4 ms·

Facebook trying to build an international (business) empire is not "imperialist"? When I used the word I was thinking of Dutch East Indies Co., etc.

• beaconstudios 8y ago
  you're playing games with words. The various East India companies were imperialist because they dominated the countries they "traded" with. It was more of a militant occupation than an act of mutually beneficial exchange.
  • tomc1985 8y ago
    But those were different times, when companies could get away with militant operations. To say nothing of strike-breakers, African rubber plantations, or what-have-you. Most companies we know of (esp. American) can't get away with those sorts of things now, at least not in the public eye. Soft power is the new militant occupation. Facebook is taking cues from Pablo Escobar (minus the violence, we hope).
    • beaconstudios 8y ago
      so in this new world where "soft power" (which I assume means any power imbalance) across borders is imperialism, how can a company be international and not be "imperialist"? Because if they can't then that's the kind of "imperialism" I couldn't care less about.