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In reply to the discussion: The USSC does not say that "money is speech" [View all]ProSense
(116,464 posts)10. Well said. Yes,
....The problem is that this corporate "personhood," which is necessary in some ways to conduct business, got all spun out of shape, resulting in the notion that a corporation has all of the same constitutional rights as an actual human. Obviously the humans who own and operate the corporation have constitutional rights, but how can you transfer those rights to the inchoate and abstract corporation, without disregarding the corporation's separate entity which is what allows the individual owners to insulate themselves from the corporation's debts and liabilities? I've never understood that.
You say corporations formed to disseminate speech have the right to free speech. I would argue that the individuals who formed the corporation have the right to free speech, but the corporation is merely the abstract entity organized to do so more efficiently, with no separate constitutional rights of its own. And what about those corporations that were just formed to do business of some kind, like the corporations owned by the Koch brothers? If those corporations weren't "formed to disseminate speech" in the first place, why would they have the right to free speech, independent from their human owners' rights?
You say corporations formed to disseminate speech have the right to free speech. I would argue that the individuals who formed the corporation have the right to free speech, but the corporation is merely the abstract entity organized to do so more efficiently, with no separate constitutional rights of its own. And what about those corporations that were just formed to do business of some kind, like the corporations owned by the Koch brothers? If those corporations weren't "formed to disseminate speech" in the first place, why would they have the right to free speech, independent from their human owners' rights?
...corporations can be sued. In the case of the "owner's rights," if the owner want the corporation to have the right to free speech, then when a corporation is found criminally liable, the owner should receive a penalty. If owners want to equate their personal views with that of the corporation, then when the corporation is found criminally negligent, convict the owners.
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It was Roberts who fast tracked Citizens United and it was likley the most egregious case imo, of
Jefferson23
Apr 2014
#2
Clearly, and he knew who would side with him. We need to push it back. Senator Sanders:
Jefferson23
Apr 2014
#7
The Supremes sort of did say corporations are people, in the sense that
The Velveteen Ocelot
Apr 2014
#6
If only natural persons had constitutional protections, all sorts of horrible things could happen.
Nye Bevan
Apr 2014
#11
Would you be OK with banning corporations from publishing books that criticized election candidates
Nye Bevan
Apr 2014
#14
I understand that these are difficult questions to answer for those who want to limit free speech.
Nye Bevan
Apr 2014
#23
You will find that arguing with a nihilist approach to argument is fruitless
cthulu2016
Apr 2014
#18
"It said that slander is whatever Prosense says it is, at any given point in time."
ProSense
Apr 2014
#28
What is critical is that they did not say "Money is NOT speech and has no 1st amendment protection".
stevenleser
Apr 2014
#37
"It is vital to regulate....to prevent my speech...from being drowned out."
BumRushDaShow
Apr 2014
#45
Elections should be publicly financed, candidatees should have to campaign within
tblue37
Apr 2014
#46