Top Ten Corporate bad guys

I have compiled this list to highlight the corruption and scandals in the corporate world. This is NOT an official top ten... nor is it a comprehensive list...

This is simply my own personal list of bad guys... Feel free to add any that you feel need highlighting...

10) Walmart

Apart from the famous “Barbie doll” scandal this retail giant has been involved in a Child labor scandal on its suppliers farms (its said that Walmart was aware of this but chose to ignore it due to the financial rewards) and the dumping of hazardous waste throughout California.

Walmart ended up paying $27.6 million to settle a lawsuit for the dumping of these waste by-products that included Acid, aerosols, chemicals, fertilizer, motor oil, paint and pesticides.

www.politicalscandalnews.com...
www.independent.ie...

9) Warner-Lambert Co

After discovering a drug that could help diabetes, Warner-Lambert Co could not wait to tell the public. However, Warner-Lambert Co were not as quick to inform the puplic when they discovered that one of the side effects of the drug was liver damage.
Approved by the FDA the drug is estimated to have made Warner-Lambert Co a tidy profit of $2.1 billion until it was finally removed from the shelves due to the many deaths caused by the drug.

www.infectioncontroltoday.com...
www.bmj.com...

8) GlaxoSmithKline

The pharmaceutical giant was at the center of an investigation by the Observer Newspaper discovered that babies as young as three months old had been used as guinea pigs in medical experiments using Anti HIV drugs. These experiments took place at a New York Care home for orphans that specialised in treating HIV sufferers...

According to documents obtained by The Observer, Glaxo has sponsored at least four medical trials since 1995 using Hispanic and black children at Incarnation. The documents give details of all clinical trials in the US and reveal the experiments sponsored by Glaxo were designed to test the 'safety and tolerance' of Aids medications, some of which have potentially dangerous side effects. Glaxo manufactures a number of drugs designed to treat HIV, including AZT.

www.guardian.co.uk...

7) Shell

Since drilling begun in Nigeria (1958) there has been issues. From the constant leaks onto agricultural land to human rights violations, Shell is responsible for a whole plethora of Environmental and corruption issues.

And when Shell has decided to “clean up” its spills, its techniques have been questionable at best. Burning the crude is one of Shells favorites, due to the low cost, however, burning leaves a thick crust of oil meters deep and renders the land unusable. Another technique, used by Shell, is to dig holes around the spill and then scoop the oil into these holes... unfortunately, once the rain comes, the oil spills over onto the land.

The people of Ogoniland have not had any benefits from the drilling that goes on in their land... No clean water, no jobs for displaced farmers, poor health care and environmental catastrophe.

In 1995 Nine Environmental activists were hanged by the Nigerian Government for speaking out against shell.

www.business-humanrights.org...

www.essentialaction.org...

6) Nestle

During the late 70’s and early 80’s Nestle used fake nurses to give out free powdered baby milk to new mothers and assured the mothers that it would be cheap and was better for their babies... However, It was arranged so that the free samples would last just long enough for the mothers breast milk to dry up. After this, the mothers would have to purchase the milk (at a higher price than what was promised)
Unfortunately, due to the Mothers being poor, they often couldn’t afford it and so would severely water down the formula by diluting it. This resulted in babies suffering from malnutrition.

Nestle, still to this day, aggressively promotes formula baby milk breaking WHO code of marketing!

www.babymilkaction.org...
www.breastfeeding.com...

5) Sanlu Group

Once again babies are the victims as this Chinese owned company decided to give the appearance of a higher protein content of its baby milk by adding the chemical melamine to its formula milk.
In November 2008 the Chinese government reported that there was 300,00 victims, Six of them fatalities!
Most of the victims were diagnosed with kidney problems as a result of this.

news.bbc.co.uk...

4) Bayer

German pharmaceutical company that gave us Aspirin.
Apart from manufacturing Zyklon B and using slave labor in its factory’s during WW2 this company is also accused of...

contaminating American rice crop with unapproved genetically engineered Bayer CropScience rice

financing the civil war in Democratic Republic of Congo

causing the death of thousands of hemophiliacs by giving them products infected with HIV

Causing the death of 31 people in the USA with its anti-cholesterol drug, Baycol

killing 24 children in the remote Andean village of Tauccamarca, Peru with its powdered milk substitute that had been contaminated with methyl parathion.

www.cbsnews.com...
www.cbsnews.com...

3) BP

Responsible for the worst oil spill in history after an explosion on one of its rigs and subsequent sinking of rig. 11 Men died in the initial accident and over 20 million gallons of oil so far has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico affecting the lives of millions and causing an unprecedented environmental disaster. I think we are all aware of this so no need to go into full details.

news.bbc.co.uk...

