You remember when the xenophobes went ape shit over the Dubai Ports World controversy? Well, maybe they should look into this a little deeper.

It also allows for foreign state-owned corporate political power.

Browsing the list of the Fortune 500, you have to notice that many of these companies that do business with America have no allegiance to the American people.

http://money.cnn.com/...

Sony Corporation is Japanese-based and would love to have a say in federal and state electronic energy efficiency regulations.

The United Kingdom's GlaxoSmithKline and Germany's Bayer Corporation would like to ease up on those US FDA guidelines.

There was that British Petroleum deal with Libya for the Lockerbie bomber not too long ago. But hey, it is a corporation - only human, right?

UK's Aegis Defence Services would also like a seat at the Pentagon to plan the next series of wars. Maybe something in Nigeria will do, or better yet, Yemen. We don't want to upset South Africa's De Beers diamond company or Royal Dutch Shell's oil interests in the region.

That's right for all the tea-bagging you cried about when screaming, "Freedom!" you neglected to see that knife coming from behind.

UPDATE - The specter of corporatocracy is very real. It has always been with us and has gone by another name in the past - Fascism.

A small example of what may come, but in larger proportions, is the Walt Disney Company. The corporation has a large degree of governmental powers in the Orlando area known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Within the district, the corporation has the legal authority to establish its own building codes, power plants and utilities, fire departments, and to seize land outside the district under eminent domain.

The corporation protects itself from outside interference by permitting only its employees to own land within the district, keeping voting power to elect district managers (Disney executives) within company control, and thereby preventing restriction on company actions and projects within the district. Basically, a private nation.

And from the comments...