Comments on: Hey, Occupiers! Looking for Something to Demand? http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2012/02/hey-occupiers-looking-for-something-to-demand/ Frederik Pohl Fri, 17 May 2013 22:24:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Rob D http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2012/02/hey-occupiers-looking-for-something-to-demand/#comment-91229 Rob D Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:39:35 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=4665#comment-91229 In one sense, what Romney said is irrefutable. Corporations are people, in the way that bodies are tissues, tissues are cells, or in the way that soylent green was people. Corporations are composed of people plus material assets. The problem, as I see it, is that the corporate form enables, and in some cases coerces, people to behave in ways that would otherwise be immoral and often illegal. It demands loyalty to goals that would, on a personal level, be reprehensible, and displaces people from feeling or understanding the full ramifications of their actions. In the case of public corporations, it also divorces capital from day-to-day decision-making, leading to bizarre inefficiencies. In one sense, what Romney said is irrefutable. Corporations are people, in the way that bodies are tissues, tissues are cells, or in the way that soylent green was people. Corporations are composed of people plus material assets. The problem, as I see it, is that the corporate form enables, and in some cases coerces, people to behave in ways that would otherwise be immoral and often illegal. It demands loyalty to goals that would, on a personal level, be reprehensible, and displaces people from feeling or understanding the full ramifications of their actions. In the case of public corporations, it also divorces capital from day-to-day decision-making, leading to bizarre inefficiencies.

]]> By: Rick Mullen http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2012/02/hey-occupiers-looking-for-something-to-demand/#comment-91222 Rick Mullen Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:06:16 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=4665#comment-91222 The Justices of the Supreme Court never declared in their written decision of the 1886 case "Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad" that corporations were persons and entitled to the same rights. That is a simple fiction that is easily debunked. Thus, CU does not reinforce the decision of that earlier case. The Justices of the Supreme Court never declared in their written decision of the 1886 case “Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad” that corporations were persons and entitled to the same rights. That is a simple fiction that is easily debunked. Thus, CU does not reinforce the decision of that earlier case.

]]> By: Robert Nowall http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2012/02/hey-occupiers-looking-for-something-to-demand/#comment-91220 Robert Nowall Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:00:24 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=4665#comment-91220 Re: John Kavanagh: With all due respect, I find Mr. Pohl's political opinions come from someone well-versed in history and current events, and, all in all, well worth a look. That I disagree with them is beside the point---besides, how can one know one's opinions are right when one doesn't examine the other side? Re: John Kavanagh:

With all due respect, I find Mr. Pohl’s political opinions come from someone well-versed in history and current events, and, all in all, well worth a look. That I disagree with them is beside the point—besides, how can one know one’s opinions are right when one doesn’t examine the other side?

]]> By: John Kavanagh http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2012/02/hey-occupiers-looking-for-something-to-demand/#comment-91210 John Kavanagh Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:48:50 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=4665#comment-91210 With all due respect, Mr. Pohl, you should stick to discussing science fiction. When you write about politics you sound like a not very bright college freshman. With all due respect, Mr. Pohl, you should stick to discussing science fiction. When you write about politics you sound like a not very bright college freshman.

]]> By: Red Emma http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2012/02/hey-occupiers-looking-for-something-to-demand/#comment-91207 Red Emma Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:59:59 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=4665#comment-91207 What really incenses me about the Citizens United decision is that the corporations are actually demanding representation without taxation (as in "get rid of the corporate tax"). What really incenses me about the Citizens United decision is that the corporations are actually demanding representation without taxation (as in “get rid of the corporate tax”).

]]> By: Todd Mason http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2012/02/hey-occupiers-looking-for-something-to-demand/#comment-91205 Todd Mason Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:31:32 +0000 http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/?p=4665#comment-91205 Unfortunately, though corporations are contracts, they have been treated as de facto "persons" in US law since an 1800s US Supreme Court opinion was worded to allow that interpretation. The CU decision simply reinforced that. Not allowing corporations to be treated as persons no more destroys the 1st Amendment than not allowing marriages to be a third person along side the partners (leaving aside for a moment marriages of more than two people). Unfortunately, though corporations are contracts, they have been treated as de facto “persons” in US law since an 1800s US Supreme Court opinion was worded to allow that interpretation. The CU decision simply reinforced that. Not allowing corporations to be treated as persons no more destroys the 1st Amendment than not allowing marriages to be a third person along side the partners (leaving aside for a moment marriages of more than two people).

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