–Corporate colonization is alive and well

Reporting and opinion by Mathew Carr

Aug. 19-20, 2025 — The “lifestyle living” sprawl north of Perth, Western Australia, resembles suburbia across North America.

Same USA multinational branded fast-food joints, American-style bungalow houses.

Shopping centres that often require a short drive rather than European-style 15 minute walks.

This town planning seems intent on boosting the interests of global multinationals.

Land has been taken from native Australians and now there is something of a real-estate and construction feeding frenzy. The beaches and nature are beautiful and in many cases untouched. Kangaroos apparently hop about …yet I saw them only in the nearby national park.

There are some parks built among the houses, yet too few.

Is this the future of Gaza, Ukraine?

Of the following 11 companies mentioned by Google Maps in new suburb called Butler in northern Perth, 5 are global brands and four of those are US fast-food chains. 6 are mainly Australian.

This, below, is the sprawl area, including Butler

I didn’t choose Butler because it had a particularly concentrated number of US corporations, but because I just happened to be visiting family near that place…and was struck by the volume of US corporations. Aldi is a German supermarket chain.

These Burger King, Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s scenes below are rife across Australia ….this below is from southern Perth.

I’m not saying competition from global brands is a bad thing. It can keep prices competitive. yet the US system values capital too highly and labour too poorly. This system needs to be better regulated.

This type of corporate colonization should be resisted, especially when it’s created via violence as displayed in Gaza and Ukraine. The US has no mandate to divide up either place in its interest.

(Updates with final comments and map)