Summary of The Corporation - La Corporacion (español - spanish)

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00:00:00 - 01:00:00

"The Corporation - La Corporacion" is a documentary that explores the nature, evolution, impact, and possible future of the modern corporate entity. While corporations create immense wealth, they cause immense damage, leading some to question whether they are institutions or psychopaths. One issue is that the law obligates corporations to prioritize financial interests, specifically those of their shareholders, over public interests, leading to corporations solely focusing on maximizing profits while disregarding the harmful impact they may have on society. The film relates corporations to being like a "machine" designed to achieve specific goals, lacking morality and compassion despite the damage caused. The documentary emphasizes the need for a shift towards more responsible practices to ensure the survival of all living creatures.

00:00:00 In this section, the video introduces the topic of the nature, evolution, impact, and possible future of the modern corporate entity. Despite its limited legal power, it has become an all-pervasive institution, almost as dominant as the church, monarchy, or communism in other times and places. Through scandals and public debates on corporate activities, the documentary seeks to answer the question: How did corporations attain such extensive power and influence over our lives? The video presents a paradoxical view of corporations. They create immense wealth, but also cause enormous damage, leading some to ask whether corporations are institutions or psychopaths. The video also features various viewpoints on the nature of corporations – as part of the larger social puzzle, as a competitive sports team, or as monstrous artificial creations that devour profits.
00:05:00 In this section of the transcript, the corporation is compared to a beehive or a powerful, well-greased machine, with all individuals serving the interests of the collective. However, the corporation's power can become uncontrollable, just like Frankenstein's monster. The term "corporation" is often associated with a negative connotation, as if it were an agenda trying to control the world, but some people prefer to use terms such as "companies" or "business communities." The modern corporation emerged during the Industrial Revolution, with the main goal being to obtain increasingly sustainable and legal profits for the business owners. Initially, corporations were associations of people legally constituted by a state to perform a specific function, such as building a bridge. However, as corporations grew in the mid-19th century, they sought more power to eliminate historical barriers and maintain their function.
00:10:00 In this section, the video discusses the legal process of granting corporations the same legal rights as people, particularly in the United States. The 14th Amendment, which was originally designed to protect the rights of African Americans, was used by corporations to establish themselves as "people" and gain legal protection. This allowed corporations to prioritize the interests of shareholders over the broader impact of their actions on society, including employees and the environment. The video argues that corporations are not like humans because they lack a moral conscience and only care about making money in the short term.
00:15:00 In this section, the excerpt from "The Corporation" discusses how corporations prioritize financial interests above all else by law. While companies may provide valuable goods and services to society, the problem arises when their motivation for profits is insatiable. The law obligates corporations to prioritize financial interests, specifically those of their shareholders, over public interests. This results in corporations solely focusing on maximizing profits while disregarding the harmful impact they may have on society. The excerpt also compares a corporation to a "machine" designed to achieve specific goals, similar to a shark's innate instinct to kill. A diagnosis of the corporate mindset is suggested based on typical cases of harm caused by corporations, similar to a psychiatrist diagnosing a patient.
00:20:00 In this section, the Fraser Institute discusses how they investigate the ways in which markets function and benefit humanity, as well as the forces that make people cooperate within them. They illustrate the concept by showing different clothing items made by different companies with the workers' wages listed, revealing the stark reality of exploitation. They share internal documents from Nike, where workers have only six minutes to make a T-shirt and are paid only eight cents for it. The Fraser Institute's work is often focused on asking questions that people would prefer to ignore, revealing the true consequences of corporate greed and exploitation in areas where they benefit from cheap labor.
00:25:00 In this section, the video discusses the concept of free trade zones, which were established to attract companies to invest in developing countries. However, these zones often lead to low wages and few benefits for workers, and they result in little economic growth for the local community. The video also highlights the petrochemical industry and the dangers associated with synthetic chemicals that have flooded the environment, including causing cancer and birth defects. Despite these risks, many industries downplay the dangers and continue to use these chemicals in their products, resulting in serious health problems for consumers.
