Of the world’s top 100 economies, 51 are transnationals, while only 49 are actual countries. Taking the top 20 economies in year 2000, nine were transnationals, the highest-ranking being General Motors at number eight. Unsurprisingly the good ol’ USA was numero uno. The 12th largest economy was Wal-Mart, which generated an annual revenue greater than that of 161 countries including New Zealand, Israel, Poland and Greece. The cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, which operates in 170 countries but does not even rank in the top 100 companies, is itself bigger than New Zealand. The combined sales of the world’s top 200 corporations accounted for more than a quarter of the world’s economic activity, and, with more than 40,000 of them worldwide, the balance of economic-political power appears to be inevitably shifting in their favour. Yet in Lotto we glimpse how nation-states and transnational corporations can resolve their potential conflicts and work together to support each other’s ideals.
[from Peter Howland’s essay The name of THE GAME is Lotto, in his book Lotto, Long-drops & Lolly scrambles]
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Mars series anyone?
Amen. KMS is the only sci-fi author I’ve read who takes metanats into account.
Now that I read the whole thing, that is a good article, especially the bit about purchase and participation as a means of social contact.
When lone little old ladies talk to me on the checkouts at work, sometimes I wonder if I’m the only person they’ve talked to all week.