The Dominance of Multinational Corporations: Who Really Wins?

The days when we met most of our needs through our own production and the rest from local grocery stores, markets, and bazaars are long gone. Now, we obtain everything—including products we are not even sure we need—through chain supermarkets or by placing orders from our smartphones. Our “needs,” the ways we fulfill them, and our spending habits have completely changed. While this transformation, which deeply impacts our social, political, economic, and even cultural lives, may initially seem to make life easier and increase our options and prosperity, the reality is far from that.

Households that were once self-sufficient and small-scale producers are losing their strength day by day, becoming increasingly dependent. With globalization, the competition of economies of scale, and the rapid advancement of digitalization, a handful of individuals who own multinational corporations continue to expand both their capital and influence. When we scratch beneath the surface of the system’s “life-enhancing” image—carefully crafted by the advertising industry—it becomes much clearer who benefits and who is left behind. At both local and national levels, producers are losing ground against multinational corporations; they either shrink, merge into these giant structures, or disappear from the market entirely.

Financial technologies and online commerce, designed to create new needs and further boost consumption, impose often unnoticed costs on end consumers. The so-called free market, presented as the only path to human prosperity, is becoming increasingly unfair. This injustice does not remain confined to economics alone; it seeps into society, politics, and culture as well.

The system known as the free market is, in reality, a mechanism that allows multinational corporations to leverage economies of scale, produce at low costs and high volumes, control market prices, and suppress or eliminate competitors.

One of the most striking examples of this took place in the United States. Walmart, the country’s—and perhaps the world’s—largest retail chain, was able to sell products at much lower prices than local markets thanks to its agreements with major suppliers, leading to the closure of countless small grocery stores and markets. Similarly, the globally renowned e-commerce giant Amazon, which started by selling books, rapidly expanded into all industries, causing widespread bankruptcies and destruction across various sectors. Today, similar processes have either already unfolded or are currently taking place in many countries, including Turkey.

In Turkey, we personally experience the impact of large retail chains—commonly referred to as “three-letter stores” by the public—on small businesses in our daily lives. In the 1990s, it was estimated that there were over 200,000 neighborhood grocery stores in the country. Today, that number has dropped below 30,000. It is not difficult to predict the effects of such an economic transformation on local economies, employment, and household incomes.

Unfortunately, a similar trend has occurred—and continues to occur—in the agricultural sector. Global food giants like Nestlé, Monsanto, and Coca-Cola, with their advantages in capital, production capacity, and logistics, are rapidly pushing small farmers and food producers out of the industry. Small-scale producers who once sustained themselves are now struggling to survive due to rising costs and unfavorable market conditions. This is particularly evident in Turkey’s livestock sector, where, over time, production shifts into the hands of larger corporations. This situation poses serious risks in terms of food security, employment, and the self-sufficiency of rural populations.

As consumers, we are often unaware of what is happening behind the scenes. For example, the rapid growth of e-commerce might seem to offer us endless choices and lower prices. However, every new system introduces hidden costs that are not immediately apparent.

At the global level, platforms like Amazon and Alibaba, and at the national level, various other e-commerce platforms, shape consumer behavior through advertising and promotional campaigns. As a result, consumers remain unaware of the hidden costs embedded in digital payment systems, additional taxes, and shipping and logistics fees. Furthermore, the harsh working conditions imposed on employees due to high competition rarely make it to the public discussion.

A far greater danger lies in the gradual disappearance of small businesses and local stores. As e-commerce platforms dominate various sectors, they will inevitably exploit their monopolistic power by increasing service costs. Initially, these platforms enter the market with competitive prices, driving out small businesses. However, once they achieve market dominance, they start charging for each service separately, eventually making their offerings even more expensive than those of the local businesses they replaced.

Multinational corporations and digital platforms do not only affect small producers and consumers. The economic atmosphere they create influences all aspects of social life. One of the most visible impacts is on cultural production sectors such as cinema, music, literature, and publishing.

Moreover, the influence of these corporate giants extends beyond economics to politics. Their impact starts with trade policies, taxes, and subsidies but reaches as far as freedom of expression, elections, and even government transitions. As mentioned in previous discussions, the global political influence that American entrepreneur Elon Musk has tried to exert through his digital platform is a perfect example of this phenomenon. When capital, production capacity, and technology are combined, an unstoppable, unrestricted, and unregulated power emerges. Given today’s conditions, where most nation-states have become economically dependent and have either lost or significantly weakened their self-sufficiency, it seems unlikely that they can effectively resist such a force.

When we recall how tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and X have fought against European Union regulations and how they have used their vast data pools in U.S. elections, the gravity of the situation becomes even clearer.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that global capital and multinational corporations are reshaping nation-states and societies. Moreover, this transformation does not only affect developing or economically weaker nations; even highly developed countries like the U.S., which serve as the home base for these corporate giants, are directly impacted. Social inequalities are deepening, political polarization is intensifying, and national sovereignty is weakening.

Now, considering all these realities, let us ask the central question promoted by the advertising industry: Do we really have the freedom to choose, or are we merely selecting from the limited options we are directed toward?

The future will be shaped by how individuals, societies, and governments respond to this global accumulation of power. It is not an easy challenge, but perhaps humanity will find a way to counterbalance this system by strengthening local economies, promoting fair trade, and encouraging sustainable consumption based on actual needs. Who knows…