2) Union Carbide Corporation

Responsible for one of the biggest industrial accidents ever. In 1984 the Bhopal chemical plant, owned by Union Carbide, released vast amounts of poisonous gas into the atmosphere... The gas killed thousands of people, on that night, and is reported to be responsible for up to 25,000 deaths in total with a possible 200,000 people suffering severe health issues as a direct result of the incident.

Cost cutting and neglect has been blamed for this tragedy. The Union Carbide Executives have all escape unscathed and have refused to obey a summons of the Indian court to answer to charges of culpable homicide.

www.bhopal.org...
news.bbc.co.uk...

1) The Tobacco industry

*I realise that the Tobacco industry is not a Corporation... However, I believe ALL of the Tobacco companies are as guilty as each other i decided to simply cover them all*

For years all of the companies associated with the Tobacco industry worked hard to cover up and play down the risks of smoking. The level of corruption involved in this was huge and included the involvement of politicians and medical professions.

Millions have died as a result of this industry which has generated billions for the companies involved.

www.usatoday.com...
news.bbc.co.uk...


[edit on 8-6-2010 by Muckster]

I couldn't disagree with anything you have noted. I would think that corporate greed and cold-hearted approach to maximizing profit is pretty universal today.

Not to disrupt your thread this early, but I wonder if anyone could suggest a large multi-national company that actually is free of guilt? I think that would be a hard assignment. They are pretty few and far between; if they exist at all.

This is a song that goes back a bit, I heard this when I was about 13, it made a big impact on me.

It might be a bit "noisy" for some.

Add Elsevier, the technical and scientific publisher...

-created fake peer reviewed journals for Merck marketing in Australia, only came to public light after a court lawsuit revealed this, otherwise.....

Originally posted by wayno
Not to disrupt your thread this early, but I wonder if anyone could suggest a large multi-national company that actually is free of guilt? I think that would be a hard assignment. They are pretty few and far between; if they exist at all.

Well the Augustiner Brewery in munich may be a good example for a company that is neither greedy nor evil. First of all: They don't advertise their products (only on their own website, but for example no TV Ads, no Posters, nothing) and they think about the customer first. For example in 2003 we had a pretty big summer, most brewery degraded the quality of their beer (put water in it) so they could sell more. Augustiner was the only Brewery who don't did it, even though they could've made a #load of money, but they didn't wanted to degrade their quality and in Germany they're one of the last company to use real Hop. Besides they're a Foundation so they spend all their profits for good causes, which i think is great
(Besides, they make the best beer in the world )

But i agree that most companies have their skeletons in the closet. Microsoft would be a good example for a two-faced company. On one side, Bill Gates spends billions upon billions of dollars for good causes, but Microsoft destroys smaller companies, has sweatshops in China and so on.

Here's a thought: Aren't the customer responsible for all those evil things? They're the one who cry for lower prices, they're the one who don't care about good quality, they're the one who give those bad companies the money.
For example: Why not go to your local restaurant or cook at home (and you should buy the food at local shops, not wallmart or any other supermarket) instead of going to McDonald's?
I do that, i hate Fast Food, i hate Supermarkets, i buy everything fresh from small shops, be it a backery, a butcher and so on. I rather support them than eat the crap they sell in those big supermarket chains.

Your list appears sound, except for number 1 which I disagree with.

May I offer Monsanto in place of the tobacco Industry?

reply to post by ShadowAngel85


That’s great about Augustiner Brewery... I will look out for their Beers

Mmmm Beer...

Here's a thought: Aren't the customer responsible for all those evil things? They're the one who cry for lower prices, they're the one who don't care about good quality, they're the one who give those bad companies the money.
For example: Why not go to your local restaurant or cook at home (and you should buy the food at local shops, not wallmart or any other supermarket) instead of going to McDonald's?
I do that, i hate Fast Food, i hate Supermarkets, i buy everything fresh from small shops, be it a backery, a butcher and so on. I rather support them than eat the crap they sell in those big supermarket chains.

I agree and disagree with this hehe

Although people do have a responsibility to shop ethically... the corporate world has spent billions on looking at human psychology... they know just how to manipulate the masses and how to spin story’s, cover up incidents and appeal to our instincts. Sure, for people like me and you, their tactics have not worked... unfortunately though, it does seem to have worked on the wider population.

I think of it like those hypnosis shows that used to be all the rage... you know the type... the ones that would have a member of the audience running around on stage thinking he is a chicken . It has been said that before these shows the audience would be asked to fill in a brief questionnaire that is designed to discover just how susceptible to suggestion someone is. This is because not everybody can be hypnotised due to his or her strong will power.
It’s the same with advertisements... there are certain adverts that i have disliked so passionately that i refuse to use the product LOL
However, the advert must work on the masses otherwise, they wouldn’t use it would they!

