Jim Hightower: Wal-Mart and the Essence of the Inhuman Corporation

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Jim Hightower

Hightower: Wal-Mart and the Essence of the Inhuman Corporation
Think corporations share some of mankind's key characteristics, like compassion? Think again. As Joseph Casias' case illustrates, they're more ruthless than ever.

April 1, 2010 |


I'm curious about those five Supreme Court justices who recently decreed that a corporation is a "person" with human rights: Do you think they ever met Mr. Walmart?

If they had, they'd be forced to concede that corporate personhood is a sheer fantasy, for there is nothing even remotely human about the bloodless and brainless thing that is Walmart. For conclusive evidence of this entity's total lack of humanity, the learned judges should climb down from their high bench and visit with Joseph Casias, a 29-year-old former employee of a Walmart store in Battle Creek, Mich.

In fact, Casias was an excellent employee throughout his five-year tenure within the corporate person, even earning "Associate of the Year" honors in 2008.

"I always tried my best," he says. "I gave them everything. One hundred ten percent every day. Anything they asked me to do, I did. More than they asked me to do. Twelve to 14 hours a day. I thought I was part of the Walmart family." ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/economy/146243/hightower%3A_wal-mart_and_the_essence_of_the_inhuman_corporation

[cutlassmama]

1. We'll see more of this treatment from corporations in the future. All they

care about is production. Since the man had a prescription for the MJ, and a medical condition, can't they be sued for firing him?

[mercuryblues]

2. I wonder

if he had employer health insurance.

[ellenfl]

3. from walmart? surely you jest. eom

[Uncle Joe]

4. I couldn't help but think of the movie "Terminator" when I read this section.

"But there is no "you" there. Walmart is a machine, a fabrication, not a sentient, reasoning person. So the machine responded to public outrage over Casias' firing by issuing an insensate legal statement: "In states, such as Michigan, where prescriptions for marijuana can be obtained, an employer can still enforce a policy that requires termination of employment following a positive drug screen. We believe our policy complies with the law, and we support decisions based on the policy."

Cancer is enough of a burden on a person without corporate callousness adding to the pain, but Walmart just kept piling on this employee. He's got no job, is facing $10,000 in unpaid medical bills and can no longer afford his cancer treatment, so what does the corporation do? It challenged Casias' eligibility for unemployment compensation."

For those people not familiar with the movie, Terminators aren't human.

Thanks for the thread, marmar.