How official does this need to be?
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| jezuch Apr 10, 2008 2:39 PM EDT |
I suppose that normally an exclusion of a company from the bidding process for government contracts would be done on one of internal levels of the bureaucratic machinery -- just plain, mundane stuff for criminals. But Microsoft needs to be handled officially, by a MEP? I'm appalled by the double standards!! OK, I'm kidding, but I feel like I've been teleported to a cyberpunk-like world ruled by megacorporations... A bit. |
| jdixon Apr 10, 2008 5:24 PM EDT |
> OK, I'm kidding, but I feel like I've been teleported to a cyberpunk-like world ruled by megacorporations... Compare the annual revenues of some of the worlds largest companies (GE and Exxon/Moble, say) to the GDP rankings of the world's countries sometime. You may be surprised. |
| moopst Apr 10, 2008 8:07 PM EDT |
GDP is different than revenue - for most companies revenues are much larger than profits. If GDP is essentially all profit recorded in a contries economy, corporate profit is usually 2 to 4 % of revenue. I say usually because I have a feeling Microsoft has a higher profit margin. You'd have to look at EBITDA, Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization to get a better comparison to GDP. Still, it sounds impressive to say that company X makes more than country Y. |
| salparadise Apr 10, 2008 10:04 PM EDT |
world ruled by megacorporations.. Er, have you looked out the window in the last 5 years? Corporations outbid governments, they mostly decide which laws they fancy obeying and which they don't. When they get caught it's usually some junior level management type who goes to the wall. They override conscience, law, the market and most governments. They only have one word to say to politicians who try to curb their influence, "jobs" and the politician runs for the hills not wanting to be seen as someone who cost some people their jobs by whining about law and the environment. Most corporations don't pay much tax. Corporate welfare and bailouts cost the economy far far more than health care and good education ever would, but politicians will always tell you otherwise because good hospitals and good schools do not offer much in the way of sweeteners and backhanders. (Consider Microsoft's obscene deal with Ireland - all software sold to the EU by MS goes through Ireland where the Irish Gov gave them a special 0% tax rate. In return Microsoft built a couple of installations in Ireland (at least one of which has since closed afaik). I don't know if this deal is still extant). Corporations buy scientists and have reports made to suit their product range rather than the other way round. In Microsofts case there is only the EU so far that has tackled them in any meaningful way. So large are they and so for granted do they take their right to do as they please that the incredulity is palpable at times when law is actually used against them. When the EU acts like this I feel like I've been transported to a world where human beings still have a say in how the world is run. (Silly of me I know). |
Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]
Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!