00:30:00 In this section, the video delves into the detrimental effects of Monsanto on public health. The speaker has proof that the cancer epidemic that affects one out of every two men and one out of three women can be partly attributed to the food industry. Monsanto was caught lying about the toxicity of milk produced by cows injected with the hormone RVGH, illustrating their irresponsibility in getting rich off of unnecessary products. The speaker emphasizes the mistreatment of cows on factory farms that result in mastitis, an inflammation that seeps pus and bacteria into their milk, which the public ingests. Additionally, the use of antibiotics may result in bacteria becoming resistant and deadly to humans, costing some their lives in hospitals. Vietnam was also a victim of Monsanto with a toxic herbicide called Agent Orange, which caused deformities in newborns and cancers in Vietnamese soldiers and civilians and ended up costing Monsanto to settle with those who were affected.
00:35:00 In this section, the documentary "La Corporacion" highlights the environmental issues created by corporations, showing how a paper factory let the river get contaminated with industrial waste for years. The filmmakers accuse corporations and investors of lacking ethical and moral principles, as they prioritize profits over environmental responsibility. The narrator explains how markets become more important to traders than their beliefs, and suggests that without information or knowledge of what’s happening in third-world countries, it’s impossible for consumers to make ethical choices. The filmmakers portray corporations as lacking humanity and only obeying laws if the penalty for breaking them is greater than the cost of compliance. The documentary concludes with the idea that morality is what makes humans different from entities like corporations, and that we must recognize and address the negative impact corporations have on the environment.
00:40:00 In this section, the speaker compares our current civilization to a man flying a plane who believes he is soaring through the air when in reality, he is in free fall. He sees the vast resources we have as the "great cliff," the laws of aerodynamics as the laws that our civilization should be built upon, and us as the plane heading towards the ground, unable to fly since we are not built to correct laws. He states that all biological systems on Earth are in decline and that no scientific journal has contradicted this observation in the last 25 years. The speaker also highlights corporations as extractive, wasteful, and abusive entities that exploit the earth and create residues, leaving behind a destructive legacy for future generations. The responsible individuals, be they shareholders or employees, should act with moral values as all human beings have the same genetic nature that allows for many different behaviors.
00:45:00 In this section, the video highlights how being an employee in a corporation inevitably creates conflicts between the individual's personal values and commitments and the corporation's principal obligation to work for the long-term economic interest of its owners. The video illustrates that although individuals may be good with their families and kind to their employees, when put in their institutional roles, they are monsters because the corporation, as an institution, is monstrous. The video also exposes how the institution's rules and limits set by the corporation prevent individuals from making some changes that will make them more humane. The video cites Nigeria as an example whereby a company that claimed to be concerned with environmental preservation could still burn massive amounts of fuels leading to the worst pollution in the world and contribute to the hanging of activists who opposed their environmental policies.
00:50:00 In this section, the excerpt highlights the disconnect between corporations and the majority of the world's population, specifically in terms of race and class. The fact that many corporations are run by wealthy white men means that they are out-of-touch with the reality of the world in which they operate. Additionally, the excerpt goes on to discuss how some corporations, prior to facing public scrutiny and accountability, had no regard for the impact of their actions on the environment or on society at large. However, some individuals within these corporations have had a change of heart, particularly after becoming aware of their potential to harm the planet, and are advocating for more sustainable practices.
00:55:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the unsustainability of the current corporate model and the need for a shift towards more responsible practices to ensure the survival of all living creatures. She reflects on her own past as a corporate leader, realizing that her actions were that of a "looter," taking from the Earth and its inhabitants. The corporation is identified as the most powerful and influential institution in the world, capable of devastating destruction. The next episode will explore the corporation's determination to own and control everything from public consciousness to our very DNA. The flaws in the corporate design are considered a fundamental defect that could threaten the survival of all living beings. Finally, the speaker acknowledges the tragedy of 9/11 and her personal experience of the immediate thought of how it could affect her clients' investments, highlighting the inherent self-interest of the corporate mindset.

