Re: No Googling quiz

[Tom Walker <timework@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ian wrote,

>No. Enron hearings iirc.

That's two out of three. For the (partial) answer to number three, I'll
defer to NYT columnist, Thomas Friedman's possibly hyperbolic reference:

"There are two superpowers in the world today in my opinion. There’s the
United States and there’s Moody’s Bond Rating Service. The United States can
destroy you by dropping bombs, and Moody’s can destroy you by downgrading
your bonds. And believe me, it’s not clear sometimes who’s more powerful."

For extra credit now (an open-ended question): what are activist
groups/scholars/journalists doing to comprehend and contest the "superpower"
influence of these private companies with government-conferred power?

(Hint: 1. the answer is not "nothing" and 2. I don't know the answer. That's
why I'm asking.)

Original questions:

> "They are private companies, but the enormous scope of their influence
comes
> largely as a result of their government-conferred power."
>
> 1. Who said it?
> 2. What was the circumstances?
> 3. Which private companies was s/he referring to?

Tom Walker
604 255 4812