Apple, Google most admired firms: Fortune

Ah, Apple's "key attributes" People management: hire third-world peasants, pay them 5 dollars a day to work 12 hour shifts Use of corporate assets: withdraw all assets from the US, layoff US employees by the truckload, and plow it all into China. Social responsibility: Enlist the sleaziest and greediest suppliers in a communist dictatorship that executes people for offensives like robbery and jails and tortures people for having the wrong religion. Financial soundness: It's really all about profits, profits, profits, a third of all revenues!!! Who cares if some employees get killed or die of exhaustion in the process.

Apple have been singled out for what is happening at the Foxconn factories

That's because in their marketing campaigns, Dell, etc., don't use the likes of Ghandi and John Lennon and punctuate the word DIFFERENT. The indignation over Apple is the hypocracy -- the gap between the well-manicured image and dark reality. Apple says it is different; clearly, it is not.

It also pays the tax dollar on its profits.

In 2010, Apple admitted it had $30 bil. stashed overseas, for the purpose of evading taxes in the U.S. The money resides in foreign holding subsidiaries, designed to be unreachable by the IRS. Most of the loot was sent out of the U.S., and did not originate from international sales. (Source "Why GE, Apple and Google Will Pay a Lower Tax Rate Than You" [Seeking Alpha])

All strong companies which provide good products for plenty of people. Only a few years ago, Toyota was number two on this list. What happened?

not relevant to Japan, more relevant to usa base.

I predict apple will have a a very hards time maintaining whats its achieved, in other words, over time I dont believe apple will be able to, she will come down

I think Apple would manufacture in the US if the country had an industrial policy and a legal system that was based on common sense.

As for Toyota, the recalls and its culture of (relative) insularity hurt it (at least by international standards) put a blemish outside Japan on its once stellar image. Good cars made at a healthy profit though and it's still on the list - albeit not in the top 10.

I think it actually brings to light that culturally we are in era that favors companies like the Apples, Googles and other progressive companies. This is a trend that will gain momentum.

The Headline should include the caveat, "by Americans".

It's somehow natural that Apple listed the no1 for the fifth year in a row given the situation people over the world have been excited with Apple products. However, we should track down it carefully. It's reported that Foxcorn's working environment is disaster that possibly caused some of workers suicide. Without investigation on this portion, I cannot say this result is true enough.