"I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have marvelled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great republic. I have been inspired by the story of their sacrifice and their strength. But today, I weep for my country." - Senator Robert Byrd, March 2003
Boston's citizens threw $15,000 worth of tea into the harbour. That was a lot of money in 1773 - and a lot of tea. The tea belonged to the East India Company, the world's first multinational corporation (MNC). The British government then decreed that the harbour would be closed until the people of Boston reimbursed the Company. That led to war and rejection of the tyrannical regulations imposed by a remote government on behalf of a corporation. Poor countries today have similar feelings about remote government.
The American Founders were determined to prevent tyranny enslaving the New World, whether the tyranny of an aristocracy or of standing armies. But it was trade dominance that aroused their greatest passions. At the time, virtually all members of the British parliament were stockholders with the East India Company, a tenth had made their fortunes through the Company, and the Company funded parliamentary elections generously. British traders and politicians prospered through the activities of this first MNC that was sucking wealth from around the world. The parallel with today's corporate and political life in the United States is remarkable.
