For 2008 Exxon reported earnings of 45.2 billion dollars. That is more than the Gross National Product of 60% of the nations on earth. They have the financial resources to actually purchase small countries. BP reported profits of 20 billion, General Electric 17 billion, Wal-Mart, 13 billion, etc
The power these huge corporations have is unimaginable. They are able to buy off legislators, regulators, and completers. If air pollutions laws are a problem in US, they can build their plant in Mexico. For cheap labor, there is India and Bangladesh where there are little or no worker safety or child labor laws to worry about. If we enact legislation that limits derivative trading, the big banks just move there trading operation abroad. I dont know the solution but if we dont come up with something, what little control voters have over their government is going to disappear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Exxon Mobil Reports Record $45.2 Billion Profit For 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Exxon Mobil Reports Record $45.2 Billion Profit For 2008