--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great multinationals are unwilling to…" description: "\"The great multinationals are unwilling to face the moral and economic contradictions of their own behavior - producing in low-wage dictatorships and se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/william-greider-14089_absence_the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-t_2546521.png" --- # The great multinationals are unwilling to face the moral… ![“The great multinationals are unwilling to face the moral and economic contradictions of their own behavior - producing in low-wage dictatorships and selling to high-wage democracies. Indeed, the striking quality about global enterprises is how easily free-market capitalism puts aside its supposed…” quote by William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/william-greider-14089_absence_the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-t_2546521.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/william-greider-14089_absence_the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-t_2546521.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/william-greider-14089_absence_the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-t_2546521.png) > “The great multinationals are unwilling to face the moral and economic contradictions of their own behavior - producing in low-wage dictatorships and selling to high-wage democracies. Indeed, the striking quality about global enterprises is how easily free-market capitalism puts aside its supposed values in order to do business. The conditions of human freedom do not matter to them so long as the market demand is robust. The absence of freedom, if anything, lends order and efficiency to their operations.” [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Corporations exploit labor disparities, prioritizing profit over ethical concerns, ignoring human freedom. **In simple terms:** Businesses often ignore moral costs for profit. Key Takeaway Demand ethical accountability. Themes economics ethics globalization labor rights Mood critical concerned Type analytical persuasive When to use this quote - consumer choices - investor activism - policy reform Key Concepts capitalism power imbalance Questions to Reflect On - Can profit and ethics coexist? - What policies could enforce fair labor? A Different Perspective Profit motives can align with ethical practices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Dictatorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Free market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-market/) [Free market capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-market-capitalism/) [Human freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-freedom/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Multinationals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multinationals/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [Flexible supply chains are great for multinationals and consumers. But they erode already thin profit margins in developing-world factories and foster a pell-mell work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/flexible-supply-chains-are-great-for-multinationals-and-consumers-but/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [The Western societies which espouse free market capitalism survive by the pursuit of greed and, in their own way, like Communism, throw into leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-mccaughey/the-western-societies-which-espouse-free-market-capitalism-survive-by/) Davis McCaughey > [The systemic incompatibility between free-market capitalism and the quality of democratic life and respect for human rights has to be modified to take account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/the-systemic-incompatibility-between-free-market-capitalism-and-the/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kudlow/free-market-capitalism-is-the-best-path-to-prosperity/) [Lawrence Kudlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kudlow/) > [The nature of the economic system should be a matter for public choice, and free market capitalism should not be accepted without any discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/the-nature-of-the-economic-system-should-be-a-matter-for-public/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [There are different ways to organise capitalism. Free-market capitalism is only one of them-and not a very good one at that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/there-are-different-ways-to-organise-capitalism-free-market/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [To condemn free-market capitalism because of anything going on today makes no sense. There is no evidence that capitalism exists today. We are deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/to-condemn-free-market-capitalism-because-of-anything-going-on-today/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [We do not have free market capitalism in America; we have crony capitalism. There is a huge difference between free market capitalism that democratizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/we-do-not-have-free-market-capitalism-in-america-we-have-crony/) [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/) > [Free-market capitalism is a network of free and voluntary exchanges in which producers work, produce, and exchange their products for the products of others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/free-market-capitalism-is-a-network-of-free-and-voluntary-exchanges/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [Free market capitalism is far more than economic theory. It is the engine of social mobility-the highway to the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-market-capitalism-is-far-more-than-economic-theory-it-is-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It's a real enigma why people are so averse to real free market capitalism even now. Here we are, in the century that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/it-s-a-real-enigma-why-people-are-so-averse-to-real-free-market/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [Free market capitalism has done more for the soul of the human race than any other system. And it's created the highest standard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chocola/free-market-capitalism-has-done-more-for-the-soul-of-the-human-race/) [Chris Chocola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chocola/) > [The Internet has taken shape with startlingly little planning? The most universal and indispensable network on the planet somehow burgeoned without so muchasa boardofdirectors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-internet-has-taken-shape-with-startlingly-little-planning-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Free-market capitalism, in the blink of an eye, was gutted and replaced by an oligopoly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/free-market-capitalism-in-the-blink-of-an-eye-was-gutted-and-replaced/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [No one spends someone elses money as carefully as he spends his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/no-one-spends-someone-elses-money-as-carefully-as-he-spends-his-own/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) ## More by William Greider > [If you think about it, Washington's overwhelming power in the world is founded on death, the awesome arsenal for killing people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/if-you-think-about-it-washington-s-overwhelming-power-in-the-world-is/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The threat to globalization is not the wasted American dollars but Washington's readiness to mix US commercial interests with its self-appointed role as global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-threat-to-globalization-is-not-the-wasted-american-dollars-but/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [If US per capita income continues to grow at a rate of 1.5 percent a year, the country will have plenty of money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/if-us-per-capita-income-continues-to-grow-at-a-rate-of-1-5-percent-a/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The burnt odor in Washington is from the disintegrating authority of the governing classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-burnt-odor-in-washington-is-from-the-disintegrating-authority-of/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [If one benefits tangibly from the exploitation of others who are weak, is one morally implicated in their predicament? Or are basic rights of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/if-one-benefits-tangibly-from-the-exploitation-of-others-who-are-weak/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The rich nations of the world are acting like ancient usurers, lending money to the desperate poor on terms that cannot possibly be met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-rich-nations-of-the-world-are-acting-like-ancient-usurers-lending/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [Maybe the reason some folks lag behind in our free enterprise system is because they depend too much on the free part and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/maybe-the-reason-some-folks-lag-behind-in-our-free-enterprise-system/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [If we have wealth, it will be protected from inflation and possibly even enhanced in value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/if-we-have-wealth-it-will-be-protected-from-inflation-and-possibly/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [A profound political question is suddenly on the table: Must the country continue to give precedence to private financial gain and market determinism over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/a-profound-political-question-is-suddenly-on-the-table-must-the/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The point is, the political reporters are the ones who no longer understand the ritual they are covering. They keep searching for political meanings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-point-is-the-political-reporters-are-the-ones-who-no-longer/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The trauma of 9/11 stimulated infinite possibilities for worry - some quite plausible, but most inspired by remote what-if fantasies. A society bingeing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-trauma-of-9-11-stimulated-infinite-possibilities-for-worry-some/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The economy is not governed with the bottom half in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-economy-is-not-governed-with-the-bottom-half-in-mind/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The ways in which people treat animals will be reflected in how people relate to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-ways-in-which-people-treat-animals-will-be-reflected-in-how/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [The quest for homeland security is heading ... toward the quasi-militarization of everyday life ... If danger might lurk anywhere, maybe everything must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-quest-for-homeland-security-is-heading-toward-the-quasi/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [Americans cannot teach democracy to the world until they restore their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/americans-cannot-teach-democracy-to-the-world-until-they-restore/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) [Explore all 48 William Greider quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/) [Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/) > [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/) [William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/) > [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/) [Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/) > [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [We must begin by acknowledging that there is a complete absence of two things in Indian Society. One of these is equality. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-that-there-is-a-complete-absence-of/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great multinationals are unwilling to face the moral and economic contradictions of their own behavior - producing in low-wage dictatorships and selling to high-wage democracies. Indeed, the striking quality about global enterprises is how easily free-market capitalism puts aside its supposed values in order to do business. The conditions of human freedom do not matter to them so long as the market demand is robust. The absence of freedom, if anything, lends order and efficiency to their operations.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Greider" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-to-face-the-moral-and-economic/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-to-face-the-moral-and-economic/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/william-greider-14089_absence_the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-t_2546521.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/william-greider-14089_absence_the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-t_2546521.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/william-greider-14089_absence_the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-t_2546521.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great multinationals are unwilling to face the moral and economic contradictions of their own behavior…” — William Greider", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Greider", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The great multinationals are unwilling to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-to-face-the-moral-and-economic/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/the-great-multinationals-are-unwilling-to-face-the-moral-and-economic/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```