Prior to 1945 there was a close bond between a nation and its industries and the two were generally counted as one in calculating the strength and wealth of nations. A nation's power grew with the strength of its industries, and industries profited from the larger economic sphere that a more wealthy and powerful nation could provide. The two were bound in a mutually beneficial partnership -- a partnership which kept nations healthy and provided benefits to the citizenry. The people, corporations, and the nation -- their interests were in fundamental harmony. The Third-World may have been exploited, but at least the First World was relatively sound. But in the postwar "Free-World" system, the close-bonding between nations and "their" corporations has been falling apart. Nations and industry can no longer be counted as a single entity -- TNC's are a force in their own right, with an allegiance to the overall world system rather than to a single nation. TNC's are citizens of the world; their focus is on global opportunities; the very concept of "home nation" is out-dated -- to TNC's, all flags are flags of convenience.