Thom Hartmann: Will Corporations get the Right to Commit Genocide?

[thomhartmann]

Run time: 08:05 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7YlBJm1qJM   Posted on YouTube: October 20, 2011 By YouTube Member: TheBigPictureRT Views on YouTube: 112   Posted on DU: October 20, 2011 By DU Member: thomhartmann Views on DU: 1775

 
Ian Millhiser, Center for American Progress joins Thom Hartmann. Is the Supreme Court about to give corporations the right to commit genocide? Believe it or not - that may happen. The High Court has agreed to hear the case of Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum which could give corporations immunity from any lawsuits for their employees murdering, raping, or torturing people in the areas where they're drilling for oil or fielding mercenary armies - just as long as they're carrying out the atrocities under the heading of corporate business.

The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 9pm and 11pm check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings

[mmonk]

1. Recommended.

[fascisthunter]

2. corporations are Uber Alles in Amerikkka(Wall Street's America)

[Scuba]

3. Hey, what's a little murder, rape and torture when there's profits to be made?....

...I predict a 5-4 decision.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

4. But... But... I thought corporations were people...

I guess that's just when it serves their interests to have human rights. When they're squashing someone else's rights, they are just business entities.

[baldguy]

6. They're "people" when it suits them, and not when it doesn't.

[Marazinia]

5. On the Exxon Indonesia case

The Exxon case referenced several times has been around awhile. Exxon has weaseled its way out many times. The Bush Administration even filed an amicus curiae brief in defense of Exxon, claiming that the suit would hurt US interests and hurt the war on terror.

It will not surprise me at all if the Alien Tort Claims Act is dealt a death blow during Obama's administration. It's weak already due to courts repeatedly refusing to hear cases based on it for various reasons and also weak because it's civil and not criminal and does not call for a 'death penalty' for corporations who commit atrocities.

This is why I'm not a lawyer. This is also why I'm not a Democrat. Where is the Obama Administration, to stand up and condemn this? Nowhere. Bush stepped in for Exxon Mobile, if Obama was truly different from Bush, he'd step in against Exxon Mobile.

[baldguy]

7. The Top 1% are above the law.