It's a fairly long video but if you fast forward past the into stuff you get into the meat of the talk. Thomas Linzey
In what way is a corporation a "person"? Why would a corporation have constitutional rights. They are not a "person". They are a business. I don't recall the constitution being about business rights.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jan 28 2007, 10:24 PM) [snapback]382188[/snapback]</div> You missed the news? Well the first news was in 1886: "Because of a mistaken interpretation of a Supreme Court reporter's notes in an 1886 railroad tax case, corporations are now legally considered "persons," equal to humans and entitled to many of the same protections guaranteed only to humans by the Bill of Rights - a clear contradiction of the intent of the Founders of the United States." - Thom Hartman There was another in 1978 I believe. Here is a site which will list everything you want to know about this disturbing issue. I got my info from books by Hartman, Orr, and Juhavz. Reclaimdemocracy I'll add this for those who hate links. "Significant U.S. Court Cases in the Evolution of Corporate Personhood / Commercial Free Speech Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819) Corporate charters are ruled to have constitutional protection. Munn v. State of Illinois (1876) Property cannot be used to unduly expropriate wealth from a community (later reversed). Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad (1886) The substance of this case (a tax dispute) is of little significance, but this fateful case subsequently was cited as precedent for granting corporations constitutional rights. Several articles linked above detail how this happened. Noble v. Union River Logging Railroad Company (1893) A corporation first successfully claims Bill of Rights protection (5th Amendment) Lochner v. New York (1905) States cannot interfere with "private contracts" between workers and corporation -- marks the ascension of "substantive due process." Liggett v. Lee (1933) Chain store taxes prohibited as violation of corporations' "due process" rights. Ross v. Bernhard (1970) 7th Amendment right (jury trial) granted to corporations. U.S. v. Martin Linen Supply (1976) A corporation successfully claims 5th Amendment protection against double jeopardy. Marshall v. Barlow (1978) The Court creates 4th Amendment protection for corporations -- federal inspectors must obtain a search warrant for a safety inspection on corporate property. First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti (1978) Struck down a Massachusetts law that banned corporate spending to influence state ballot initiatives, even spending by corporate political action committees. Spending money to influence politics is now a corporate "right." Justice Rehnquist's dissent is a recommended read. Related articles: * Ballot Initiatives Hijacked * Behind the Powell Memo Central Hudson Gas v. Public Service Comm. of NY (1980) This oft-cited decision concerns a state ban on ads promoting electricity consumption. Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (1990) Upheld limits on corporate spending in elections. Thompson v. Western States Medical Center (2002) Nike v Kasky (2002) Nike claims California cannot reuire factual accuracy of the corporation in its PR campaigns. California's Supreme Court disagreed. The U.S. Supreme Court took up the case on appeal, then issued a non-ruling in 2003. "
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jan 29 2007, 01:24 AM) [snapback]382188[/snapback]</div> It's no better when they are deemed not a person but an entity that exists only on paper. Corporations manipulate the law to get away with crap that individuals could never get away with no matter what the law says. They used to get away with unbelievable stuff by claiming that a corporation wasn't a person. They will always get away with their nonsense because they have a lot of money, a lot of power over lawmakers and have legal departments that will always find ways to violate the spirit of the law by obeying the letter of the law.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Jan 29 2007, 03:28 AM) [snapback]382213[/snapback]</div> Bingo! Right on the money (if you will excuse the pun).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jan 28 2007, 10:24 PM) [snapback]382188[/snapback]</div> An EXCELLENT question (well answered by the OP). Do yourself, and everybody else in this word a favor. Read this book: Unequal Protection: The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Theft of Human Rights - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157954955...1266326-7266246 This is like I, Robot but with corporations. We, the people, made them. And they're running all over us. We gave them rights (not officially mind you) that they simply should not have. Who wins when I corporation worth undreds of billions sues a human person? Could that EVER be a fair fight?
So how do you "arrest" a Corporation? How does a corporation do jail time? Boston devices a cartoon publicity ploy So Turner hired a marketing company that hired the artist that placed the devices. Who do they arrest? The artist. Not the marketing company, not Turner Broadcasting Corporation. Turner so better pay for everything. Bail, restitution, lawyer, the works. Under 'what were you thinking' and file it in lessons learned.
