Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Disney, Chevron and Monsanto Contracted with Blackwater for Intelligence, Training and Security Services
We were just talking about Disney on Monday and controversy over the conglomerate, cartoons, etc.. This story which was published in the Nation (an alternative progressive weekly) reveals that Disney hired Blackwater (the controversial security firm that ran into legal troubles in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past few years) for security services to check out potential film sites. Another corporation, Monsanto, is also controversial for its aggressive development and global promotion of GM seeds and products, also contracted Blackwater. Let's see if any of the large mainstream media pick up this story... See the article at: .Disney, Monsanto & Blackwater
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A new kind of cultural imperialism?
ReplyDeleteHello All! I can't find the link to become an author, but I came across something very interesting today.
See article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/business/global/22chinaeast.html?pagewanted=2&ref=business&src=me
In another class, we were comparing the rise of to the rise of other nations and empires throughout history. According to our discussion, there are five factors that lead to the rise of a nation...economic, ideological, political, militaristic, and cultural. China isn't militarily imperialistic, yet it is expanding other sorts of power, ie investing in Africa (and not employing the locals). It is doubtlessly expanding its sphere of power, yet some people in the class argued it lacked a cultural appeal. America is a place of opportunity and freedom, China- as exemplified by Tiananmen Square- is a place of government control. Anyways, this article speaks to China's financial investment in Eastern Europe, but also a sort of cultural investment in Eastern Europe- teaching Chinese to children in schools. What next, a Chinese media conglomerate with cartoons that stereotype Americans? Thanks and have a great night all!
It would be wonderful to see a story like this in the mainstream, though I doubt this will happen. Too many advertising dollars are at stake. What a terrifying account of MNC overreach. What can be done about corporations like Monsanto who are clearly drunk with power, and answerable to no one? I feel like Monsanto is blatantly arrogant about its practices; especially the spokeperson in this article who conveys the idea that Monsanto has nothing to hide. Why then do they need the services of Blackwater (now eerily calling itself 'Xe') to muzzle activists? Monsanto is entirely creepy.
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