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You get The Dutch East India Company. Corporations capable of operating according to their own rules. At least within their sphere of expertise. If they have

You get The Dutch East India Company. Corporations capable of operating according to their own rules. At least within their sphere of expertise. If they have the resources to operate beyond the reach of the law, they transcend the law to make their own new rules. They do whatever they want, scoped according to their capabiities, and they cover up anything that isn't on the level. They use what they have to their own advantage, as a natural perk of having he means to do so.

barry-cotter 7y ago
The VOC and EIC were always run by civilians who were primarily after profit and obeyed the laws of the Dutch and English state. They were no more operating beyond the reach of law than ExxonMobil is. Just as the US does not respect the sovereignty of other, less powerful countries now the Netherlands and England did not respect weaker countries’ sovereignty then. The companies are a distraction, the relative power differentials between countries aren’t.
- coretx 7y ago
  No, it was only after the VOC was dissolved that governors where to be appointed by the Crown. To a certain extend, they where the law. Remnants of that past are still to be found in the UN treaty on the high seas as it grants captains of (trade) ships rights and privileges associated with the state, not with civilian commercial enterprises. Your stories are not mutually exclusive, i'm afraid you both are right.
  - barry-cotter 7y ago
    But the VOC was always a corporation chartered under Dutch law which was run by Dutch civilians. It had its own navy and army but at the top it was never sovereign and never aspired to be. It acted as a sovereign but never in or indeed near the Netherlands.
mortb 7y ago
Isn't any big enough state or corporation with too little transparency a threat to individual freedom? Is China combing opaque big tech with repressive state? Is that scary? Is Amazon changing people's lives? etc

barry-cotter 7y ago

The VOC and EIC were always run by civilians who were primarily after profit and obeyed the laws of the Dutch and English state. They were no more operating beyond the reach of law than ExxonMobil is. Just as the US does not respect the sovereignty of other, less powerful countries now the Netherlands and England did not respect weaker countries’ sovereignty then. The companies are a distraction, the relative power differentials between countries aren’t.

coretx 7y ago
No, it was only after the VOC was dissolved that governors where to be appointed by the Crown. To a certain extend, they where the law. Remnants of that past are still to be found in the UN treaty on the high seas as it grants captains of (trade) ships rights and privileges associated with the state, not with civilian commercial enterprises. Your stories are not mutually exclusive, i'm afraid you both are right.
- barry-cotter 7y ago
  But the VOC was always a corporation chartered under Dutch law which was run by Dutch civilians. It had its own navy and army but at the top it was never sovereign and never aspired to be. It acted as a sovereign but never in or indeed near the Netherlands.

mortb 7y ago

Isn't any big enough state or corporation with too little transparency a threat to individual freedom? Is China combing opaque big tech with repressive state? Is that scary? Is Amazon changing people's lives? etc