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This is related to a concept I've been thinking about for a while due to some trends I've seen in Boston. Suppose you work for Acme Co. Acme Co is a multi nati

This is related to a concept I've been thinking about for a while due to some trends I've seen in Boston. Suppose you work for Acme Co. Acme Co is a multi national conglomerate. - One of Acme Cos subsidiaries operates the public transportation you use to get to work (The commuter trains in MA are operated by a private company) - One of Acme Cos subsidiaries owns the building you live in (this is particularly interesting because the trend in Boston has been for real estate investment trusts to buy up large swaths of smaller multi family homes for their portfolio, homes that were typically used as owner occupied means of wealth generation) - One of Acme Cos subsidiaries is the energy supplier you pay for electricity - One of Acme Cos subsidiaries is the cable company you pay for TV and internet - One of Acme Cos subsidiaries is the insurance company you use for your car/property/health insurance - One of Acme Cos subsidiaries is the charter school network you send your kids to - etc Anyone else see this trend? What's the end game?

percept 11y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_town https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_town
theklub 11y ago
I think there are coal companies that did this at one point. I could be wrong but I think it ended when some people died.
al2o3cr 11y ago
Sounds like a "corporate arcology" from science fiction.
- protomyth 11y ago
  They might as well build the Renraku Arcology and get it over with. As a bonus, it fits in with the recent AI theme.
Delmania 11y ago
That we are very bad at remembering our history. Another post mentions the company town. As a resident of Rochester, NY, I can not help but think of the housing developments that were built by Kodak for employees in the company's height. Being completely dependent on a single company like this for everything is not something I'd want to be a part of. Not unless the company had a strong commitment to its employees. My grandfather was a clothes washer repairman for many years, but eventually, his job became obsolete. In today's economy, the company would have "thanked him for his life" and then seen him to the door like a robber. In his case, the company invested in training him for another position. Without a strong commitment, this situation sets up a dependence that reduces a person's ability to handle transitioning when he leaves the company.
- mattlutze 11y ago
  The self-named village that the Kohler Company (you've probably used their toilets or back-up generators at some point in your life) headquarters resides in is a good example. From what I understand, even today if you move there, you rent the property your house is on from the company, and the company has authority over aesthetics of house and business changes/renovations.
sevensor 11y ago
Welcome to South Korea, where you can be born in a chaebol-owned hospital, work for a chaebol subsidiary, live in a chaebol-owned apartment, carry a phone made by your chaebol, with service provided by your chaebol, and bank at the chaebol bank.
Eric_WVGG 11y ago
I was born in a place like that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagdad,_Arizona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagdad,_Arizona Shuts down social mobility. Acme helps raise the children of coal miners to be the coal miners of tomorrow, etc. They know how much you make and how much you can afford to spend, etc. There are a lot of reasons this model is a historical footnote.
Merad 11y ago
> What's the end game? "I owe my soul to the company store." We've been here before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zE1-48AAYc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zE1-48AAYc
sadkingbilly 11y ago
A Corporate Republic (from Civilization: Call to Power, one of the government types available in the Genetic Age). "The Imperial Trading Companies such as the various East India Companies should possibly be considered corporate states, being semi-sovereign with the power to wage war and establish colonies." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_republic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_republic
moflome 11y ago
You have perfectly described the situation in post-WWII Japan: Seibu Group, in particular [0]. You forgot to list the Acme Cos Baseball Team... [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seibu_Holdings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seibu_Holdings

percept 11y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_town https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_town

theklub 11y ago

I think there are coal companies that did this at one point. I could be wrong but I think it ended when some people died.

al2o3cr 11y ago

Sounds like a "corporate arcology" from science fiction.

protomyth 11y ago
They might as well build the Renraku Arcology and get it over with. As a bonus, it fits in with the recent AI theme.

Delmania 11y ago

That we are very bad at remembering our history. Another post mentions the company town. As a resident of Rochester, NY, I can not help but think of the housing developments that were built by Kodak for employees in the company's height. Being completely dependent on a single company like this for everything is not something I'd want to be a part of. Not unless the company had a strong commitment to its employees. My grandfather was a clothes washer repairman for many years, but eventually, his job became obsolete. In today's economy, the company would have "thanked him for his life" and then seen him to the door like a robber. In his case, the company invested in training him for another position. Without a strong commitment, this situation sets up a dependence that reduces a person's ability to handle transitioning when he leaves the company.

mattlutze 11y ago
The self-named village that the Kohler Company (you've probably used their toilets or back-up generators at some point in your life) headquarters resides in is a good example. From what I understand, even today if you move there, you rent the property your house is on from the company, and the company has authority over aesthetics of house and business changes/renovations.

sevensor 11y ago

Welcome to South Korea, where you can be born in a chaebol-owned hospital, work for a chaebol subsidiary, live in a chaebol-owned apartment, carry a phone made by your chaebol, with service provided by your chaebol, and bank at the chaebol bank.

Eric_WVGG 11y ago

I was born in a place like that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagdad,_Arizona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagdad,_Arizona Shuts down social mobility. Acme helps raise the children of coal miners to be the coal miners of tomorrow, etc. They know how much you make and how much you can afford to spend, etc. There are a lot of reasons this model is a historical footnote.

Merad 11y ago

> What's the end game? "I owe my soul to the company store." We've been here before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zE1-48AAYc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zE1-48AAYc

sadkingbilly 11y ago

A Corporate Republic (from Civilization: Call to Power, one of the government types available in the Genetic Age). "The Imperial Trading Companies such as the various East India Companies should possibly be considered corporate states, being semi-sovereign with the power to wage war and establish colonies." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_republic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_republic

moflome 11y ago

You have perfectly described the situation in post-WWII Japan: Seibu Group, in particular [0]. You forgot to list the Acme Cos Baseball Team... [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seibu_Holdings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seibu_Holdings