The main purpose of this paper is to establish the effects of corporations' actions that result in threatening the sovereignty of the Third World. The influence of corporations in the Third World prevent the other other world from developing and becoming sovereign and independent from powerful countries. Corporations influence policy making in weak states and that diminishes the role of state. When the state does not have the sovereign power to act according to the best of its interest then it looses power and tends to became more dependent. In poor countries governments tend to be corrupt and corporations use it to their advantage, so natural resources are sold to the best buyer and the government gives up it sovereign power to regulate the environmental degradation, and negative economic effects. Thus, corporations turn poor states into puppets and the main goal is to earn as much profit as possible without having to pay for the consequences of destroying government effectiveness. This is important to address because it will help to understand the level of negative effects that corporations can cause when they use Third World government officials as their brokers. And for the purpose of this paper, I have selected Doe Run American Corporation and Peru as my case study. This case study captures the entire role corporations play in a Third World country such as Peru, and how the corporation has influenced Peruvian policies in order to continue business as usual and avoid all accountability to the country's environmental degradation.
Sources:
Sources:
- Fraser, Barbara."Environmental Science & Technology." 1 July 2009. www.pubs.acs.org. 30 October 2013
- Fraser, Barbara."Peruvian Mining Town Must Balance Health and Economics." The Lancet (2006):Volume 367. Number 9514.
- Kovski, Alan."Privatization in Peru Draws Wary Interest." 12 August 1992. Global Issues. 30 October 2013
- http://www.doerun.com
I think it is important for you to examine the other side of the argument. In the examples you gave above I do not see private industries ability to pressure government as the primary problem. A democracy is made up to serve and represent the people. Those with the loudest voices can effect the greatest changes. Often this is the private industry, which is a form of the citizen exercising their right to influence their government for economic gain. If you limit this ability then the state will fall even further into economic depression, lacking those bringing in resources to revitalize it, and will also fall into tyranny as limiting peoples economic freedoms and voice will make them reliant on an oppressive government that lacks resources.
ReplyDeleteNow if you are talking about foreign business pressures, it is important that a state does not interact with these entities in a way that hurts their people, but if they do not work with them at all, then important foreign trade and investment will be lost. This will further depress a state. I would argue instead for a balanced role that highlights the rule of law, and emphasizing a system where both private industry, and government can work hand in hand in a mutually symbiotic, or beneficial, relationship.
Hi Sophia,
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas for your paper but I think you need to come up with a specific research question and your main argument. I also would narrow it down to Peru. For instance: How does the "Doe Run American Corporation" affect Peru's sovereignty? After using this case study, you can try to generalize it and to draw lines to other third world countries. However, I also would recommend you to list a few positive aspects that corporations might have on third world countries. But all together, I think you chose a very interesting topic and you will find a lot resources.