CORPORATE DICTATORSHIP?

As trusts or groups have replaced the theoretically "individual" capitalism in the United States of America, so will the state capitalism, replace the trusts, to be replaced in its turn by international capitalism. 1

As we learned lately, not only human achievements, but also human disasters, are mostly interrelated and international, and are becoming more so every year. Obviously with Aristotelian narrowness, selfishness, shortsightedness, infantilism, commercialism, militarism, nationalism, etc., rampant, mankind, to prevent further major Aristotelian disasters, would have to produce a special international body which would co-ordinate various structural achievements, strivings, etc., formulate and inform the great masses of the modern scientific non-Aristotelian standards of evaluation.2

- Alfred Korzybski

The above predictions, anthropological overview, and suggested interventions were made by Alfred Korzybski - the founder of the system "general semantics" - over 75 years ago.

A General Semantics Approach to Understanding Corporations and Society

Applying some general semantics principles, and a "calculus approach" (in terms of recognizing trends), I make this prediction: If Americans do not exercise care (through appropriate and effective regulations, promotion of ethical principles, human and socio-cultural values, etc.), they will wake up one day to discover that the nation has become a "corporate dictatorship." The nation is already moving in that direction. The clues are there, but not yet recognized by many as such.3

A corporate dictatorship is quite unlike a political dictatorship. In a political dictatorship, an individual with his (usually a he) accomplices takes over the country - violently, if necessary. Ironically, in a corporate dictatorship, the people (not all, but enough) and their elected representatives (not all, but enough) help corporations - gently and without fanfare - accomplish the takeover.

Clues

People and their representatives help toward the takeover in this manner (among others):

* Politicians (not all, but enough) invite agents of corporations to help design and make the laws of the country. (Thinking in terms of the general semantics principle "structural similarity," corporations, like individuals, can [in terms of their survival and expansion] be expected to act in ways they think will promote their own self-interests and welfare. They will endeavor to introduce terms, modifications, etc., and, in effect, design laws based on these concerns.)

* Politicians help the takeover by giving power to corporations...