"Researchers at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute in Zurich have identified a 'Capitalist Network' [PDF] of well-connected companies that control most of the global economy. They further identified the 147 'super-connected' companies that control forty percent or more of the global financial network. If one believes the mega-corporations have most governments of the west in their pockets, does this mean we have a global oligarchy?"

"Wikileaks has had to cease publishing classified files due to what the organization calls a 'blockade by US-based finance companies' that, according to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has 'destroyed 95% of our revenue.' Assange also opined that 'A handful of US finance companies cannot be allowed to decide how the whole world votes with its pocket.' According to Assange the group was taking 'pre-litigation action' against the financial blockade in Iceland, Denmark, the UK, Brussels, the United States, and Australia. They have also filed an anti-trust complaint with the European Commission."

Steve Jobs May Not Have Gone To Heaven

Choice Comments:
"Steve - Sees starving children in Africa, renounces God. Becomes billionaire, does nothing about starving children."


"Considering he shut down all of Apple's philanthropic programs when he came back in 1997 and died sitting on a giant pile of money (8 billion), I'd say we do in fact know that."

"Apple is positioned to make a huge difference to disadvantaged people.

Look at Google, for example. They invest 1% of their revenues in charitable ways. They're piping fibre down to Africa. They're using Maps to study ecological change. They've used Books to make a fully searchable version of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They've driven mini-street-view robots around Art Galleries, and made everything available for free.

Technology firms are the best placed people to do innovation-based charity work. If you ploughed in the same amount of cash, but didn't have Google's mighty human resources, scope, codebase, product range or brand recognition, you'd get a small fraction of the result.

It's not a responsibility for a company to have a charitable arm, but if it can be afforded, and can make a real and unique difference, it should really be considered. It's just part of being human, and making best use of the resources available."

"Did Jobs know about the children working in Apple sweatshops in Asia...yes...yes he did."


"He was highly involved with Seva, the largest eye hospital in India, among other charities. He just wasn't very outspoken about his charity work, by creating foundations."


"I always think about how Steve Jobs started out making black boxes to steal long-distance calls from phone carriers, and ended up locking down every ones computers and devices so they don't steal from him. Flip-flop with the profits, ata boy."


"How ironic that he then went on to found his own religion. >.>"


"In my religion this is not a problem/contradiction from a doctrinal standpoint. It was designed that we would be born in a world if inequality and injustice. The challenge God has placed on us is: how will we react? What will we do about it? Will we recognize inequality and injustice and go and help others not as fortunate as us or will we take advantage of our position?"