Forum Post: Watch "The Corporation" - this is what has gone wrong in the U.S.
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 26, 2011, 8:52 p.m. EST by JMM42
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The 99%'s problems seem to stem from corporate personhood. They are unaccountable and rather psychotic. Ending corporate personhood would end the ability of CEO's and Boards of Directors to collect enormous bonuses while underpaying workers and causing environmental damage.
The way that corporate rules are set up, even CEO's and executives who want to do the right thing aren't allowed to. It's horrible and needs to stop.
Maybe this is what Occupy could unite to change? It would address most problems. Not all, but most.
Bingo! Corporate Personhood is what is allowing the vast sums of money to undermine our political process. Spread the word!!!
Here's my 2 cents (sorry it is so long):
There are a lot of improvements that need to be made. The list reforms people Americans want to see is long and varied depending on who you talk to. That said, I believe there is one reform that would provide the American people the best chances of seeing other meaningful reforms actually happen - that is real, loop-hope free CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM! I have seen others on this site calling this the "fulcrum" or pivotal issue. Right now the current legalized bribery, pay-to-play system of campaign donations and paid lobbyists has disenfranchised the American voter. Until this is fixed, any other reform the politicians may try to placate us with (be it a change to healthcare, clamping down predatory school loans, new financial regulations, etc.) will be about as effective as a farmer putting a new roof on his CHICKEN COOP, but still letting the FOX guard it.
We need to go back to the original political currency. Instead of the current system of who can collect the most money from corporations and special interests it should be who has the BEST IDEAS to EFFECTIVELY RUN THE COUNTRY (we don't need "Wealth Redistribution," what we need is "Political Influence Redistribution")!
For the sake our our children and future generations of Americans, we need to take back our democracy from the rich and powerful who are using their vast sums of money to "speak" as if they represent millions of Americans. They are twisting our laws and manipulating our policies in their favor at the expense of the average American. The $50 or $100 a normal American may give to a political campaign becomes meaningless when corporations or other special interests are handing our millions to buy political access to the decision making process.
For decades now the corporations and special interests have had our "representatives" bought and paid for (both on the right and the left). Concentrating our efforts on getting the money out of our politics is the best way we can create an environment in which further reforms can be realized. Until we end the current system of legalized bribery (campaign donations) and paid lobbying our politicians will continue to be the LAP DOGS of the corporations and special interests. What we need first and foremost is real, loop-hole free CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM!!!! If the corruption is not dealt with first, the chance of any other meaningful reforms becoming a reality is almost zero - the special interests will just use their money to buy votes and put forward bills that create loop-holes or otherwise twist the law in their favor. If we want our children to live in a country where there vote matters, we need to get the money out of our politics, otherwise they will increasingly become the 21st century version of the "landless peasant." Spread the word - End the LEGALIZED BRIBERY!!! CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM needs to be THE main goal of the protests!!!
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Ending corporate personhood wouldn't actually do anything. That movie says a couple of feeble downsides to corporations being called people and doesn't really explain them or back anything up.
Some of the endeavors and investments of big firms are sort of scary like Monsanto and the patenting of genes. For the most part, corporate personhood makes it easier for tax purposes and legal purposes.