alarming facts that Koten uses I also appreciate the history of the human centered world, more particularly the American Democracy. The book comes together to show how today's capitalist democracy is not as conducive to harmonious living as businesses advertise.
For example, a modern industrial country that has learned the lethal and costly price of war would not put their citizens in danger. However, the number of civilians killed in warfare is far greater than it was a century ago. Moreover, it is massively disproportionate to the number of soldiers killed.
Another example of the negative trends that are present in the modern technologically advanced world is the evidence of social stress. Our medical and psychological knowledge is more advanced now than ever before however, the pressures of competitive market economy have overtaken our culture to make it acceptable to work from dawn till dusk without time for recreation or time with one's family just to make ends meet. The reality that people are working extremely hard to earn minimum wage while executive are getting paid hand over foot to play golf. When Corporation Rule the World admits the ugly truth that urban housing is only used to watching TV and grabbing a couple of hours sleep before the next daily grind.
This modern society, which has the technology to put robots on mars, the Internet on the beach, or TVs in airline seats, cannot even provide adequate health care or job security in even the most affluent industrial nations. This is not to mention the hundreds of million of people who are living on less than one American dollar a day. With the inescapable facts of population growth these problems are getting worse, not better.
Korten lived up to many of the accolades in the preface of the book. Korten said things that many humane and rational people were thinking. He does a great job of bringing together the multiple social, environmental, and organizational problems of the globe. This book has the power to change many people's perception on things, and to look into the future with a more sustainable mindset.