tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post4067228495230997926..comments2024-03-15T03:20:38.106-05:00Comments on Brains and Eggs: Ralph Nader, a Democratic primary against Obama, and better optionsPDiddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05851660342241127485noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-5170379505612913132011-09-22T10:46:35.578-05:002011-09-22T10:46:35.578-05:00(By the way, I apologize if I sound a bit brash in...(By the way, I apologize if I sound a bit brash in my comments back there. I tend to think out loud...)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16323871207793126503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-44170027049458465612011-09-22T09:38:56.441-05:002011-09-22T09:38:56.441-05:00Hey, Matt...
1. Hmm... The individuals making up ...Hey, Matt...<br /><br />1. Hmm... The individuals making up a corporation have free speech, obviously. <br />But your Mother Jones red herring assumes that everything that is not expressly a constitutionally-protected right is ALLOWED under our system, which is sort of weird. <br />To me, the idea that an abstract legal construct has a right to free speech or a right to carry a gun or a constitutionally-protected right against cruel and unusual punishment is Alice-in-Wonderland material. <br />The corporate form itself IS a legal liability protection - that is what it is and all that it is.<br />Ugh. it's one of those things that show how far we are down a strange path of corporate dominance/worship.<br /><br />2. I'm a bit confused by this one, because it appears you switched boats. I would say that Iran and a number of other nations in the Middle East - where, for example, you can be executed for violating the Koran or where toilets can't face east/west because naughty bits offend Allah - are fascist theocracies.<br />I'm not following how anti-clericalism or anti-conservatism would be antithetical to fascist theocracy, unless you are using a very different definition of one of those words than is commonly used in the English language...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16323871207793126503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-81516893093070338552011-09-22T08:52:39.457-05:002011-09-22T08:52:39.457-05:001. Should corporations have First Amendment rights...1. Should corporations have First Amendment rights? Should, say, the AFL-CIO or NARAL be allowed to purchase advertising? Should the offices of Mother Jones be subjected to unreasonable search and seizure?<br /><br />2. Really? Where's the anti-clericalism and anti-conservatism in the Middle East? What Middle Eastern countries promote autarky?Matt Bramantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13970003130199066596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-8781187352095151332011-09-21T09:58:25.548-05:002011-09-21T09:58:25.548-05:00And Matt - couple things:
1. I don't think an...And Matt - couple things:<br /><br />1. I don't think anyone is saying that corporations should not have the legal right to act under the law. The problem comes with the notions that they are actually LEGALLY PERSON - endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights and all that good stuff.<br />Corporations are not people. They are liability protection covers for actual people and they are ways to financial entities. <br />How weird have our thought processes gotten where we think a legal concept born through filing a piece of paper with the Secretary of State is a person? <br /><br />2. I would say that the Middle East in fact has several examples of functioning fascist theocracies.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16323871207793126503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-71988437221864343182011-09-21T09:56:03.249-05:002011-09-21T09:56:03.249-05:00Nader is also very old now.
I think Nader made as ...Nader is also very old now.<br />I think Nader made as much of an impact in 2000 as he is ever likely to make in electoral politics. <br /><br />This, of course, is not to say that he's wrong about the fact that someone needs to speak up for progressives! The debate has become so one-sided that Obama is cast as some sort of wild-eyed leftist revolutionary!<br /><br />I was happy to see your mention of David Cobb here. The guy is fast on his feet, a smart and passionate speaker, and needs to be part of the discussion.<br /><br />He doesn't look like it, but he could get a rock excited about progressive causes. And corporate personhood is enemy #1...<br /><br />Thanks for this!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16323871207793126503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-51135361079943449382011-09-21T03:08:37.887-05:002011-09-21T03:08:37.887-05:00Look around you, Matt. No, there, in front of your...Look around you, Matt. No, there, in front of your face.<br /><br />Yes, that's it. Rick Perry and the Texas Legislature. And the Texas Supreme Court.<br /><br />And I'm not going down Picayune Boulvevard with you any further.PDiddiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05851660342241127485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-63767568535215423702011-09-21T02:21:17.208-05:002011-09-21T02:21:17.208-05:00Perry, can you cite a historical example of a &quo...Perry, can you cite a historical example of a "fascist theocracy?"<br /><br />I don't think such a regime is likely to rise here at least partly because there's no such thing.Matt Bramantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13970003130199066596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-54753096484885776232011-09-20T19:15:55.069-05:002011-09-20T19:15:55.069-05:00While a reasoned and reasonable argument, Matt, th...While a reasoned and reasonable argument, Matt, the majority of actual people -- both those associated with corporations and those not -- don't buy it.<br /><br />Corporations already have over-weighted influence in our political system, and the people are going to have to rein them in before the United States becomes a full-throated fascist theocracy.<br /><br />Or not ...PDiddiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05851660342241127485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901123.post-31667698541323946762011-09-20T16:54:22.529-05:002011-09-20T16:54:22.529-05:00Corporations are merely individuals acting in conc...Corporations are merely individuals acting in concert, and that's where they derive their rights.<br /><br />The position that corporations shouldn't have rights isn't very well thought out. Should the ACLU be able to sue the government to stop a civil-rights violation? It's a corporation, and access to the courts is a constitutional right.<br /><br />Should unions be able to enter into contracts or to engage in political advocacy? They're corporations.<br /><br />By limiting the rights of people to act in concert, you strengthen the relative power of well-off and well-connected individuals.Matt Bramantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13970003130199066596noreply@blogger.com