David C. Korten Quote

"Thus corporations finally claimed the full rights enjoyed by individual citizens while being exempted from many of the responsibilities and liabilities of citizenship. Furthermore, in being guaranteed the same right to free speech as individual citizens, they achieved, in the words of Paul Hawken, 'precisely what the Bill of Rights was intended to prevent: domination of public thought and discourse.' The subsequent claim by corporations that they have the same right as any individual to influence the government in their own interest pits the individual citizen against the vast financial and communications resources of the corporation and mocks the constitutional intent that all citizens have an equal voice in the political debates surrounding important issues."

by:	David C. Korten (1937-) American author, professor, political activist, prominent critic of corporate globalization
Source:	in his book, When Corporations Rule the World, 2001
Rating:
Categories:	Constitution, Economics, Establishment, Fascism, Individual Rights, Oppression, Politics, Power, Psycho-politics, Speech
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Anonymous will have to love this one. I happen to agree.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
I agree too - corporations, like religion, should be kept out of politics - by all means they may lobby politicians but they should not have power over them. And, their influence should not be financial or based on their political or personal position.  -- Robert, Sarasota      2
Individual or corporation, he who has the gold, makes the rules.  -- Joe, Rochester, MI      1
-- Anonymous, Reston, VA US
-- Dick, Fort Worth
The 'commerce clause' of the US Constitution has been used to extend federal jurisdiction over all the States. The result being the elevation of the corporation above the individual, and the transformation of a living breathing human into a corporate 'person' subject to the mountains of statutory regulations (colorable law) that can only apply to inter-state commercial entities. Once again the drive for power threatens the lives, liberty and property of the People.  -- E Archer, NYC      2
The pendulum is always moving. The mass of us suckers just don't always see it. Gold makes the rules as "Joe" said above. The ones selling out are always and ever the people we entrusted with the levers of power via the voting machine. Yes, there are corporate citizens and they do have rights and responsibilities just like all citizens. While we argue about unfairness and all the distracting issues, our dear sweet Congress goes on its merry way feathering its various individual member's nests at our expense and to our ultimate destruction. Party on fools!  -- J. B. Wulff, Bristol      2
In a movie called "The Corporation" it is demonstrated quite clearly that all corporations are psychopathic. Somehow that just doesn't seem healthy.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      1
If corporations are treated as individual citizens it is only because we individual citizens allow them to be treated thus. We allow them to be taxed like individuals and we allow them in turn to lobby as individuals. The problem is that we allow corporations and unions to create PACs and then "bundle" donations not as a single individual but as a colition of individuals.  -- Justin, Springfield, Missouri
Here are the raw PAC numbers for anyone who's interested. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?order=A  -- Justin, Springfield, Missouri      1
Yes, and when will this stop? I hope before someone switches off the light  -- RBESRQ
I believe this is to complex for the assembled students.  -- Waffler, Smith      2
Case in point, Washington State. 9th District. Gross Overreach on behalf of Corporations romancing questionable aliens for the sake of their bottom line, vs We the People and OUR families Security. Waffler is quiet on this one, not to wonder why ! Exactly Why We the People elected President Trump with His Team of Swamp Draining Patriots ! Patriots feel the strain, socialist feel the burn ! The fire of Liberty is burning Hot ! Get over it !  -- Ronw13, Oregon      2
-- robert, Somewhere in the US
-- Jim K, Austin
By definition, creation, and use - corporations are entities / extensions of the State. At nature’s law (the only de jure jurisprudence within the republican form of government that is within the boundaries that is referenced to as the United States of America) no recognition of rights is recognized within inanimate legalisms (government, public, etc.). No inanimate entity (government, legal person, corporation, etc.) may possess “rights”. Only tangible beings can possess rights as an inalienable make up of the sentient being. Corporations can only organize actions while claiming “duty”. Legal fictions, such as corporations at law, can NOT be exempt from responsibilities and liabilities. An intangible / legal fiction has NO ability to speak (or prevent speech) at law / science / math, etc. Only tyrants, despots, and other illegal malefactors - through obedient lethal force, speak / prevent speech as though the straw-man was a tangible reality.  -- Mike, Norwalk      2
The "dominating" force of the cooperations will lead them in the wong direction because domination is an unnatural life position and force. The individual citizens will be more inclined to look inward, where the solutions habitat, to find the necessary forward progressive strength.  -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

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