Posted: February 28th, 2023

post 7

Part One

· Describe the “trader’s world in 1400,” including its geographic, political, and social barriers to trade, and the extent to which trade was a feature of the world.

· Describe the economic rise of Western Europe and by means of colonialism its early impact on the Americas, Africa (particularly the establishment of the trans-Atlantic slave trade), and Asia.

· Briefly, how was the East India Company “masterful at manipulating governments for its own profit”? How did Britain steal $45 trillion from India?

Part Two

· According to “Park Avenue,” “How some companies…,” and “Uber …”: How do major corporations and the ultra-wealthy in general operate today to amass an increasingly large share of national and global wealth? What are the economic, social, and political consequences?

Part Three

· What kind of institution is the corporation, and how did it come to accumulate so much wealth and power?

· What are the assumptions and principles of “corporate libertarianism”? What is questionable about its assumptions and principles from the standpoints the environment, climate and, social wellbeing?

· Given that GDP/GNP growth is the fundamental measure of “progress” from the standpoint of corporate libertarianism, what would the GPI say about corporate libertarianism?

·
“Park Avenue: Money, power, and the American Dream” (video, 59 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6niWzomA_SoLinks to an external site.

·  
“How some companies avoid paying up to $100 billion in federal income taxes every year” (video, 2 minutes)

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/justthefaqs/2021/05/13/income-taxes-what-loopholes-corporations-use-avoid-paying-taxes/5075886001/Links to an external site.

·
Recommended:
 “The Panama Papers: The shady world of offshore companies” (video, 55 minutes)

https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/panama-papers-shady-world-offshore-companies/Links to an external site.

·
“East India Company: The original corporate raiders”

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2019/09/east-india-company-original-corporate-raidersLinks to an external site.

·
“How Britain stole $45 trillion from India”

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2018/12/19/how-britain-stole-45-trillion-from-india/Links to an external site.

·
“Uber was designed to exploit workers”

https://www.vice.com/en/article/3k3kdn/uber-was-designed-to-exploit-driversLinks to an external site.

·
“CEO-worker pay gap widens: And employees are not happy about it”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2022/05/23/ceo-worker-pay-gap-widens-and-employees-arent-happy-about-it/?sh=63e1e3cb142cLinks to an external site.