The Corporation

The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film critical of the modern day corporation, considering it as a class of person (as in US law it is understood to be) and evaluating its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychologist might evaluate an ordinary person. This is explored through specific examples. The film was written by Joel Bakan and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott.

Related Topics:
2003 - Canadian - Documentary film - Corporation - Joel Bakan - Mark Achbar - Jennifer Abbott

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It charts the development of the corporation as a legal entity from its genesis to unprecedented legal protection stemming from creative interpretation of the 14th amendment, that is from its origins as an institution chartered by governments to carry out specific public functions, to the rise of the vast modern institutions entitled to the legal rights of a "person." One central theme of the documentary is an attempt to assess the "personality" of the corporate "person" by using diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV; Robert Hare, a University of British Columbia Psychology Professor and FBI consultant, compares the modern, profit-driven corporation to that of a clinically diagnosed psychopath.

Related Topics:
14th amendment - DSM-IV - University of British Columbia - Psychopath

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Other topics addressed include Smedley Butler and the 1933 attempted coup against Franklin Roosevelt, the tragedy of the commons, economic externalities, suppression of an investigative news story about Bovine Growth Hormone on a FOX News affiliate television station, and the Cochabamba protests of 2000 brought on by the privatization of Bolivia's municipal water supply by the Bechtel Corporation.

Related Topics:
Smedley Butler - 1933 - Franklin Roosevelt - Tragedy of the commons - Externalities - Bovine Growth Hormone - FOX News - Cochabamba protests of 2000 - Privatization - Bolivia - Water supply - Bechtel Corporation

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The film also features interviews with prominent left-wing voices such as Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Michael Moore and Howard Zinn as well as opinions from company CEOs such as Ray Anderson, the right-leaning viewpoints of Peter Drucker and Milton Friedman, and right-leaning think tanks such as the Fraser Institute. Interviews also feature Dr. Samuel Epstein with his involvement in the case against Monsanto using a harmful chemical called Posilac to induce more milk production in dairy cattle.

Related Topics:
Noam Chomsky - Naomi Klein - Michael Moore - Howard Zinn - CEO - Ray Anderson - Peter Drucker - Milton Friedman - Think tank - Fraser Institute - Samuel Epstein - Monsanto - Posilac - Dairy cattle

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The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power is also the title of a book (ISBN 0743247442) written by Bakan during the filming of the documentary.

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The documentary has been displayed worldwide, on TV (in 3 parts) and also available in DVD.

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