Posted on: July 13, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

Black Money surrounds the funds that are provided between transnational firms and state officials, and goes even further out to the leverage that states have vis-à-vis one another when the interest of transnational corporations are at stake. Examples are shown here where a major company has provides creature comforts or other luxuries to members of state, in the hope that the person in question will be able to turn state policy in a way favorable to the company.

The chain does not stop at this level; those tapped by transnational firms can change state policy to put further pressure on other states, in the hope that Black Money goes much more into depth and detail than any smaller piece on the nightly news or miniature expose; it is this amount of depth that really provides the information that will teach individuals the severity of this transnational bribery and how difficult it will ultimately be to stamp out individuals that partake in it. I would love to see a follow-up special conducted 10 or 25 years after this one, just to see exactly how the process has changed in the meanwhile. As it is, anyone that wishes to know about this phenomenon would do well to purchase a copy of this documentary.

Beyond the description of Black Money, what Frontline has done here is show exactly how interconnected the highest reaches of government and commerce are. With each example that is shown during this documentary, it seems that no international company would willingly exempt itself from this illicit economy, lest other firms be the ones that would benefit from favorable decisions and legislation. It shows how bankrupt the system is; while all may be guilty, there would be considerable negative consequences for anyone that did not play.

Rating: 8.8/10

Frontline: Black Money (DVD) / 2009 PBS / 60 Minutes / http://www.pbs.org

Leave a Comment