> Apple is saying "we operate at the same level as nation states; we are a nation-state level entity operating in the "digital world"
Apple's profits are bigger than my country's (Slovenia) whole GDP. You bet your butt they're a state level actor in the digital world. They have more resources than many countries.
If Apple was a country, their $365bn in revenue would make them the 43rd richest country in the world right after Hong Kong.
This also points out how the increasing costs of technology and economies of scale mean that small countries like Slovenia are no longer viable on their own. The only way they will be able to survive the next few decades and avoid turning into failed states is to surrender most of their sovereignty to larger regional alliances.
My understanding is that the "social contract" inside many of these large companies is quite cushy. Especially in USA where being employed comes with services traditionally provided by the state like health care, child care, free or subsidized food, retirement benefits, etc.
Apple's profits are bigger than my country's (Slovenia) whole GDP. You bet your butt they're a state level actor in the digital world. They have more resources than many countries.
If Apple was a country, their $365bn in revenue would make them the 43rd richest country in the world right after Hong Kong.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nomi...