Remember Rollerball? The original 1975 version 
with James Caan? One of the interesting premises of the movie was the collapse of the nation-state in favor of the corporation. That premise was somewhat prescient, anticipating one of the main tropes of cyberpunk by almost a decade. The idea is commonplace now, a shorthand for some deep systemic dysfunction in films from Robocop to Avatar.
The idea of corporate governance seems at odds with our current reality, where the state is advancing its role across the board. But, strangely enough, in the face of the most aggressive growth of state power in history, the idea is popping up in diverse places.
What if we’re watching the initial death-rattle of the nation-state?
And it would be interesting to see a take on the idea that isn’t dystopic.
2 Comments
michelle · February 10, 2010 at 10:53 am
Right now the nation-state owns the corporations (GM, Goldman-Sachs, GE, etc). But of course they’re all controlled by the Bildeburger Group.
David · February 11, 2010 at 1:51 am
Funny how people automatically assume corporate governance would automatically be worse than what we’re living with now.
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