Americans Are Rearing for a Fight with Corporate Power

[burythehatchet]

http://www.alternet.org/rights/131456/americans_are_rearing_for_a_fight_with_corporate_power/?page=entire

Last October, Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcus blew a gasket, spewing outrage in all directions. "This is the demise of civilization," he exploded. "This is how a civilization disappears. I'm watching this happen and I don't believe it!"

Bernie's outburst came during an hour-long conference call with various other corporate executives and their political operatives. The purpose was to collect industry funds for a campaign to kill a piece of legislation called the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Yes, the spark that ignited Bernie's fury, the hellish horror that he insisted would produce America's Armageddon, was a simple labor bill, and he was demanding that the corporate powers rally to save civilization as they know it.

"As a shareholder, if I knew the CEO of the company wasn't doing anything on ...I would sue the son of a bitch," he foamed. "If a retailer has not gotten involved in this...he should be shot. They should be thrown out of their goddamn jobs."

He didn't specify whether such traitorous executives should be shot first, then thrown out of their jobs, or vice-versa-- but you get the point: Corporate America is working up a feverish panic over the very notion of linking the term "employees" with the concept of free choice.

[hobbit709]

1. Bernie should remember two dates

1789 and 1917.

[HillbillyBob]

2. Well Home Depot gets as little of my business as possible

the only time I shop there is when I am after a specific item I cannot get
anywhere else, same with Walmart. I will gladly pay a little bit more for a same item at Lowes or Target (and yea I'm as broke as anyone!).
I have gotten repeatedly cheated by corpses over the years.
The first decision giving corporation 'human' rights in 1882 was wrong and so has every precedent since that gives them more 'rights' and no responsibility ever since.
If I learn a company donates that does not have my interests as a citizen in mind...I don't buy from that company and I write and tell them so. I also will say the same to companies that outsource jobs. I did write letters to them and I have not bought their products since.
Monsanto and their ilk steadily getting laws passed that damages our freedom of food choice and variety have been some of the most heinous too.
NAIS comes to mind which has not passed yet, looks like it will soon limit the ability to save and store heirloom seeds or food animal breeds. While they patent and add genie modified food to our diets that will kill or at least impact our quality of life.
Almost all of our processed food now has corn syrup in it..and most of that is from BT corn. Now why are we getting diabetes again? I know from personal experience that if you cut out all or almost all foods with corn syrup you will loose weight and your blood sugar will correct at least some what.

It is past time to get corporate campaign bribes, corporate lobbyists that revolve in the government doors of enforcement appointees or into congress either as a sitting congress critter or aide or whispering sweet profits into their ears.

Munn v. Illinois (1877)
Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment cannot be used to protect corporations from state law. They did not actually rule on personhood.
1882 The Railroad Tax Cases (1882)
In one of these cases, San Mateo County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, it was argued that corporations were persons and that the committee drafting the 14th Amendment had intended the word person to mean corporations as well as natural persons. Senator Roscoe Conkling waved an unknown document in the air and then read from it in an attempt to prove that the intent of the Joint Committee was for corporate personhood. The court did not rule on corporate personhood, but this is the case in which they heard the argument.
http://www.ratical.org/corporations/ToPRaP.htmlhttp://www.ratical.org/corporations/ToPRaP.html

[skooooo]

3. nah...just turn on TV

America's too busy being couch potatoes to be bothered.

[liberal N proud]

4. That is why Americans have not taken to the streets

[Odin2005]

5. This Bernie Marcus character is a despicable human being.

This screed of his is little different then the rants of Plato and other Athenian aristocrats against democracy and equality.

Some things never change. :puke:

[notadmblnd]

6. And on the same day the CEOs take to rioting in the streets, they'll pronounce me

Queen of Egypt:rofl:

[salin]

7. ya, but giving 450 million in taxpayer $$ to give bonuses to theAIG unit

that imploded the international finance sector... no problem. ARGHHH!!!