Re: [CTRL] Living in corporate America.

[Barb Witt]

At 07:56 PM 1/18/99 -0600, you wrote:
> -Caveat Lector-
>
>>>Barb Witt wrote:
>
>>>> Two pertinent articles (The Global Hand and Technology Hoax), from the
>>>> April 21, 1997 edition of Forbes:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.forbes.com/forbes/97/0421/5908085a.htm
>>>>
>>>> Barb
>>>
>>>Yeah right Barb. Forbes Magazine. The " Capitaist tool." That's a good
>>>source for pointing out the disasters of the global econmy.
>>>Joshua2
>>
>>However, if you're going to critique something, it is commonly expected
>>that you at least peruse the material and then mention specifics>
>>Barb
>>
>
>=======
>This is from the posted site:
>"Capital emigrated, too. British money, instead of staying at home, built
>railroads in the U.S. and Argentina, tea gardens in India, and literally
>created Hong Kong and Calcutta. In a single year, 1871, London absorbed over
>$100 million of American securities; by 1893 foreigners had sent $3 billion
>to the U.S.
>
>"National boundaries did not disappear; bloody wars were yet to be fought
>over them. But for the first time in history people, money and goods were
>able to flow across them quite freely.
>
>"It was as if a giant global hand�kind of like Adam Smith's "invisible hand"
>gone international�rearranged the world economy. As Jeffrey Williamson, an
>economics professor at Harvard, says of this period, 1860-1913: "Capital and
>labor flowed across national boundaries in unprecedented quantity, and
>commodity trade boomed."
>
>"The results, in terms of global well-being, were fabulous. Railroad and
>steamship technology had made transportation much cheaper"
>
>======
>My question is where did the foreign capital come from?  Who were the
>investors who bought the railroad stocks and bonds in America?  What were
>their expectations concerning interest and dividends?  What happened when
>the bonds defaulted?
>
>I submit much of the capital came from illegal trade--piracy, vice, slavery
>and opium.  That's who founded Forbes.  The Forbes, Perkins and Russell
>families founded Skull and Bones at Yale primarily, IMHO, to keep their
>trade secrets and to recruit people to carry on the operations throughout
>the world who would take an oath of secrecy.  That's why I tend to discount
>much of what Forbes magazine publishes.
>
>Linda
>

Linda, you give your reasons for questioning the character of Forbes, Perkins and Russell families (ironic, aren't you the Clinton supporter), but I question the relevancy.  I wonder:

(1)  How is the historical origin of Forbes money relevant to whether or not the assertions of the authors of the subject articles is true?;

(2)  Do you disagree with the premises stated by the authors?;

(3)  If so, which ones, and why?;

(4)  What is inherently evil about *trade secrets*?;

(5)  What person who took an oath of secrecy spilled the beans to you?

Barb