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Anti-corporate activism is
activism Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from ...
directed against the private sector, particularly larger
corporations A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
. It is based on the belief that the activities and impacts of
big business Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly ...
are detrimental to the
public good In economics, a public good (also referred to as a social good or collective good)Oakland, W. H. (1987). Theory of public goods. In Handbook of public economics (Vol. 2, pp. 485–535). Elsevier. is a commodity, product or service that is bo ...
and the
democratic process Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exc ...
.


Disagreements with corporations

International trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countries, such trade represents a significan ...
and financial deregulation facilitated corporate globalization. As more economies have embraced
free markets In economics, a free market is an economic market (economics), system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of ...
and
deregulation Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a ...
, the power and autonomy of corporations have grown. Opponents of corporate globalization believe that governments need greater powers to control the market, limit or reduce corporate power, and eliminate rising income inequality. Usually on the
political left Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...
, anti-corporate globalization activists rail against
corporate power In social science and economics, corporate capitalism is a capitalist marketplace characterized by the dominance of hierarchical and bureaucratic corporations. Overview In the developed world, corporations dominate the marketplace, compri ...
and advocate for reduced income gaps and improved economic equity. Anti-corporate activists believe that large multinational corporations gained too much influence by hiring lobbyists to advance their political and economic agendas worldwide and to increase corporate profits.


Counter-arguments

The defenders of corporations, such as Ron Arnold, highlight that governments legislate in ways that restrict the actions of corporations and that lawbreaking companies and executives are routinely caught and punished, usually in the form of monetary fines.


Alliances

Anti-corporate activists often ally with other activists, such as
environmental activist The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement) is a social movement that aims to protect the natural world from harmful environmental practices in order to create sustainable living. In its recognition of humanity a ...
s or animal-rights activists, in condemning the business practices of organizations such as
McDonald's Corporation McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
( McLibel) and forestry company Gunns Limited (
Gunns 20 Gunns Limited was a major forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. It had operations in forest management, woodchipping, sawmilling and veneer production. The company was placed into liquidation in March 2013. History Founded in ...
). In recent years, the number of books (Naomi Klein's 2000 ''
No Logo ''No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies'' is a book by the Canadian author Naomi Klein. First published by Knopf Canada and Picador in December 1999, shortly after the 1999 Seattle WTO protests had generated media attention around such is ...
'' being a well-known example) and films on the subject has increased, such as ''The Corporation'', which has to a certain extent supported anti-corporate politics.


Art activism

An artist critical of
sociopolitical Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how p ...
agendas in business is conceptualist
Hans Haacke Hans Haacke (born August 12, 1936) is a German-born artist who lives and works in New York City. Haacke is considered a "leading exponent" of institutional critique, and is considered to be the most harsh and consistent critic of museums among t ...
.


Anti-corporate web sites

In June 2008,
Condé Nast Publications Condé is a French place name and personal name. It is ultimately derived from a Celtic word, "Condate", meaning "confluence" (of two rivers) - from which was derived the Romanised form "Condatum", in use during the Roman period, and thence to ...
released an article entitled "The Secret Seven", which listed the top seven anti-corporate web sites. These included:
WikiLeaks WikiLeaks () is a non-profit media organisation and publisher of leaked documents. It is funded by donations and media partnerships. It has published classified documents and other media provided by anonymous sources. It was founded in 2006 by ...
,
Mini-Microsoft ''Mini-Microsoft'' is a blog that was maintained by an anonymous author who appeared to be a Microsoft employee. The site credited its sole author as "Who da'Punk", but many readers referred to him as "Mini" or "Mini-Microsoft". The nominal goal of ...
, Wal-Mart Watch, Brenda Priddy and Company (automotive spy photos),
AppleInsider The Apple community consists of the users, media, and third party companies interested in Apple Inc. and its products. They discuss rumors, future products, news stories, and support of Apple's products. Apple has a devoted following, especia ...
and
MacRumors ''MacRumors'' is an American website that reports and aggregates Apple Inc.- and Mac (computer), Mac-related news, rumors, and information. The website is updated on a daily basis with new articles. It also provides a selection of other content ...
. In 2020, a group called "Save our Elders from Corporate Abuse" was formed on
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
. The page tried to report and expose businesses that trap senior citizens into predatory loans, perpetual billing for products, or other schemes.


Rise of anti-corporate globalization

On November 30, 1999, nearly fifty thousand people protested the WTO meetings in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, which disrupted and ended the meetings. Participants communicated their strategies through emails, websites, and other platforms. Some new anti-globalization networks have emerged. In the United States, anti-corporate globalization movements reemerged after less attention was given to the war in Iraq, resulting in an increase in mass mobilizations.


See also

* * * * * * * * * * * * – The Program On Corporations, Law, and Democracy * * *


References


External links


Farewell to the End of History: Organization and Vision in Anti-Corporate Movements
by
Naomi Klein Naomi Klein (born May 8, 1970) is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses; support of ecofeminism, organized labour, and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism and Criticism of capitalism, ca ...
, '' Socialist Register'', 2002 {{Anarchism Corporate law Corporate crime