 Which Rl corporation will be the first to go mega? |
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 Apr 27 2006, 08:49 PM
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#26
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Dragon  Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019  |
Your example seems rather idealized; how many examples of there of what you just said, and how many examples are there of the corp sending in the troops rather than negotiating? And even your idealized example assumes very strong public, independent scrutiny.
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Apr 27 2006, 09:48 PM
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#27
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 332 Joined: 19-September 05 From: Nashville, Tn Member No.: 7,761 |
you missed wal-mart. all they have to do is make a two storie store. Apartmants on the top. wa-la a tiny little archology
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Apr 27 2006, 10:19 PM
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#28
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
Eh... In the REAL world, Nigerian militants are taking oil company workers hostage in Nigeria and, no, the company isn't storming in with mercenaries. Its giving out improved benefits and negotiating to give increased amounts of oil revenues to the locals. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2129281.stm "One of the protest leaders, Anunu Uwawah, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency: "It is settled. We stay today, but once the paper is signed, we will leave. She said the firm - Chevron Nigeria - had satisfied the women's demands by agreeing to hire more than two dozen villagers and build schools, water systems and other amenities." Oil company shuts down production because of militants http://www.theallineed.com/news/0601/30190146.htm
Not really, just enough to quiet other nations. The kind that a dictator would suppress, but the oil company has no reason to hinder. |
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Apr 27 2006, 10:51 PM
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#29
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 225 Joined: 1-November 05 Member No.: 7,917 |
Wow, you guys are going frickin' off.
As far as private armies, oil companies require land and not just any land, oil rich land which is highly valuable. Given that Halliburton also was given (rather wrongly) a monopoly over oil rights in Iraq, they don't need one right now; however, if 2008 rolls around and politcal motivations have shifted into getting the US out of Iraq, then Halliburton may try to gain their own army to defend their holdings. Oil companies are also the only types of companies generating the revenue to bolster armies. Single oil rigs make ~10 million dollars a day. GE, in particular, has exists quite adequately with the government around, I don't think they'd do it. American companies in america aren't actually taxed nearly as much as they should be (~90 billion dollars are lost annually to American Companies not paying America Taxes [and that was in 2002 before the full Bush tax cut plan]) |
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Apr 27 2006, 11:12 PM
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#30
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,026 Joined: 23-November 05 From: Seattle (Really!) Member No.: 7,996 |
Taxing corporations is just another way of taxing the people, all the tax costs get passed through in prices. Which is probably another reason RL Corps wouldn't want govermental power and responsibility, it would actually count against their bottom line.
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Apr 27 2006, 11:38 PM
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#31
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
It's not just the gross revenue. Until the past couple of years, Walmart beat out ExxonMobil on that count. It's also a question of net profit at the end of the day, and retail companies often do very well on that count. Retail companies have excellent margins between operating costs and profits, with gross profits being up to 20-30% of sales. While ExxonMobil certainly set a record in 2005 and 2004, Walmart did have the net profits in 2005 to buy 2-3 complete carrier battle groups (planes and all). |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:00 AM
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#32
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Would WalMart have a reason to go mega?
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Apr 28 2006, 12:03 AM
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#33
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,156 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Fresno, CalFree Member No.: 4,252 |
Free reign to practice as many soul-crushingly unfair business practices as they want?
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Apr 28 2006, 12:04 AM
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#34
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Many places are trying to stop their construction of "supercenters" and such. Walmart could use extraterritorality to buy land and then do whatever they want on it. All the stuff about having to function like a government isn't really s funciton of extraterritorality - they simply control the land they own. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/ |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:08 AM
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#35
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
No, just pointing out retail's purchasing power is substantial, like oil companies. |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:09 AM
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#36
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Wow, how much profit do they make a year?
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Apr 28 2006, 12:15 AM
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#37
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,156 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Fresno, CalFree Member No.: 4,252 |
A lot.
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Apr 28 2006, 12:16 AM
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#38
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
WalMart has been pulling in about $250 billion annually for the past few years. After paying off everything including stock holders (if I'm reading the stats right) it has about $10 billion spending money in 2005. ExxonMobil trumped that 6 ways from Sunday in 2005, with almost $400 billion total revenue and $40 billion net profit. However, that's a recent unusual spike for ExxonMobil. Until 2001-2002, GM, GE, WalMart, and ExxonMobil were all in the $250 billion total revenue range. Incidentally, just for comparison, there are a lot of nations with smaller gross domestic products than $250 billion, and a notable number with GDPs less than $10 billion. |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:20 AM
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#39
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
That's 4% and 10% net profit; suddenly, I don't hate them so much.
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Apr 28 2006, 12:22 AM
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#40
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
After stock holders and paying executives. It's 4% to 10% pure profit. Not many businesses make near that. |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:24 AM
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#41
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Oh, yeah... what percentage goes to suits?
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Apr 28 2006, 12:24 AM
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#42
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,428 Joined: 9-June 02 Member No.: 2,860 |
Indeed. Gross profits, before paying off executives and stockholders, can be 20-30% in retail. |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:26 AM
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#43
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Wow... maybe I DO hate them a lot.
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Apr 28 2006, 12:34 AM
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#44
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CosaNostra Deliverator Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 346 Joined: 29-January 05 From: Philadelphia, PA Member No.: 7,034 |
I chose General Electric as well, since there were no oil companies on the list.
Another candidate for future extraterritorial status would be the diamond company deBeers. |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:47 AM
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#45
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
For extraterritorial megacorps to actually happen they need to be highly ideology driven from the start. People who only want profit aren't going to go out of their way to maintain giant armies and conquer huge chunks of the world. The first Megacorp of the 21th century will be headed by an autocratic megalomanichal dictatorial CEO who has a vision for the future of the world and who strongly identifies with Cobra Commander. Why? Because a Megacorp will need a powerful military. More importantly, it will need a military that is powerful enough to fend off the might of the most powerful nation in the world should it come to that. The balkanization of the US and China helped with this in SR since the military might of the resulting nations is but a shadow of what their parents had. It doesn't matter how rich a corporation is if it can't defend that wealth. A random thug on the street could walk up to Bll Gates, put a gun against his head, and force him to sign away his fortune. It is the same way with governments in relation to megacorps. If you can't make a government hurt using your military might then that government has no reason not to go Communist on your ass. |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:54 AM
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#46
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
So even from a political standpoint, SR is completely unrealistic. Does anyone envision anything resembling the Seretech thing happening?
And I'm sure Bill Gates can hire bodyguards. |
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Apr 28 2006, 12:58 AM
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#47
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,889 Joined: 3-August 03 From: A CPI rank 1 country Member No.: 5,222 |
1 Nimitz-class carrier: $4.5 billion 2 Ticonderoga-class cruisers: $2 billion 2 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers: $1.6 billion 1 Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate: $0.6 billion 2 Virginia-class submarines: $4 billion 85 F/A-18E/Fs, EA-6Bs, E-2s, C-2s, etc.: $3.5 billion Logistics (to operate at extended range for a year or few): $3 billion, say Meh, that comes up to just $19.2 billion. Much less than I expected. |
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Apr 28 2006, 01:00 AM
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#48
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
That is fucking sick.
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Apr 28 2006, 03:42 AM
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#49
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Man In The Machine Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,264 Joined: 26-February 02 From: I-495 S Member No.: 1,105 |
GESS Turbine: first corperate owned supercarrier?
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Apr 28 2006, 03:57 AM
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#50
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
My god, we need an omega order NOW.
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