1999

    There's huge coverage of the event the entire world has been waiting for: Dunloe's first press conference. The reports note that it is playing to the largest TV audience ever to see a press conference. It'll be seen in board rooms and living rooms around the world. Dunloe's spokesman will make no opening statement. This surprised the cynical press ready for the usual corpo-lingo. 

    The spokesman simply enters the room without ceremony and without notes, and takes on the questions. He seems a bit humble in manner and tone.

Q1. Just WHERE is your country? (Press laughter.)

A. Our boundaries surround our private properties. We are the sum total of our properties worldwide. (Sudden quiet.)

Q2. But everyone knows you're based in Ireland.

A. No. We do have facilities there, but we are located wherever we do business.

Q3. Just what is corporate fundamentalism?

A. It is based upon the rights of property and the principles of moral leadership. We believe that corporation owners have a natural right to control what occurs on their property. Corporations are private property and ought to be able to determine their destiny if they have moral leadership.

Q4. Aren't you just trying to evade taxes? (Snickers.)

A. We believe that we should not have to pay large sums to government corporations. We believe that the money should be spent on employee benefits, creating jobs, and research & development. This would be for the general well-being of our corporations and employees alike.

Q5. Who can stop you from polluting the environment?

A. We do not pollute the environment except in a few isolated cases on which we are working very hard to solve the problem. (Groans.) Many government-owned corporations are polluting at high levels.

Q6. Are there citizens of your...uh...country?

A. Our stockholders are our citizens. They have one vote per share.

Q7. Are your employees citizens?

A. Only those who have stocks.

Q8. Do your employees support you?

A. Yes.

Q9. How do you know they support you?

A. They show up at work.

Q10. What will prevent aggression against you from other countries?

A. We are private property, a concept recognized by nations around the world.

Q11. What sort of politics will you have?

A. In short, none. We will conduct our affairs as usual.

Q12. In other words, business as usual? (Laughter)

A. We believe that many people are tired of politics as usual. (Louder laughter)

Q13. How does the profit motive fit into your corporate fundamentalism?

A. We must survive to do anything at all. Therefore, we must make a profit. Therefore we must have control of our operations within the bounds of our private properties. Therefore, we must have the legal power that government corporations have.

Q14. Does that mean you'll do anything at all to make a profit?

A. No. That's where moral leadership comes in.

Q15. Where does the name Dunloe come from?

A. Daniel of Dunloe, an Irish business and political figure of the 1700's. You'll find information on him in your press kits.

Q16. What about Ayn Rand's philosophy of complete separation of state and corporation?

A. Well we have found it impossible to avoid state intervention. So we have decided to be a state.

Q17. Will you be a democracy?

A. There is no UN requirement as to which form of government a nation must have, only that it have moral leadership.

Q18. But will you be a democracy? Please answer the question.

A. Our decision-making processes are a private internal matter. Many of our decisions are made by vote. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, no further questions please.

Here's one reporter's notes.

"The private-property argument will get a good run. Governments have too often bullied their way into private property matters. And family matters. And business matters.

"Their "nonpolitics" will fly. The average person is fed up with politicians and taxes. The public will be happy to try something new, or at least something that appears to be new.

"The moral leadership soundbyte is brilliant. There are some despicable governments. Dunloe wouldn't be the worst.

"The whole natural rights claim is a philosophical problem, perfect for keeping academics debating it and doing nothing really constructive."

"Dunloe needs its employees' support in order to sway public opinion. Most of its employees probably are in line, anyway. Voters usually vote their wallets & pocketbooks.

"It is true that there is no UN rule requiring a nation to be democratic, but there is the practical politics of council votes, etc. The UN itself decides things by vote.

"They were straightforward in their answers. You might not agree with them but you like to think that's what they believe. Of course, "no comment on matters in litigation" is a convenient truth. But it is the truth. They are legally prevented from commenting on the matter. There's nothing like the truth when you need an excuse."

"It's not governments they have to fear, but other corporations with predator instincts."

In the days since the Declaration, what could stop Dunloe? Perhaps it would be possible to organize a boycott of its products. It would be ironic. The Irish were the first to use that word when they punished a certain Capt. Boycott by ostracizing him.

But a boycott would fail. The public would be confused by all of Dunloe's companies. They'd never be sure if a particular product were made by Dunloe or not. Its name is never on food labels. And then there is the tremendous media power it can muster. It would flood the world with TV ads claiming that a boycott would cost jobs.

