Do corporations have the same rights as living, breathing people?

First, let's look at this court ruling with our "common sense" glasses on. Does it really make sense that corporations have a right to free speech or, frankly, any fundamental rights whatsoever? The U.S. constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights have no mention of corporations anywhere in them. They do talk about people but nowhere does the word corporation appear.

We know all men (and women) are created equal, but what about corporations?

What exactly is a corporation, anyway? That's an excellent question, and until we ask ourselves that question we are likely to be easily duped by arguments touting "free speech" and "1st amendment rights." Corporations are artificial entities constructed by law, primarily for the purposes of limiting liability. That's right, corporations - and the right to form one - are created by writ (legislation). As such, they have no fundamental right to life (they aren't alive), liberty (they're inanimate), or the pursuit of happiness (despite a notable corporation marketing the 'Happy Meal'); and certainly no fundamental right to "free speech" (they have neither lips nor vocal chords). Again, the Bill of Rights has no mention of corporations; the 1st Amendment is in - you guessed it - the Bill of Rights. Ask yourself this: how exactly does free speech apply to an artificial construct created by legislation?

So what makes you so smart?

How do I know? I've formed corporations myself; I can assure you most people form corporations to shield themselves from personal liability, and to perhaps have a few tax advantages; they surely aren't formed to get civil rights, which we all - in theory, at least - have already. If corporations were persons, I'd have an interesting conversation at the dinner table, myself and the corporations that I formed all chatting away. But corporations are not people, and my dinner-time conversations are fairly mundane ("Ma, could you pass the half-n-half?").

Gambling with other people's money?

Imagine if you could go to Las Vegas and gamble with someone else's money and if you won, you kept the winnings, while if you lost, well the other guy was left holding the bag. Sound too good to be true? Well, that's American-style capitalism for you. Until we end corporate rule - which was just strengthened by the supreme court ruling - we'll continue to go down the path of socialized losses and privatized gains, so that the corporate fat cats can buy their private islands, yachts, and mansions, subsidized by you and me, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer.

Things that make you say "hmm"

Some pundits in the media seem to make quite a hubbub when the government wants to provide health care, screaming "Socialism" almost to the point of sounding like the boy who cried wolf. It's interesting that those same pundits are largely silent when corporations attempt to socialize losses. Nor do the pundits make much mention of corporate welfare, special tax breaks for corporations, and other favoritism that goes to Wall Street. Yes, these are things that make one say, "hmmm."

What about personal responsibility?

The bank bailout was just the most recent - and egregious - example of corporate welfare. Why is it that when some poor chap on the street corner asks for a handout, many of our fellow countrymen are quick to mutter something about "personal responsibility", while if the fat cats get a handout, it's rarely questioned. Personal responsibility sounds great on paper, until we start applying the mantra consistently, across the board. When we apply it consistently, suddenly some folks get fidgety and become awfully quiet. Because if we realize that corporations exhibit virtually no personal responsibility (heck, they're not persons why should they have personal responsibility?), then we realize that we should probably enact more regulations on them, enforce the regulations that already exist, and possibly even jail a few of the well-heeled CEO's. Everybody's favorite whipping boy is a down-and-out fellow on welfare or unemployment; but if you pay attention, you'll realize that the big money is flowing to those who already have it, while the average joe struggles to make ends meet. Welfare on the corporate scale dwarfs the peanuts given to actual welfare recipients, but most of us aren't aware of it because a lot of it is 'off the balance sheets' and difficult to track.

Time to amend the constitution?

Socialize the risks, privatize the rewards; there's American-style capitalism for you. Let's end it; imagine the progress we could make debating issues on their merits without corporate interference/flak/lobbying. Let the best, most reasoned argument win. There's a movement afoot to "de-person" corporations, the citizens' group Public Citizen is promoting it, amongst other organizations on both the left and the right. Now that's change we can all believe in.