Let's face it, the human race is corrupt. Just look at Brexit. Look at society. Look at the world, my friend(s). 'Boss, what's this suite stuff?' Eh? Oh, just a PR email, about a new book, by Gregg Barak. 'Who?!' Gregg Barak!
Gregg Barak is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Eastern Michigan University, USA. He is the editor of The Routledge International Handbook of the Crimes of the Powerful, author of Theft of a Nation: Wall Street Looting and Federal Regulatory Colluding, and recipient of the National White Collar Crime Center/White Collar Crime Research Consortium's Outstanding Book Award for 2012.
He's got this book, see. It's called Unchecked Corporate Power. 'Oh. What's it about?' Well, Voice, it's about unchecked corporate power, yeah? 'Oh.' Yeah. As the title suggests. Well, it more than suggests. / Anyway ...
In 2015, Apple Inc. achieved the highest ever market-capital valuation for any U.S. corporation. It is widely considered the most esteemed brand in the world. Several factors have contributed to Apple's success, including the vision of the late Steve Jobs, the execution of Apple engineers, the failure or refusal of Apple to pay its fair share in taxes and the reported exploitation of the workers who manufacture Apple products.
So, what happens to nations that surrender ever-growing economic and political power to the globally super rich and the mammoth multinational corporations they control? And what can be done to resist the criminality and victimization perpetrated by the prevailing global political economy?
Well, not much can be done. BUT(!) ... the cosmos is watching! And some sort of God is watching. And maybe an alien race is watching. So ... oh, I don't know.
Written from the perspective of global sustainability and as an unflinching expose of the crimes of the powerful, Unchecked Corporate Power reveals how legalized authorities and political institutions assigned the duty of protecting citizens from law-breaking and injurious activities have increasingly become enablers and colluders with the very enterprises they are obliged to regulate.
And things will only get worse. The world is moving in one direction, towards destruction. That's it, man. 'Christ!'
Of course, when we die, the world is destroyed for us personally. If you know what I mean. I mean, it's not actually destroyed, but it may as well be. We have no contact any more, you dig? We don't know what our country or society is doing, our family, our friends. When we're gone, they're gone - to us.
So, maybe it's foolish to worry about the destruction of the world. Also, we have to bear in mind that the universe may continue for another five billion years. The human race will be lucky to get another five hundred years, but life will go on - in other places. 'That's not a great consolation, boss.' Ha! We'll be all right, son, on the bloody astral plane.
...
Anything else? No, not really. / This is the last post of the week. And now I must play my guitar. The band on the Titanic played. I must play, too.
Gregg Barak is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Eastern Michigan University, USA. He is the editor of The Routledge International Handbook of the Crimes of the Powerful, author of Theft of a Nation: Wall Street Looting and Federal Regulatory Colluding, and recipient of the National White Collar Crime Center/White Collar Crime Research Consortium's Outstanding Book Award for 2012.
He's got this book, see. It's called Unchecked Corporate Power. 'Oh. What's it about?' Well, Voice, it's about unchecked corporate power, yeah? 'Oh.' Yeah. As the title suggests. Well, it more than suggests. / Anyway ...
In 2015, Apple Inc. achieved the highest ever market-capital valuation for any U.S. corporation. It is widely considered the most esteemed brand in the world. Several factors have contributed to Apple's success, including the vision of the late Steve Jobs, the execution of Apple engineers, the failure or refusal of Apple to pay its fair share in taxes and the reported exploitation of the workers who manufacture Apple products.
So, what happens to nations that surrender ever-growing economic and political power to the globally super rich and the mammoth multinational corporations they control? And what can be done to resist the criminality and victimization perpetrated by the prevailing global political economy?
Well, not much can be done. BUT(!) ... the cosmos is watching! And some sort of God is watching. And maybe an alien race is watching. So ... oh, I don't know.
Written from the perspective of global sustainability and as an unflinching expose of the crimes of the powerful, Unchecked Corporate Power reveals how legalized authorities and political institutions assigned the duty of protecting citizens from law-breaking and injurious activities have increasingly become enablers and colluders with the very enterprises they are obliged to regulate.
And things will only get worse. The world is moving in one direction, towards destruction. That's it, man. 'Christ!'
Of course, when we die, the world is destroyed for us personally. If you know what I mean. I mean, it's not actually destroyed, but it may as well be. We have no contact any more, you dig? We don't know what our country or society is doing, our family, our friends. When we're gone, they're gone - to us.
So, maybe it's foolish to worry about the destruction of the world. Also, we have to bear in mind that the universe may continue for another five billion years. The human race will be lucky to get another five hundred years, but life will go on - in other places. 'That's not a great consolation, boss.' Ha! We'll be all right, son, on the bloody astral plane.
...
Anything else? No, not really. / This is the last post of the week. And now I must play my guitar. The band on the Titanic played. I must play, too.