In addition, the media are themselves corporations. Their support of a boycott could only be lukewarm. The one thing that scares them, however, is advertiser pullout. Some corporations might be willing to do so, but corporations are corporations.

The downfall of nations usually occurs from within. It is, as George Orwell said, a matter of the mental attitude of a nation's leaders. There are only four ways in which a ruling group can fall from power. Either it is conquered from without, or it governs so inefficiently that the masses are stirred to revolt, or it allows a strong and discontented Middle group to come into being, or it loses its own self-confidence and willingness to govern. These causes do not operate singly, and as a rule all four of them are present in some degree. A ruling class which could guard against all of them would remain in power permanently. Ultimately the determining factor is the mental attitude of the ruling class itself.

She must find and talk to the anonymous persons behind Dunloe. What factors have determined their mental attitude? Do they have what it takes to determine the path of history? And what has made them dare to try?

*

Sunday night, September 12. The No Name pub. Ger is waiting for Ian and "have a jar" with him.

As he looks around the No Name he is amused that such a small pub is so famous. There really is no sign out front. She notices the Irish Writers poster with its twelve pictures: Swift, Beckett, Yeats, Wilde, Shaw, O'Casey, Goldsmith, Synge, Behan, Kavanagh, O'Brien, and last but not least, Joyce. Ian is surprised at some. I didn't know Swift and Goldsmith were Irish. I thought they were British. Grace isn't sure this is through fault of her own. But that is another matter.

Under each writer's picture is a quote. He recognizes Joyce's. He had read it in Portrait while at college.

"You have asked me what I would do and what I would not do. I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it call itself my homeland, my fatherland, or my church; and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use--silence, exile, and cunning (1916)."

    His eyes move to Oscar Wilde.

"Yet each man kills the thing he loves,

By each let this be heard,

Some do it with a bitter look,

Some with a flattering word,

The coward does it with a kiss,

The brave man with a sword."

    Wilde's words lead his mind to the anonymous figures, including himself, behind Dunloe.

    Who are these Kerrymen? Will they kill the things they love? If they're killing anything, they're taking a long time to do it. They are in their second generation in business.

Their sons are seizing the destiny their fathers and mothers unwittingly prepared--'unwittingly' in a good sense of the word. They did not plan to become the largest in the world. Their success is the result of simple moral leadership, rock-hard business practicality, and chance.

    "Ger!"

"Hello. Sorry I'm late."

"Oh, that's alright. I've been enjoying the place. It takes a little getting used to hearing the TV and the music system at the same time," he laughs.

"Yes. What will you have?"

"A pint."

After a hearty laugh with owner Pat, Gerard returns with two pints of dark stout.

"Cheers. So, you want to know about Dunloe. Why?" asks Ian.

Gerard ponders the situation as he sips his stout. He is Ian's friend and will not divulge that he knows Ian personally. But he could speak generally. He has had some problems reconciling what Dunloe says in the press with what he knows to be true. To him it sounds like politics as usual.

Ger decides to break the silence. "Where are they from, originally?"

"Listowel. That's about 15 miles north of here."

"What sort of people are they?"

"They're farmers. North Kerry is farming country. Let's see. They're highly educated. The Listowel school system is just about the best there is."

"Oh?" as if to get him to continue.

"Well, let's see. They're a co-operative. You can buy shares in it."

"But they're not all equal owners, right? Only a few control the wealth, right?"

"Right," slowly.

Ger senses that Ian's a bit uncomfortable from the way he answered. He diverges a little. "What is their education like."

"They learn Irish, Latin, and English right from the start. They must understand them in Irish. They learn maths in Irish."

"What's Listowel like?"

"Many great writers have come from there: John B. Keane, Bryan McMahon, and the like. Everyone in town is a bit o'poet or writer. It's a writers' centre. They run international literary competitions and hold workshops. You should go there."

"I certainly will. It sounds like a literary hot spot."

Grace decides to ask a big favor. A little nervousness flavors her next question. "Could you introduce me to any of the persons behind Dunloe?"

"Dunloe Group are very private. I don't know them personally."

They finish their jars of Goodness Stout.

"I have to go now," says Ian. "Ring me in a few days."

"Fine."

As Ian leaves, owner Pat says goodbye as he does to nearly everyone he sees leave the No Name. Ian heads north along winding Matt Talbot Way (named after the patron saint of addicts) and on to Caherslee.

Ger looks around. To her right, at the window end of the long cushioned seat, a writer is busy at work. He's overweight, with glasses and gray hair. He looks American. Ger wonders what he's writing about. Ger says goobye to Pat. "Slan," he replies pleasantly.