They argue that the modern world was created by private…
““They argue that the modern world was created by private capital. The subcontinent of India, for instance, was owned by the British East India Company, Indonesia by the Dutch East India Company, our neighbors by the British East Africa Company, and the Congo Free State by a one man corporation. Corporate capital was aided by missionary societies. What private capital did then it can do again; own and reshape the Third World in the image of the West without the slightest blot, blemish, or blotch. NGOs will do what the missionary charities did in the past. The world will no longer be composed of the outmoded twentieth-century divisions of East, West, and a directionless Third. The world will become one corporate globe divided into the incorporating and incorporated...to become the first voluntary corporate colony, the first in a new global order..with NGOs relieving us of social services, the country becomes your real estate.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Corporate power reshapes nations, turning them into assets for profit, with NGOs acting as modern missionaries.
In simple terms: Corporations treat countries like property, using NGOs to legitimize control.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and resist corporate domination of public policy.
Themes
colonialism
globalization
neoliberalism
NGO critique
economic imperialism
Mood
critical
concerned
defiant
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- development policy
- human rights advocacy
- community organizing
- academic research
Key Concepts
political economy
dependency theory
social justice
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities safeguard sovereignty against corporate encroachment?
- What alternatives exist to NGO-driven service provision?
A Different Perspective
Corporate interests may claim efficiency but often ignore local needs and autonomy.