01:00:00 - 02:00:00

In this video, The Corporation, various aspects of corporate power and influence are analyzed. Different examples are given that demonstrate the ways corporations manipulate perception, target vulnerable audiences to sell their products, and use aggressive strategies to dominate markets. There are concerns about the privatization of public goods, such as water and the environment, and how this goes against the common good. Additionally, the documentary discusses the troubling issue of patents and the race among corporations to own life itself. In conclusion, the video warns of the dangers of corporate dominance and the importance of challenging their actions to shape a better future.

01:00:00 In this section of the video, a former commodities trader talks about the financial opportunities that emerged during times of war and crisis, such as the Gulf War of 1991. The idea of seeking profits from disasters is not a new concept and has been deeply embedded in the history of human society, as the speaker illustrates the evolution of communal property to private ownership. However, the tendency of privatization is still ongoing, leading to the parceling and commodification of common goods such as water, air, and the environment. The concept of who creates wealth and how it is created is also called into question in this section, as the privatization of common goods is seen as the usurpation of wealth rather than its creation.
01:05:00 In this section, the dangers of privatizing public institutions are discussed. It is argued that privatization often leads to an irresponsible tyrant taking control of the institution, risking public trust just for small marginal gains in efficiency. Public institutions have many secondary advantages, such as being able to operate at a loss and provide cheaper services to other industries. They can also have a counter-cyclical property, meaning they can maintain employment during recessions to increase demand and drive economic recovery. On the other hand, private companies prioritize profit and may lay off workers during a recession to achieve financial gains. Furthermore, public ownership can ensure that essential services, such as education and healthcare, are maintained and accessible to all. The video also highlights the concerning trend of privatizing even intangible assets, such as human rights and the environment, suggesting that private interests may not align with the greater public good.
01:10:00 In this section, the video discusses how the marketing techniques of corporations have become more sophisticated and widespread over time. A study conducted in 1998 found that a significant percentage of purchases made by parents for their children would not have been made if the children had not begged for the product. The use of psychologists in marketing strategies has become more common in order to manipulate consumers, including children, into wanting and buying their products. Children are seen as a profitable market for corporations, and parents often feel powerless in protecting their children from the influence of these corporations. While the ethics of manipulating children is debatable, corporations prioritize selling their products with creative strategies over their ethical implications.
01:15:00 In this section, the video highlights how institutions provide individuals with a social function in society, and those with the most power and influence determine those functions. The corporation's objective is to maximize profits and market share by turning individuals into completely mechanical consumers of products they don't need. This is achieved by creating fabricated needs and desires through advertising and public relations, and encouraging individuals to focus on insignificant things like material possessions and fashion. The video also shows how individuals are willingly and eagerly accepting sponsorships and advertising from corporations, not only to gain money but also to gain status and enhance their personal stories. Overall, the video argues that the corporation's ultimate goal is to mold people's identities and sense of self-worth through consumerism, creating a cycle of dependence and exploitation.
01:20:00 In this section, a corporate spy shares her experiences of working for 25% of the Fortune 500 companies in various industries. She describes her job as being a challenge, where she has to infiltrate companies and gather information for her clients, who are often the competition. She boasts about her ability to deceive employees and locate their weaknesses to gather information. The spy also talks about how corporations use creative tactics to manipulate people's perception of their products and values, not just to sell a product, but to sell a way of life and a certain way of thinking. She points out that decades of propaganda and education have conditioned people to think a certain way, allowing corporations to have a significant influence on people's beliefs and behaviors.
