> On May 8, 1:22 am, Immortalist yahoo.com> wrote:
>

>> Isn't the corporate world of influences really a "distributed
>> despotism" where we might be free to choose but it is like a multiple
>> choice question where many of the answers don't cover many of the
>> possibilities?

>
> I've actually thought of it terms of a similar metaphor. But it's not
> only a "corporate world of influences". It is the "established wisdom"
> in general on almost any subject - and it is actually that "wisdom"
> which influences corporate thinking as much as anything else.
>
> In terms of *fundamental* ideas, the universities - and intellectuals
> in general - are much more influential than the corporations. They may
> not think they are - but think they should - and in fact they do.
>
> In any culture in any given time there will be "multiple choice
> questions" within a certain limited range. Radical ideas only appeal
> to a small minority. But some of those ideas, with concerted effort
> and great determination (often taking years, even decades), eventually
> come to the fore, even prevail. In a free society, neither
> corporations or any other institution can stop them.
>
> "All the armies of the world cannot stop an idea when its time has
> come" -
> Victor Hugo
>
> Fred Weiss