Are Transnational Corporations a Benign or Malign Force in the Contemporary World?

Are transnational corporations a benign or malign force in the contemporary world?
Today we live in a world no longer contained by the nation-state; business, tourism, information, diseases, pollution, ideas are all constantly flooding across national borders. Transnational corporations (TNC's) operate in many countries at once, contributing in no small way to the process of economic, political, social and cultural globalisation that is taking place.
The international flow of people, information and products is nothing new. The ancient silk route, which ran between China and imperial Rome, was first established in around 100BC. The route stretching over 6000km carried silk, and later porcelain, from east to west, in exchange came gold, silver and natural rarities unobtainable in China. Powerful transnational organisations such as the Vatican, whose influence extended across much of Europe, have been around for thousands of years. However the extent to which international trade now occurs is on an unprecedented scale, both in size and effect.
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