Who owns you? (In Retro-spect)

[Homer12]

If spending money equals Free Speech, and Corporations which on average, have more money than a person and while that Corporation which is treated with nearly the same rights as a living breathing American; Does this not mean the quantity of free speech you have now can be equated with the amount of money you have?

Corporation = American Citizen
Money = Speech
Corporations > Free Speech
American Citizen < Free Speech

Why are corporations and special interests groups, who are not living people, nor actual citizens, have nearly the same free speech rights as I have as a living breathing individual American? Why does Exxon or the AFL-CIO given the same rights that I have other than voting?

Of course with the Corporate Friendly Supreme Court, I’m sure voting rights for corporations are just around the corner.

Could this have been the reason WHY corporations and special interests were regulated in the first place, because they do not share the thing the 350 million + American’s share in common: That we are living sentient beings who not only aspire to live a comfortable life and make money like corporations, but that we love, eat, and Die..., we are creatures of biology and our environment and not a construct of a man-made economic system that does not require Oxygen to survive.

Can some one tell me when Exxon had to go bankrupt to treat the lung cancer it got? Or when Exxon willing paid the Families in Alaska for the environmental damage for the incompetence of their oil from the Exxon Valdez, rather than going to court to get it fixed in their Favor?

How about when McDonalds Corp had to spend its weekly income on food to feed its 2.3 Children?

Or when DuPont through incompetence, willing and remorsefully, paid millions to the family of the dead in Bapol India?

How about the remorse and sorrow Halliburton felt after its faulty and incompetent wiring of US military bases in Iraq killed US service people?

Or when Blackwater willing gave the victims families millions to make up for their loved ones that were unjustly murdered by its employee’s?

Corporations and Special Interest Groups are “non-living” and are not barred by the frailties of “being alive” that make us human beings, not imbued or burdened with a brain, heart, or conscious, or finite life set by biology or ended prematurely because of disease or violence. The vast majority only strive to perpetuate themselves or for there goals by any means necessary in our “so called capitalist free market”!

We barely have power over Corporations and Special interest groups due to un-fettered lobbying as it was before this decision. You will find out this election season you will now have even less power over your elected officials, and your personal contributions will be dwarfed by the heavy power players, because as we have seen that in order to play the game of politics and advertise with ALL forms of media you need millions to win a seat.

URL: http://www.opensecrets.org/index.php

Question: Ask yourself this, which players have the most money (a non-living object that represents value by-the-way), and if money equals “Free Speech” who will be able to buy the most influence via media and the politician (they know who gives them their monetary support), and spend millions on attack ads without any repercussions?

It is not you

[Long Shadow]

1. But it could be a group that I am a member of.

[Homer12]

4. Long Shadow

Please go on and expand.

I can see you want people to work cheaply and free til their deaths for your coporate masters.

[Long Shadow]

6. It's really quite simple--the many are more powerful than the lone.

Many years ago, labor unions began spending union dues to support candidates sympathetic to the workers' issues. This practice was prohibited by the Smith-Connally Act, As a result, labor unions, corporations, etc. were prevented from contributing directly to candidates for federal office.

However, as you should be aware, money ALWAYS finds a way "in." Consequently, the CIO, found a way to get around the constraints of the Smith-Connally Act by forming the first PAC. Since that time, many special interest groups have done the very same thing. For it is the only way average Americans can have their voices heard.

[Homer12]

8. My point is this about Free Speech and Political Power

That non-living entities (groups) should not recieve the same rights or powers as living concious human beings.

That money being equated to being EQUAL to 1st Admendment rights takes power away from the individual and transfers it over to groups.

Average American voices, even in groups, can not and are barly able to get over the monetary power of corporations, since they have more free speech becasue it equates with the quantity of dollars they have.

It's not on even playing field, nor has it ever been.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Long Shadow]

7. Fench Philosopher..?

[Homer12]

9. Equating taxes with Theft

I see why tea baggers like this man.

He is equating taxes with theft & socialism, legal plunder as he calls it.

A man who champions the power and privilege of the very few while deamonizing all those below who work like slaves to their masters.

A hard right French autocrat, just like Scott Walker, Rick Scott, Rick Snyder, etc.......

People like this would let another die in the street or starve to protect their wealth, much like extremists conservatives, tea baggers and anti-government when run by Democrat radicals.

[slackmaster]

2. ...

[shraby]

3. That is exactly why a law should be enacted that prohibits

campaign contributions to politicians from anyone (no exceptions) who doesn't live in the district they represent. For a representative the state district, for a senator the state, for the president the whole country. Very simple rule and would be very effective in corraling the huge amounts being spent on campaigns right now when donations can come from anyplace (even foreign sources).

[HereSince1628]

10. I suspect you won't see that law in this version of America.

I think you are correct in the good such laws would do.

But you probably won't see it because it would require stripping power from people like the Koch brothers. They believe in environmental control for their corporations, and that is not about clean air and water, but rather controlling the governments in the regions where they operate.

And unfortunately, they already control much of it.

Making jurisdictions more 'business friendly' has become the mantra of government it will simply consolidate corporate power.