01:25:00 En esta sección del video "The Corporation", se destaca cómo las grandes corporaciones se presentan como inevitables y necesarias para el progreso y la calidad de vida, cuando en realidad están creando una imagen de sí mismas que no es verdadera. Además, se muestra un ejemplo de cómo una empresa, Pfizer Corporation, se involucra en proyectos comunitarios para mejorar la seguridad en una estación de metro, lo que plantea la pregunta sobre si ese dinero debería ser usado para ayudar directamente a los contribuyentes. Finalmente, se cuestiona el papel de las corporaciones en la gestión de la percepción y cómo utilizan las comunicaciones para vender su imagen.
01:30:00 In this section, the concept of branding is explored, with the documentary arguing that the most successful corporations of the future will not manufacture products but rather create a brand image, which is seen as a form of production itself. Disney's "Celebration" is presented as an example of a brand, a city that is marketed around the idea of being the perfect American family town. The implications of this trend are discussed, with the documentary suggesting that corporations are invading public spaces, manipulating perception and creating a world where every relationship is a commercial transaction.
01:35:00 In this section, the concept of subliminal marketing and its use in daily life is explained, highlighting the power of suggestion in the consumption of products. It is emphasized that marketing can happen everywhere and through various means, like using celebrities or people with relatable appearances and showcasing how they use certain products to give the illusion that it could work for anyone. A landmark case regarding patenting of life forms is also discussed, where General Electric and Dr. Ananda Chakrabarty had taken a microbe to the office of patents with a claim that it could consume oil spills. Although it was rejected initially, later, an appeal in the court noted that it was more of a chemical than a life form, and the decision can be patented. This led to a seven-year-long debate in which it was ultimately decided that anything in the world, except a completely born human, can be patented.However, such decisions can mean that corporations could own life and all its projects without any public discussion or direction from Congress.
01:40:00 In this section, the transcript discusses the current race among biotechnology and scientific corporations to find individual genes in the human genome and patent them as intellectual property. They are isolating and claiming genes such as those for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, and more. The same is happening for genomes of all creatures on the planet, and the politics of biology will be divided between those who believe life has intrinsic value and those who view it as a mere commodity. The transcript also discusses the efficiency of corporations in coordinating with professors, experts, and the government to push unsafe products onto the market, exemplified by Monsanto's use of growth hormones in cows. Despite this, recent studies by Canadian scientists proved their toxicity, while similar studies by US scientists, who worked with Monsanto, led to different conclusions.
01:45:00 In this section, the transcript excerpt reveals the battle that the creators of an investigative report on the potential health risks of Monsanto's Roundup faced with the executives at Fox News. Despite having a story prepared for airing, Fox News pulled the report and asked for changes that the creators deemed to be not true. After refusing to make the requested changes, Fox News executives tried to bribe the creators with money to stay silent and not bring the story to any other news organization. The confrontation showcased the influence that corporations can wield over the media when it comes to protecting their interests.
01:50:00 In this section, the transcript describes the 8-month revision of a story where lawyers edited and changed every word to make it more palatable for Monsanto. Any references to cancer or Monsanto's potential responsibility were minimized or removed to avoid identification of the potential issue. The reporters resisted these changes but were eventually fired by Fox when they refused to publish the edited version. The reporters then filed for legal action, resulting in a jury awarding them $425,000 in compensation after a five-week trial. However, the ruling was appealed by Fox, and other news corporations stepped in to support Fox's appeal. Eventually, Jane Akre, one of the reporters, lost her job and the compensation she had been awarded. This section highlights the importance of questioning the indifference of corporations towards democracy and the need for activists and ordinary people to challenge them to shape the future.
01:55:00 In this section, the video discusses the issue of water privatization in Cochabamba, Bolivia, as an example of how corporations can extend their influence over basic resources. The people of Cochabamba protested when a corporation gained control over the city's water, even the rainwater. The government was unable to convince the people that water was just another commodity, and in the end, the corporation was seen as prioritizing profits over the basic rights of the people. The video also notes that the historical pattern of corporate behaviour includes tolerance towards oppressive governments and the use of structures to impose deceiving ideas upon the population.

