Corporations control almost every part of our lives. At the top, lobbyists influence politicians. But on an everyday level, from the food we eat, to the air we breathe - not to mention what we see when we walk down the street or turn on the television – we have put our lives in their hands. So why do they often seem immune to legal controls? In this special Link TV presentation we look at the history and power of The Corporation as an entity, airing the award-winning documentary of the same name.
The Corporation
Winner of 26 international awards.
10 Audience Choice Awards including the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Provoking, witty, stylish and sweepingly informative, this unique documentary explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. Part film and part movement, The Corporation has transformed audiences and dazzled critics with its insightful and compelling analysis. Taking its status as a legal "person" to the logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist's couch to ask "What kind of person is it?" The Corporation includes interviews with 40 corporate insiders and critics - including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, Vandana Shiva and Michael Moore - plus true confessions, case studies and strategies for change.
The Corporation – Part 1
Part One of The Corporation outlines the emergence of corporations as an entity, and more importantly, the treatment they receive as “persons” under the law. To assess the "personality" of the corporate "person," a checklist is employed, using diagnostic criteria of the World Health Organization and the standard diagnostic tool of psychiatrists and psychologists. The operational principles of the corporation give it a highly anti-social "personality": it is self-interested, inherently amoral, callous and deceitful; it breaches social and legal standards to get its way; it does not suffer from guilt, yet it can mimic the human qualities of empathy, caring and altruism. The Corporation then goes on to outline how corporations, not held fully accountable under law, are buying up the planet, engage in irresponsible advertising, and punish whistleblowers.
LEARN MORE:
Read about Part 2 of this special.
Visit The Corporation’s website, which includes more information on corporate accountability.
Corporate Accountability International is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning. campaigns that challenge irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world.
Polaris Institute is engaged in retooling citizen movements for democratic social change in an age of corporate-driven globalization.
For more links and information on other special programs visit our Specials page.
