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Sure if you are prepared to go to war. At some point, a company will have enough funds to purchase its own military (aka corporate security department) to go to

Sure if you are prepared to go to war. At some point, a company will have enough funds to purchase its own military (aka corporate security department) to go toe-to-toe with a nation state's military. At that point, it would be a return to an era, for example, when the British East India Company can trade opium and wage war on behalf of the English government because they disagree with a country's internal anti-drug laws.

creaghpatr 9y ago
In fact, Google purchased Boston Dynamics awhile back, although they sold to another tech giant, Softbank. https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/08/softbank-boston-dynamics-alphabet-google-robots-schaft/ https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/08/softbank-boston-dynamics... Cyberpunk speculating aside, I'm pretty sure Big Food companies (Coke, Monsonto, Kraft, etc) have private security contractors - due to the sheer amount of physical assets they control, it would be irresponsible to shareholders if they didn't.
- tomjakubowski 9y ago
  Coca Cola's bottling partner in Colombia was, quite famously, accused of using mercenaries to murder labor organizers in the early 00s. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/world/union-says-coca-cola-in-colombia-uses-thugs.html http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/world/union-says-coca-cola... Similar accusations were made against Coke's Guatemalan bottler a few years back. Of course, about a hundred years ago it wasn't uncommon for companies to use hired muscle to harass, beat, and even murder labor activists in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre
throwaway613834 9y ago
> At some point, a company will have enough funds to purchase its own military I don't expect funding is the only big barrier between a company and its possession of a military force here.
- barkingcat 9y ago
  I think hiring contractors is sufficient these days. The governments do it, no reason that companies can't. In Iraq, many companies hire the exact same outfits as the Pentagon.
deleted 9y ago
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creaghpatr 9y ago

In fact, Google purchased Boston Dynamics awhile back, although they sold to another tech giant, Softbank. https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/08/softbank-boston-dynamics-alphabet-google-robots-schaft/ https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/08/softbank-boston-dynamics... Cyberpunk speculating aside, I'm pretty sure Big Food companies (Coke, Monsonto, Kraft, etc) have private security contractors - due to the sheer amount of physical assets they control, it would be irresponsible to shareholders if they didn't.

tomjakubowski 9y ago
Coca Cola's bottling partner in Colombia was, quite famously, accused of using mercenaries to murder labor organizers in the early 00s. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/world/union-says-coca-cola-in-colombia-uses-thugs.html http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/world/union-says-coca-cola... Similar accusations were made against Coke's Guatemalan bottler a few years back. Of course, about a hundred years ago it wasn't uncommon for companies to use hired muscle to harass, beat, and even murder labor activists in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre

throwaway613834 9y ago

> At some point, a company will have enough funds to purchase its own military I don't expect funding is the only big barrier between a company and its possession of a military force here.

barkingcat 9y ago
I think hiring contractors is sufficient these days. The governments do it, no reason that companies can't. In Iraq, many companies hire the exact same outfits as the Pentagon.

deleted 9y ago

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