Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

Things are not as they seem. If I pooled all my assets, I still could not buy one-millionth of Exon Mobil's market cap. This gives me no clout. The fact remains that wealth is becoming concentrated in an ever smaller number of hands, and these people control everything behind the scenes. The free market is an illusion when a tiny number of super-rich and super-powerful people are pulling all the strings and controlling the flow of information and can manipulate everything to their advantage.

[Paphitis]

Things are not as they seem. If I pooled all my assets, I still could not buy one-millionth of Exon Mobil's market cap. This gives me no clout. The fact remains that wealth is becoming concentrated in an ever smaller number of hands, and these people control everything behind the scenes. The free market is an illusion when a tiny number of super-rich and super-powerful people are pulling all the strings and controlling the flow of information and can manipulate everything to their advantage.

I couldn't buy 1 millionth of Exon Mobil either. And of course we have no clout. Someone that owns 1% will have a million times more clout than the 2 of us.

That is just the way they want it too.

But they can't pull the strings that easily. They still need to put their case forward and other little guys like us can cast their ballot.

At the end of the day, you wouldn't want someone who has no idea with a great deal of clout within Exon Mobil.

[Oceanside50]

"If economic globalisation is inevitable, it should primarily serve humanity rather than the interests of trans-national corporations".

Most of you would have agreed or strongly agreed to it whereas as I disagreed on fundamental and practical grounds.

Assuming there was a way that economic globalisation could primarily serve humanity then the ONLY reason you could disagree with that statement is for purely selfish reasons in the case that you owned shares in such corporations. What other "fundamental and practical grounds" could exist that you would choose the interests of a small group of people over the interests of humanity?

Well aside from the multi Billion Dollar profits, multi nationals do have a dramatic social effect for the better mind you. The fundamental grounds I talk about is investment into the local community, creating jobs and an expanding middle class. The effects are very dramatic when you go to a developing country like India and China.

For example, the RoC Government is currently looking for an investor to reopen the privately owned Cyprus Airways. If an investor comes forward, there would be dramatic social benefits to Cyprus at large. the problem is attracting the investor because no one will come forward if there is no chance of making a profit or benefiting their shareholders.

All your arguments are about how economic globalisation helps humanity... In which case why did you disagree with the statement in the test?

Because I do not believe that is their fundamental purpose whether you like it or not. The driver that I see is an economic one, or profit based which drives the social aspect by default. If these multi nationals wanted charity, their board of directors would volunteer for the Red Cross or attend the soup kitchens in Michigan.

Mind you, there is nothing wrong with the Red Cross or any other charity or group and if people want to donate their time or be charitable, then they should do so. Big business also has a responsibility to charities as well, and they often donate Billions on a global scale.

People don't see this social aspect and concentrate on the multi nationals profits which by the way are more often than not used up on the next venture (hopefully) thus creating a snow ball effect in profit but also in social advancement. It's all intertwined.

I bet you that these multi nationals have a far greater social effect than all charities combined.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on charities because in many ways they act like corporations also. CEO's of charities get payed as much as multinationals' CEO's.. Charities give out less then 5 % of what is donated. It's all a farse. We've created a human being that is superficial and vain. Hypocrisy is the lubricant that keeps the system from falling apart.

[Tim Drayton]

Things are not as they seem. If I pooled all my assets, I still could not buy one-millionth of Exon Mobil's market cap. This gives me no clout. The fact remains that wealth is becoming concentrated in an ever smaller number of hands, and these people control everything behind the scenes. The free market is an illusion when a tiny number of super-rich and super-powerful people are pulling all the strings and controlling the flow of information and can manipulate everything to their advantage.

I couldn't buy 1 millionth of Exon Mobil either. And of course we have no clout. Someone that owns 1% will have a million times more clout than the 2 of us.

That is just the way they want it too.

But they can't pull the strings that easily. They still need to put their case forward and other little guys like us can cast their ballot.

At the end of the day, you wouldn't want someone who has no idea with a great deal of clout within Exon Mobil.

We must remember the words of warning about the ‘military-industrial complex’ uttered by Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 17, 1961:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

and the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, to realise that, while the president of the USA has a degree of latitude, s/he is essentially a servant of the US, and increasingly, global ruling class.

That’s how things seem to me and this is why I am in the diagonally opposite box from you, I suppose.

[Lordo]

dont take a blind bit of notice of what our ausie dwarf says tim. he is a dwarf in mind, body and stature.

[Tim Drayton]

dont take a blind bit of notice of what our ausie dwarf says tim. he is a dwarf in mind, body and stature.

I wouldn't really agree with you there, sir. He is capable of rational and polite debate. Of course people have differing opinions. I would be curious to know where you would come out on the test. My guess is the top-left square.

[Lordo]

nope. Econ -8.8 and soci -7.69

http://postimg.org/image/hu0cco8nz/52147942/

[Paphitis]

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on charities because in many ways they act like corporations also. CEO's of charities get payed as much as multinationals' CEO's.. Charities give out less then 5 % of what is donated. It's all a farse. We've created a human being that is superficial and vain. Hypocrisy is the lubricant that keeps the system from falling apart.

That is very true Ocean. I agree 100%

I try not to be hypocritical about things because of the way I lead my life. There is nothing worse in my opinion, than hypocrisy.

But there are some good charities as well, that give out more than 90% of what they raise, and there are very genuine people out there who donate their time and money without expecting anything in return.

[Paphitis]

Things are not as they seem. If I pooled all my assets, I still could not buy one-millionth of Exon Mobil's market cap. This gives me no clout. The fact remains that wealth is becoming concentrated in an ever smaller number of hands, and these people control everything behind the scenes. The free market is an illusion when a tiny number of super-rich and super-powerful people are pulling all the strings and controlling the flow of information and can manipulate everything to their advantage.

I couldn't buy 1 millionth of Exon Mobil either. And of course we have no clout. Someone that owns 1% will have a million times more clout than the 2 of us.

That is just the way they want it too.

But they can't pull the strings that easily. They still need to put their case forward and other little guys like us can cast their ballot.

At the end of the day, you wouldn't want someone who has no idea with a great deal of clout within Exon Mobil.

We must remember the words of warning about the ‘military-industrial complex’ uttered by Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 17, 1961:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

and the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, to realise that, while the president of the USA has a degree of latitude, s/he is essentially a servant of the US, and increasingly, global ruling class.

That’s how things seem to me and this is why I am in the diagonally opposite box from you, I suppose.

I suppose that is one way of looking at things.

There is no doubt in my mind that the real ruling classes are the super wealthy. But we seem happy to piggy back them at the same time.

For instance, if you bought shares in news Limited, you're piggy backing on Rupert Murdock and you do it perhaps because you think you will make a profit and in the process he raises the capital to expand his media empire even more.

Sometimes I think he is more powerful than the President of the USA. Let's face it. he can just about elect the next president on his own.

[Tim Drayton]

nope. Econ -8.8 and soci 7.69

http://postimg.org/image/hu0cco8nz/52147942/

Good heavens. You are more of a loony leftie-liberal than me and Bill. That's scary. Odd for such an Allah-fearing soul!