02:00:00 - 02:45:00

In "The Corporation - La Corporacion (español - spanish)" video, several issues related to the power dynamics and impact of corporations are explored, including their role in supporting the Nazis during World War II, their prioritization of profits over ethics, the need for market structures that encourage responsible behavior, and the adverse effects of capitalism on the poor and working class. The video also emphasizes the need for governments and culture to play a greater role in society than corporations do and the need for individuals to take responsibility for their collective actions in addressing the destructive power of multinational corporations. The video argues for a new vision of society that prioritizes sustainability and recognizes the power dynamics between corporations and society, demanding a more balanced and equitable approach to economic development.

02:00:00 In this section, the video explores the little-known conspiracy between corporations and the Nazi regime, both in the rise of Nazism and in maintaining their operations during the war. American corporations such as General Motors and Ford helped support the Nazi regime financially while Coca-Cola created Fanta to maintain their revenues. Companies like IBM helped facilitate the management of concentration camps and the extermination of millions of people with their punched card systems. While some argue that the accusations against IBM have been discredited, there is clear evidence that IBM's technology played a significant role in the mass genocide of World War II.
02:05:00 In this section, the video discusses how corporations prioritize profits over any sense of loyalty, including to their home country. The example of IBM during WWII is given, where they leased, maintained, and sold their punch-card computer technology to Germany, even if it was being used in concentration camps. Loyalty to profits overwhelms ethics and potentially could result in supporting despotic regimes, as seen in the list of 57 corporations maintaining commercial relationships with official enemies of the US, including terrorists and tyrants. General Smedley Butler also learned about the undemocratic dealings of American corporations in his role pacifying foreign areas like Mexico, Haiti, and Cuba for US business interests. The profit-motivated corporate conspirators were also implicated in a nefarious plan to overthrow President Roosevelt’s New Deal policies, but their plans were ultimately discovered by the US government.
02:10:00 In this section, the speaker talks about how corporations have gained an unusual level of power and access compared to governments, who are now less influential than they were 50 or 60 years ago. The power that once belonged to politicians and government officials has been displaced by the dominance of capitalism, and its actors and protagonists, including the CEOs of corporations. The speaker narrates an experience in 1998, where he attended a meeting convened by the National Security Agency called the "Critical Thinking Consortium," where he stood at the epicenter of an intelligence industry made up of the CIA, DEA, FBI, and Coca-Cola, Kodak, etc. This cooperation between the government and the industry indicates that there is no line between them. The speaker also notes a demonstration of people opposing the plan to privatize all the resources and services that were being discussed in a trade agreement that would affect citizens' lives. The president of Canada's Chamber of Commerce dismissed the protests, indicating that people should not meddle in matters that should only be decided by businesspeople, shareholders, and public perception.
02:15:00 In this section, the video discusses the idea that corporations should not just rely on government regulations, but should create market structures that encourage them to do the right thing. The idea is that companies should work towards becoming a favorite corporation by listening to the concerns of society and working with NGOs, governments, and the public to address those concerns. The video also explores the concept of corporate social responsibility, questioning whether companies promote it because they genuinely want to be responsible or if it is just a tactic to enhance their image. The video posits that the only responsible corporation is a subordinate one where its leaders take orders from the political body, and it is essential to recognize the fissures and cracks in corporate structures so that change can be made for the greater good.
02:20:00 In this section, individuals express the belief that simply getting rid of all corporations will solve the world's problems. However, it's acknowledged that some positive changes can only happen through organization, which often relies on incentives. This dependence on incentives is seen as a reflection of broader trends and influences that are beyond the control of individuals, resulting in a lack of democracy regarding economic decisions. It's suggested that governments should have tighter control over the behavior of corporations, and that these companies should themselves be more democratic. The focus is on finding ways to democratically control corporations and evaluate their impact, rather than simply categorizing them in terms of positive or negative effects resulting from their actions. The main barrier to enacting positive changes is seen as a lack of political willpower.
02:25:00 In this section, the speakers are discussing the need for government and culture to play a more significant role in society than corporations do. By examining the laws that created corporations, people can hold them accountable and force them to take responsibility for their actions. Additionally, they discuss how corporations and governments are secondary institutions that must serve society's cultural and social values. The documentary's message aims to encourage corporations to operate within ethical boundaries and serve the community rather than pursuing power and dominance. The speakers also acknowledge that their work may cause change, and they must continue to use their platform to expose truth and wrongdoing.
02:30:00 In this section, the speaker talks about the disconnect between the work people do for a living and the broader impact it has on the world. He gives the example of the parents of children who attend the school in Littleton, Colorado, where the Columbine shooting took place. The primary job of the community is to work for Lockheed Martin, a company that builds weapons of mass destruction. The speaker reflects on his own experience working in an auto factory and how he never stopped to think about the broader consequences of his work, such as the melting of the polar ice caps. He argues that individuals must take responsibility for their collective actions and address the destructive power of multinational corporations, international institutions and undemocratic governments that support them. The speaker calls for a new vision of society that sees humans as part of nature and not apart from it, using renewable energy and creating organizations that prioritize sustainability.
02:35:00 In this section, the video explores the adverse effects of capitalism on the poor and working class, and the need for institutions to be held accountable for their actions. The video shows how some corporations exploit poor countries by hiring children and paying them poorly, all while using famous figures such as Katie Lee Gifford to create an emotional appeal to consumers. However, there are heroic voices fighting against these corporations, such as the workers who risked their livelihoods to expose the exploitation in their factory. The video argues that we need to provide the same level of protection to child laborers as we do to corporate intellectual property, and that we need to recognize that some things, such as the exploitation of people, cannot be bought and sold.
02:40:00 In this section, the speaker discusses how in the late 80s and early 90s, he became aware of the fact that five companies would control our food and health through patents on genetic engineering and corporate mergers. He then talks about the movement that has emerged from ordinary people committed to the well-being of all humanity, which has since made significant progress in gaining ground against these monopolizing corporations. He argues that we need to examine the purpose of corporations and move away from a profit-centric model, recognizing that there may be other motivations besides self-interest. This, however, will require intelligence, unity, and learning together as there are still a lot of things that need to be undone.
02:45:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the separation of culture and society from our thinking, which is the most exciting development happening currently all over the world. The video then shows images of the situation in Cochabamba where the city was practically under siege, as people were determined to defend the rights of the corporation Vettel, even if it meant displacing families who live in the area. These events underscore the power dynamics at play between corporations and society, and highlight the need for a more balanced and equitable approach to economic development.