In addition, the difference between the average consumer and the corporate executives is that for the consumer they are simply going on a collection of claims, counter claims and rumours... For the Corporate bosses... they KNOW exactly what is going on and actually encourage exploitation and cover ups.

Well, that’s what i think anyway...

I'm with Deltalphanovember, Monsanto absolutely has a place on this list! Great list however Muckster.

Who was the maker of Vioxx?
My doctor gave it to me (free samples) but I never took them and I'm damn glad I followed my instincts!

Originally posted by Muckster
Although people do have a responsibility to shop ethically... the corporate world has spent billions on looking at human psychology... they know just how to manipulate the masses and how to spin story’s, cover up incidents and appeal to our instincts. Sure, for people like me and you, their tactics have not worked... unfortunately though, it does seem to have worked on the wider population.

Interesting thought, but is it really possible? I mean, if i hear bad things about a company i sure wouldn't support them...
I believe that the hypnosis thing could be true, i believe they use subliminal messages and all kind of crap in their advertisements. Otherwise it wouldn't be possible that crap products are selling so good and of course their must be a reason behind why certain items are always called by company names. Like when you say Cola, most people think Coca Cola or headache pills are always called Aspirin (even though Aspirin doesn't work, is expensive and sucks)

Well, of course sometimes you have no chance but to buy from the evil companies, because they're no other chance. Like for example i know how bad Bacardi is, but they have the import rights for Jack Daniel's in Germany, so with ever bottle i buy i basically give also money to Bacardi, which makes me sick. But what else can i do? And no, i won't stop drinking Jack

reply to post by deltaalphanovember


Thanks deltaalphanovember... i wasn’t aware of Monsanto... i shall definitely look into them...


Asktheanimals

Who was the maker of Vioxx?
My doctor gave it to me (free samples) but I never took them and I'm damn glad I followed my instincts!

Merck & Co. Inc

www.merck.com...

I too am glad you followed your instincts... Instincts are great... My old doctor once prescribed me penicillin even though i had informed him that i was allergic to penicillin... The worst part is that when i told him of my allergy he waved his hand dismissively and said "yes, yes, i can read your notes"

I only found out because my instincts told me to double check with the pharmacist!

What a moron!!

Thank you, this video is a good start:

Monsanto

I found out something new about them - Donald Rumsfeld was a CEO of a company called Searle - remember Aspartame?

"When Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of Searle, that conglomerate manufactured aspartame. For 16 years the FDA refused to approve it, not only because its not safe but because they wanted the company indicted for fraud. Both U.S. Prosecutors hired on with the defense team and the statute of limitations expired. They were Sam Skinner and William Conlon. Skinner went on to become Secretary of Transportation squelching the cries of the pilots who were now having seizures on this seizure triggering drug, aspartame, and then Chief of Staff under President Bush's father. Some of these people reach high places. Even Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas is a former Monsanto attorney. (Monsanto bought Searle in 1985, and sold it a few years ago). When Ashcroft became Attorney General, Thompson from King and Spalding Attorneys (another former Monsanto attorney) became deputy under Ashcroft. (Attorneys for NutraSweet and Coke).

Link

Bank of America tops the most hated bank list.

Corporations are "straw men". Follow the money to the real owners & post their pics, then you have something.

reply to post by zzombie

Corporations are "straw men". Follow the money to the real owners & post their pics, then you have something.

Please... don’t let me stop you

Seriously... if you know the individuals who made un-ethical decisions then post away

Name and shame...

I know a few, like...

Warren Anderson the CEO who was head of Union Carbide during the Bhopal disaster... He is still wanted by the Indian courts.


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f1644ad611ee.jpg[/atsimg]

Are we forgetting IBM?

www.ibmandtheholocaust.com...

I think google should be up there. They may seem like the peoples champ, standing up to Chinese censorship, but the fact remains that google is a intrusive and dangerous company.

They control our main source of information. If we want to access information on the internet and don't have a website address to look under, we go to search engines like google to help us find what we are looking for. Google however, owns the monopoly, just as walmart owns the retail monopoly.

It is also know that according to google protocol, anything you type into the google search is saved and archived for 6 months, before it is eligible to be removed. Anything you have ever typed, any page you have ever accessed, google knows. There are no secrets google doesn't know about you. They know your name, they know your address, they know your favorite color, they know your favorite food. A corporation should not be aloud to have such sensitive information.

But I totally agree with the 10 you already have up there. Perhaps you should change the thread to top 11 corporate bad guys.

What about Halliburton ?