Global Corporate Elite - Essay Example

Global Corporate Elite Whereas it might not be convenient to consider, the fact of the matter is that current power within the global system is ultimately concentrated within the hands of a few. When one considers the fact that the overall level of globalization and world trade has expanded exponentially within the past several decades, the number of “elite” that ultimately have a profound impact upon the way in which global politics and decisions are affected necessarily shrinks even further. This is an important topic to discuss due to the fact that individuals who hold an inordinate amount of power over the global system can influence the way in which political powers and/or states ultimately make decisions. Moreover, when one looks at the Democratic model of governance, one in which the people are supposedly ultimately responsible for choosing their own destiny, the issue of a few elite counteracting this process and seeking their own best interests at each and every juncture is especially pernicious. The view that a few global elite ultimately control the means by which political power is defined and illustrated throughout the world is not a new epiphany. Rather, such an analysis of global politics has been in existence as long as states have interact with one another. However, the issue has become more salient and more important as time has gone on and the increasing interconnectedness of the entire world increases the importance that such a group of individuals might play with respect to future developments. In this way, the following analysis will discuss the view that political power is concentrated in elite group and seek to analyze whether or not this is merely something of a conspiracy theory or whether it is a statement that should be considered thoughtfully with regards to the way in which society and politics intersect with one another. Firstly, approaching this from historical standpoint, it can be argued that the extent to which elite groups of individuals have been able to influence political power is not by any stretch of the imagination a new reality. Rather, before the era of democratic societies, and elite group of individuals, by very nature, were responsible for guiding and directing the future developments given country (Seagal-Horn & Dean, 2011). As different empires and monarchies within the global historical system differentiated power based upon privileged birth and/or a high level of wealth, the number of individuals who could actually integrate with such system and help to formulate a degree of future progression for society were necessarily constrained to but a handful of people. Yet, the increasing complexity of the global exchange that defines international politics as well as the fact that increasing number of self-proclaimed “democratic systems” exists within the current world, the reader to consider whether or not it is true that a handful of elite are ultimately capable and responsible for the lion’s share of the decision-making that takes place within the current world model. Since the dawn of the 20th century, the international system has seen an explosion of trade and commerce that has worked towards making the regions and entire societies dependent upon the wealth and resources that this trade and interaction may bring. As a direct result of this growth, international corporations and businessman have been able to grow their wealth to such astronomical proportions that they view the impact that such resources can have upon politics rather than the impact that politics can have upon their business. As these individuals have ventured into the political arena, either themselves, or using their money as a proxy, this has caused a real alignment in what can be termed as the political elite within the world. This is evidenced with regards to the way in which corporations such as Microsoft and Apple impact upon the United States government and the formulation of patent law as well as antitrust litigation, or it can be noted with respect to the way in which firms such as Hyundai and/or Samsung impact upon the decisions that the Republic of South Korea make within the domestic and international sphere (Carroll, 2010). Naturally, this analysis is only thus far discuss the means by which wealth and the power of a few individuals impact upon two distinct international systems. However, seeking to compare the way in which extraordinarily wealthy individuals and/or corporations impact upon politics throughout the globe would require an exhaustive thesis length response; one that this brief analysis is neither the time with the place for (Unruh & Cabrera, 2013). The correlation between how but a few wealthy individuals can be seen as a dominant and defining force within politics cannot more appropriately be noted that with regards to the recent situation concerning Edward Snowden. Although Snowden himself was something of a low level contractor working for the national security agency, recent revelations have indicated that the national security agency, beyond merely being a means of “protecting the citizens of the United States from potential threats” is actually primarily concerned with monitoring the communications and activities of some of the United States’ most prolific and wealthy competitors. The situation itself denotes the fact that the United States government, motivated and upheld by some extraordinarily powerful special interests internally, is willing to leverage political power as a means of developing a competitive advantage. This further underscores the range and extent to which governments, acting at the behest of extraordinarily powerful individuals, will go in seeking to achieve a further level of monetary benefit for certain companies and CEOs that can be defined as he few entities that effect a powerful influence upon the way in which global affairs and domestic politics ultimately take place (CARROLL, 2009). Regardless of whether or not the thought is convenient, the fact of the matter is that in the current world, it is increasingly common that a handful of very powerful individuals are able to determine the laws, actions, and faith in which entire nations exhibit. Rather than viewing this as some form of conspiracy theory that is not effectively backed up by legitimate sources and/or fact, even a cursory unit of analysis helps the reader to come to the realization that this inconvenient reality unfortunately defines the current global system to a very effective degree. However, even within such a realization, it must be understood that it is virtually impossible for any powerful individual, or group of individuals, to effectively steer the direction and or decisions of an entire nation. Although key decisions can be implemented and lobbied by these individuals, a type of critical mass of popular belief and democratic ideals necessarily constrict and/or limit the degree to which such powerful individuals/groups can affect whatever ends they most seek to bring about. Such a reality cannot and should not cast aspersions with regards to the degree to which an individual accepts the information that has thus far been presented; rather, it merely helps to underscore the fact that regardless of how these individuals might seek to control and direct the actions of a particular nation and/or economy/political system, they are ultimately unable to exhibit a complete level of control by very nature of the fact that they have their hands constrained with regards to how many of their intentions they can effect. Rather than assuming that a perfectly democratic level of representative decision-making exists, the reader would do well to realize that key interests as well as wealthy and powerful interests are ultimately the moving and motivating forces behind many of the decisions that are made by governments the world over. References CARROLL, WK 2009, 'Transnationalists and national networkers in the global corporate elite', Global Networks, 9, 3, pp. 289-314, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 August 2013. Carroll, W, & Sapinski, J 2010, 'The Global Corporate Elite and the Transnational Policy-Planning Network, 1996-2006', International Sociology, 25, 4, pp. 501-538, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 August 2013. Segal-Horn, S, & Dean, A 2011, 'The rise of super-elite: towards global strategies', Service Industries Journal, 31, 2, pp. 195-213, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 August 2013. Unruh, G, & Cabrera, Á 2013, 'JOIN THE GLOBAL ELITE', Harvard Business Review, 91, 5, pp. 135-139, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 August 2013. Read More