Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.16 $; site inmet.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!psuvax1!burdvax!sdcrdcf!ucla-cs!ucbvax!decvax!inmet!nrh From: nrh@inmet.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: capitalism vs. democracy??? Message-ID: <28200382@inmet.UUCP> Date: Wed, 11-Dec-85 13:37:00 EST Article-I.D.: inmet.28200382 Posted: Wed Dec 11 13:37:00 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 16-Dec-85 19:54:40 EST References: <286@frog.UUCP> Lines: 40 Nf-ID: #R:frog:-28600:inmet:28200382:000:1754 Nf-From: inmet!nrh Dec 11 13:37:00 1985 >/* Written 12:59 pm Dec 10, 1985 by lkk@teddy in inmet:net.politics.t */ >In article <267@gargoyle.UUCP> carnes@gargoyle.UUCP (Richard Carnes) writes: >> >>I don't think so. Large private corporations, which are basically >>anti-democratic institutions, wield a lot of power in the US. > > >... > >With such economic significance, these corporations become >quasi-nations unto themselves in the world of international finance. What does this mean? Does it mean that you believe only nations should be above a certain size? If so, on what basis do you make the case? >When approaches the Chairman of Chase >Manhattan Bank for a loan, it is the banker who has the upper hand. Larry, I don't think you understand what's going on here. The statement is trivially true (whenever I offer you a deal, I have the "upper hand" because you may refuse it or not, but I can't (having already offered it)). >Thus, David Rockefeller has the ability to drastically affect the >fortunes of millions of people the world over. Was he elected by >them? No. Nope. The person who sought out David Rockefeller was not some random swine who was appointed by the gods to be able to assume a debt in the name of the country, but the head of some government or other. Such governments typically claim to be democracies, and if they act anti-democratically by selling their economic future to David Rockefeller (who is, by the way, not the only bidder) then it is the governments you should criticize, not the moneylenders. By the way, the US government has some impact on all this, by making it profitable to lend to third world nations through various incentives. David Rockefeller can ignore these, but others would take his place.