Bush foreign policy 'creates risks for US companies'

[ze_dscherman]

US multinational companies are "acutely worried" about the business consequences of Bush administration foreign policy, according to a new report from Control Risks, a UK-based international security consultancy.


"The consequences of Bush's foreign policy have created new risks - and exacerbated existing risks - for US companies around the world," the report says. The company's RiskMap 2004 report describes US foreign policy as "the most important single factor driving the development of global risk".

It says many in the private sector "believe that US unilateralism is creating a security paradox: by using US power unilaterally and aggressively in pursuit of global stability, the Bush administration is in fact creating precisely the opposite effect."

It says that for companies such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola, dealing with anti-American sentiment is not new. "However, US companies that never previously worried about the connotations of their national origin are acutely worried about a new wave of popular resentment in other parts of the world against US policies," it says. Long-standing boycotts of US products in the Middle East and parts of south-east Asia had been reinvigorated, a point emphasised by the rapid success of brands such as Mecca-Cola and Qibla Cola.


More: http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1066565780240&p=1012571727102

[whirlygigspin]

1. haha

[Aidoneus]

2. well, that'll be the end of him then

that's where the real power lies.

Whichever Democrat that can successfully posture himself as being able to better serve the interests of Corporate America will probably pull it off. In this case some radical, but wholly cosmetic, alterations of national image while still maintaining the same policies will be necessary, they may even let a "liberal" win it.

[EdGy]

3. power: This is sadly our big hope

Aidoneus is right. Unfortunately, the best hope is that the corporate powers see that Bush is a disaster for their bottom lines and then turn on him.

That would be good, it would fracture what has been the alliance in the Republican party between corporate interests and the extreme right wingers, "christian" fundies, authoritarian crazies like Ashcroft.

The bad thing is that such a move would probably strengthen DLC type pressures regardless of who the nominee is...

[ze_dscherman]

4. Connect this to the Soros story

As discussed here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=211930