Corporate America: Freedom's Greatest Threat  By Chuck Baldwin  July 27, 2007      This column is archived at  http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070727.html      Most of us who believe in the free enterprise system have been taught  that business interests normally work to the betterment of America's  overall health, both commercially and politically. While there might  have been a time when this was true, it is definitely not true today.  Not only has Big Business become unfriendly to the principles of  freedom, it has also become freedom's greatest threat.    To say that Corporate America is America's greatest threat is a harsh  accusation, but one that I believe is warranted. I will even be so  bold as to say that freedom has much more to fear from today's  Chambers of Commerce than it does from Al Qaida.    Today's Americans need to carefully heed the sage counsel of Thomas  Jefferson, who said, "Merchants have no country. The mere spot they  stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from  which they draw their gains." The truth of that statement aptly  explains the serious damage that Big Business is currently inflicting  upon our liberties.    Someone rightly observed that one can determine the focus of, and  influence upon, societies by analyzing its architecture. For example,  from the founding of Jamestown in 1607 through the beginning of the  War for Southern Independence, the most notable buildings (in most  communities) belonged to churches. From the mid-nineteenth century to  the mid-twentieth century, the most prominent buildings belonged to  various governments. From the mid-twentieth century to the present,  the biggest, most lavish, and most notable buildings belong to Big  Business. This is not accidental or coincidental. These buildings are  the monuments of men to the ideas that mean the most to them.  Accordingly, a vast number of today's Americans have come to worship  at the shrine of Big Business.    However, this idolatry comes at great price. Not the least of which is  the way we have allowed Big Business interests to virtually control  governmental policy, including our war and defense policies.    For example, I recently obtained a copy of the U.S. Navy's "Playbook."  This Playbook succinctly summarizes the Department of the Navy's  policies and guidelines, and is made available to naval officers and  to public affairs professionals. Under the section entitled "Vision"  it states, "Americans secure at home and abroad; sea and air lanes  open and free for the peaceful and productive movement of  international commerce; enduring national and international naval  relationships that remain strong and true; steadily deepening  cooperation among the maritime forces of emerging partner nations . .  ."    Notice the emphasis of "international commerce," "international naval  relations," and "emerging partner nations."    Under the section entitled "Focus On Execution" it states, "We must  continue to embrace the vital contributions that out [sic] partners  make in working to secure the global community."    Notice that part of our Navy's policy is to "secure the global  community." So, who is our military charged to defend? Is it the  American people? Is it the "global community," or is it Big Business?  Navy brass might answer, "All of the above." However, it should seem  obvious to anyone who is paying attention that in the grand scheme of  things, the will and interests of the American people are being  submerged under the will and interests of Big Business, which is  creating the global community.    Under the section "Maritime Strategy" it states, "This new Maritime  Strategy is required to face the threats of our interdependent  societies and global economy."    Can the reader not see how that even our military and defense  departments are being coerced and manipulated by the interests of Big  Business? Need more evidence? Look at Iraq.    Are you aware that America has almost as many civilian contractors in  Iraq as we do military personnel? According to a recent census report,  there are more than 100,000 civilian contractors currently working in  Iraq. In fact, the war in Iraq has become "the most privatized war in  U.S. history." (Source: Multinational Monitor, Nov/Dec 2006) The  Halliburton company alone has received some $20 billion from both its  oil and troop logistics contracts. Contracts, that according to MM,  include " orty-five dollar cases of soda; $85,000 trucks in need of  minor repairs . . . tens of millions of dollars in gasoline  surcharges; thousands of meals prepared but never served to the troops  . . . [and] contaminated water served to the troops."    And if one were to actually believe that America has any intention of  pulling out of Iraq, consider this: experts predict that private,  civilian contracts will grow into a $200 billion-a-year global  business by 2010. Why do you think that our government is currently  constructing the biggest U.S. embassy in the world in downtown  Baghdad? In fact, when our embassy in Iraq is finished it will be  larger than the Vatican!    No, my friends, our government has no intentions of pulling out of  Iraq. Not next year. Not ever! Why? It is the desire of Big Business  that we be there.    Consider, too, the way that the Chambers of Commerce around America  attempt to facilitate the flow of illegal aliens into our country. In  fact, the national Chamber of Commerce is one of the biggest  proponents of amnesty for illegal aliens. Many within Corporate  America also support "sanctuary cities" for illegal aliens. They lobby  our congressmen in Washington, D.C., and in state capitols to NOT  enforce our nation's laws against companies that hire illegals and  against illegals themselves.    