buyers

Well said Rosie. WELL, CL

Should we fear nations emerging as powers or the MNCs who may stand to gain massive profits by allowing or even encouraging wars between countries and what do we do about it? ..................................... Multi-national corporations seldom field armies answering only to them nations do

I could see some MNCs brokering wars or at least broker the threat of war. What I could really see is MNC's pitting countries against each other for tax/regulatory concessions like companies in the US do. Only the states, cities and people end up losers.

Nanheyangrouchuan writes: “What I could really see is MNC's pitting countries against each other for tax/regulatory concessions like companies in the US do. Only the states, cities and people end up losers “ What we have here is a failure to understand capitalism. Paying less in taxes is not a bug, it is a feature. It leaves more money available for capital investment and wages. I recommend you read Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Competition between nations is good.

He never said it wasn't Guinness, only that NMCs might generate national competition in the process of looking for future locations to set up. Such competition could possibly spark wars, if I read Nan correctly.

>>I...see MNC's pitting countries against each other for tax/regulatory concessions like companies in the US do. Only the states, cities and people end up losers -Nanthescam<< Pretty damn clear that his remark totally misrepresents US capitalism and denies the real wealth that it creates. What Tax & Regulatory concessions are proffered for in the "US", is to bring in products, income & Jobs! And if proferred wisely, a country, it's states, cities and the people end up WINNERS! Yes, there are some irresponsible officials & corporate entities that step out of bounds. However, for the most part in the US, Multi-Nationals tend to be responsible government & corporate citizens. It's just good business sense! As for the 3rd world, French led EU, the Russians and Chinese, that's a different kettle of fish. On Watch

Wars would be an extreme to get jobs, other things in the world would have to be pretty bad for that to happen, but the consideration is notable. Actually I was thinking of examples like Boeing. I was living in a city that was negotiating for the companies main corporate HQ, which was relocating from Seattle. During the bidding process, there were alot of stories about how Indianapolis had won a bid for one of Boeing's specialized maintenance facilities and the several hundred jobs that were promised. Indianapolis all but gave away the land along with massive tax breaks for the company and top executives that would manage it. There were other perks but I can't remember what they were. The place was built, opened for a few months then closed as Boeing relocated up to Canada or something like that. Indianapolis was left with big debts and the workers were left with nothing since they had only been on the job a few months. Boeing is the only company that benefited and the only wealth that was generated was for a small group of people who happened to line their pockets with taxpayer money. Needless to say the city I lived in decided not to get into a bidding war with the likes of Chicago and LA . Chicago eventually won. I wonder if the average Bearz fan gets to experience all of the wealth that has been "generated" by Chicago's giveaway of land and building. It's only a matter of time before MNCs are milking nations like this. Under some odd little rules for economic development, states and cities are allowed to skirt labor and environmental laws in the name of job development. Sometimes it goes to extremes. Can you see some countries tossing their Clean Water and Clean Air equivalents just to attract some jobs? How about massive tax exemptions given by a country that cannot afford to pay for basic services without them? Tossing out some basic laws regarding child labor or no 16 hour work days? Can it happen? It already is, why else is China and other parts of Asia so popular. Not just because of the large market.