Can a company purchase a nation?

[Nena Trinity]

Lets take Samsung as a example, could they buy Korea if they wanted to? O3O

[straight_stewie]

1 minute ago, Nena360 said:

Lets take Samsung as a example, could they buy Korea if they wanted to? O3O

I assume it depends on the nation, the laws, and the corruption of the people in power. In America, business frequently own most or all of different areas (the history of private power plants and how they get to service which areas they service is quite interesting and applicable here).

[Volbet]

A pretty intersting question.

The short answer is "no".

The long answer:

 

Purchasing a country would create all sorts of legal problems both internally and externally.

Firstly, a country doesn't form a singular legal entity and as such can't be bought or sold. Countries (or rather the state) exists merely as an authoritative construct, an authority which can't be bought via traditional means.

A country where the state manages to sell the country could easily end up as a failed state.

 

Secondly, even if a country could be bought there would be the problem of international recognition. If Samsung was able to buy South Korea, then it's not a certain that the UN would recognize Samsung's board of directors as the legitimate government of South Korea.

[Nena Trinity]

1 minute ago, Volbet said:

A pretty intersting question.

The short answer is "no".

The long answer:

 

Purchasing a country would create all sorts of legal problems both internally and externally.

Firstly, a country doesn't form a singular legal entity and as such can't be bought or sold. Countries (or rather the state) exists merely as an authoritative figure, an authority which can't be bought via traditional means.

 

Secondly, even if a country could be bought there would be the problem of international recognition. If Samsung was able to buy South Korea, then it's not a certain that the UN would recognize Samsung's board of directors as the legitimate government of South Korea.

Hmm yeah but if they were to buy North Korea from Un then they would be okay with it most likely right?

[Volbet]

5 minutes ago, Nena360 said:

Hmm yeah but if they were to buy North Korea from Un then they would be okay with it most likely right?

The UN doesn't hold the authority to sell North Korea. The UN isn't capable of turning a country into a corporatocracy (at least not directly).

[Nena Trinity]

5 minutes ago, Volbet said:

The UN doesn't hold the authority to sell North Korea. The UN isn't capable of turning a country into a corporatocracy (at least not directly).

Not the UN but the Kim Jong Un! O3O

[Volbet]

22 hours ago, Nena360 said:

Not the UN but the Kim Jong Un! O3O

Oh, my bad.

 

Even if North Korea was to be sold to a corporation and that corporation was to be internationally recognized as the legitimate ruling body, the there would still be the problem of the internal subjugation.

There's no telling if the people of North Korea would chose to be subjects in a corporatocracy.

And what would be the point of the state if the people didn't recognize its authority?

 

Actually, the question would be more intersting if instead of purchasing a country, the corporation would would conquer the country via a private military.

That way they could hold authority via brute force rather than by right of purchase.

 

 

[Nena Trinity]

8 minutes ago, Volbet said:

Oh, my bad.

 

Even if North Korea wad to be sold to a corporation and that corporation was to be internationally recognized as the legitimate ruling body, the there would still be the problem of the internal subjugation.

There's no telling if the people of North Korea would chose to be subjects in a corporatocracy.

And what would be the point of the state if the people didn't recognize its authority?

 

Actually, the question would be more intersting if instead of purchasing a country, the corporation would would conquer the country via a private military.

That way they could hold authority via brute force rather than by right of purchase.

 

 

Samsung has enough money and weapons to actually do it tough...

[Drak3]

So then, basically the US.

[Andreas Lilja]

Samsugn already owns the country, look up the chaebols. 

[AresKrieger]

Well a company can be a nation but I'm not sure if they could legally purchase a nation, and by legally I simply mean in a manner other countries would accept as what makes a nation legally a nation is other nations saying its a nation, now as for my first point Vatican city is in essence a company nation but their business is catholicism hence the in essence part.

[Volbet]

11 minutes ago, Nena360 said:

Samsung has enough money and weapons to actually do it tough...

I guess so.

Although, Samsung would probably run into problems of having their assets frozen around the world as retaliation. And I doubt tax revenue in North Korea is enough to compensate for that.

 

Actually, considering this I came to think of United Fruit and their dealings in South - and Latin America.

United Fruit basically managed to replace governmental structures in many places and have sponsored a couple of civil wars through the years.

They are probably the closest thing we have today of a company approaching the status a country.

 

[Arika]

Yes. Look at the US. they can't buy the country, but they can buy the people that run the country, therefore technically they own the country

[Crunchy Dragon]

18 minutes ago, Nena360 said:

weapons

What, the Galaxy Note 7 Rev 1.0?

[Nena Trinity]

12 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

What, the Galaxy Note 7 Rev 1.0?

Samsung have a private military and makes many weapons for the Korean army... O3O

[food158]

21 hours ago, Sierra Fox said:

Yes. Look at the US. they can't buy the country, but they can buy the people that run the country, therefore technically they own the country

The correct answer is lobbying. You win 1 million dollars.

[johnukguy]

Well corporations do now run the US and pay most of the politicians, so yes.

[Foxxer]

Buying countries no, controlling countries yes.

 

[Mug]

The point of a public company is to make money and buying a country seems like too much micromanagement and risk. It'd also be incredibly unpopular because of the need to make money off the people's backs. Samsung as a company would be ruined.

 

I suppose it'd become like the early Soviet Union where the Politburo (or in this case the board of directors) holds the power. Whilst this worked and Russia industrialised almost to the level of other western countries with the three five year plans, it required a serious level of sacrifice. 

 

Also consider that countries are essentially large-scale social enterprises anyway. 

[Dissitesuxba11s]

Or the company can just make an island with blackjack and...sorry, or buy an island and secede. If Sealand was possible, then there is a chance. 

 

Does Texas still want to be it's own nation?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Dissitesuxba11s said:

. 

 

Does Texas still want to be it's own nation?

Texas says it wants to be its own nation. We don’t really know...

 

also people own islands in the Atlantic. Jonny depp owns one. 

[Eduard the weeb]

I doubt it because then every citizen would have to leave and the company would have to pay the citizens to work not sepreate companoies, and other weird shit like buy the government, all of its assets, every building, etc so they would have to supperrrr rich and have a lot of dedication

[Volbet]

3 hours ago, Dissitesuxba11s said:

Or the company can just make an island with blackjack and...sorry, or buy an island and secede. If Sealand was possible, then there is a chance. 

 

Does Texas still want to be it's own nation?

Artificial islands can't be recognized as independent countries.

Sealand have tried, but they're still not an actual country.

[Guest]

On 12/24/2017 at 5:30 PM, Nena360 said:

Lets take Samsung as a example, could they buy Korea if they wanted to? O3O

I'll argue that they already own our country i mean what happens when all politicians need money to run? Most are paid by companies or lobbyist that are funded by companies safe to say they already own countries in their own way. 

 

Look at America for example getting rid of Net neutrality has nothing to gain for us average civilians and it means everything for ISP's guess who the government sides with just take a look at who finances them. 

[asus killer]

i don't see how this could happen. Exactly who's the seller? and would they buy Hyundai too? they are a part of Korea. 

so no i don't think a corporation can buy a whole country

They can lobby the shit out of corrupt/infective governments, cheaper and more effective. happens all over the world.