Anyone with even a modicum of common sense understands that nothing  compromises America's safety and security as does the current invasion  of our country by illegal aliens. How anyone can believe that  President Bush is serious about fighting a "war on terror" when he has  done absolutely nothing for nearly six years to secure our borders and  ports is the height of naïveté.    As we can easily observe by reading the aforementioned U.S. Navy's own  Playbook, this administration is basing its foreign and domestic  policies more on the desires of Big Business than the interests of the  American people. And lest Democrats think that, should they capture  the White House in 2008, things will change, guess again. The same Big  Business interests that control the Republican Party control the  Democratic Party, which means there will be no significant change to  our government's policy regarding Iraq if Democrats are in charge.  Count on it!    Look, too, at how Big Business tries to manipulate laws regarding the  right to keep and bear arms. One of the chief proponents of denying  people the right to transport firearms in their vehicles to and from  work is Corporate America. All over the country, companies threaten  their employees with dismissal should they have firearms in their  cars. In fact, it is the diabolical duo of Big Business and Big  Government that are the biggest proponents of denying the American  people their right to personal self-defense.    Speaking of personal self-defense, if you own a firearm and intend to  have ammunition to put in that firearm, you might want to buy it while  you can afford it. By the first of next year, the price of ammunition  will be at least double what it is today, that is providing one can  find it at all. The reason? Corporate America is selling the raw  ingredients necessary for the construction of ammunition (at top  dollar, I might add) to Red China. As with everything else, Corporate  America would rather sell to Communist China than to the American  people.    Another sign of Corporate America's treachery: just last Tuesday (July  24, 2007), Westinghouse Electric Company signed a deal to build four  nuclear power plants in China and to transfer technology for its  newest reactor to a Chinese partner. According to Westinghouse  president, Steve Tritch, the Chinese nuclear plant deal is worth  "multibillion-dollar contracts." But the Chinese buyers asked the  company not to disclose details. (Source: the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)  Just like we will never be told why China is buying up all the raw  materials that go into making ammunition.    Of course, the marriage of Corporate America with the communist elite  in China is now well established. USA Today recently reported that  "U.S. corporate profits in China passed $2 billion the first six  months of 2006." Companies currently doing business in China include  Caterpillar, Starbucks, Greif (a Delaware, Ohio-based maker of  industrial packaging), General Motors, Google, UPS, Microsoft, Nike,  AT&T, and of course, Wal-Mart. In addition, the Chrysler Corporation  recently announced that it will begin importing cars made in China.    In fact, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai represents over  1,300 corporations, including 150 Fortune 500 companies, and the  U.S.-China Business Council represents 250 companies doing business  all across China. (Source: Multinational Monitor)    Plus, we should realize that it is Corporate America that is behind  the push to outsource America's jobs and industries. It is also  Corporate America that is behind the push to create a NAFTA  superhighway and North American Community. In short, it is Corporate  America that is behind the push to sacrifice America's national  sovereignty and independence.    It is also Corporate America that opposes Country Of Origin Labeling  (COOL) laws that would require companies to tell consumers where their  food comes from. In fact, such a law was passed back in 2002 and  signed by President Bush, but Corporate America's lobbyists  successfully blocked the implementation of that law. Therefore, you  and I still have no idea where the food we purchase comes from.    The list just goes on and on.    As one can easily see, Corporate America has morphed into an  international juggernaut that threatens our safety and security, as  well as our liberty and independence in a way that foreign terrorists  could only dream about. The American people need to start seeing these  giant corporations for what they really are: freedom's greatest  threat.    (c) Chuck Baldwin    NOTE TO THE READER:    This email editorial cannot be considered Spam as long as the sender  includes contact information and a method of removal.    To subscribe, click on this link and follow the instructions:  http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/subscribe.php    To unsubscribe, click on this link and follow the instructions:  http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/unsubscribe.php    Chuck Baldwin's commentaries are copyrighted and may be republished,  reposted, or emailed providing the person or organization doing so  does not charge for subscriptions or advertising and that the column  is copied intact and that full credit is given and that Chuck's web  site address is included.    Editors or Publishers of publications charging for subscriptions or  advertising who want to run these columns must contact Chuck Baldwin  for permission. 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