Should Corporations be allow to give money to political candidates?

[Zinfandel]

I feel Corporations should absolutely be stripped of their status as "equal" and with the same civil rights as human beings. Undoubtedly, it should also be completely illegal for corporations to donate to political campaigns or political parties...the right-wing (who ARE the corporations) would go crazy & insane, saying it's against freedom of speech, etc...Not true. Corporations are not individuals and should not have the same rights as we do.

‘Like most here, I'm no fan of corporations. They are legally considered "persons", with the same or greater rights than you or I. They are legal constructs, soulless yet immortal, that shield individuals (management, shareholders, etc.) from true liability for their actions. They have far more economic and political power than individuals and pretty much steamroll their way over individuals who get in their way. I would strongly favor changing the status of corporations so that they have no rights at all, nor the legal status of persons, and instead are what they originally were - free associations of individuals who come together to conduct business.’

But that's the republican lie, their version of freedom of speech...we allow corporations the same rights as individuals and with their massive amount of money, they give to the party they own, the Republican party...they distort, they donate for tax shelters & tax cuts and favorable laws to exploit and pollute, making it near impossible for the people to demand unions to look after them. To ensure they receive fair wages and medical benefits. Corporations see much more to their liking---the Wal Mart way---extremely low wages, no extra overtime pay, forcing workers to work harder and longer hours and without any or the bare minimum of medical benefits.

Until the laws are change and putting individuals rights above the corporations, stopping corporations from having the same status as people, we are going to continued to get fucked over more and more...corporate greed knows no bounds, (they want and need to see higher profits every quarter, and the quickest & easiest way, is to pay no taxes, to cut workers wages and benefits, make the workers produce more for less pay) only the limitations and the restraints we put on them, might stop them from reaching their goal of a corporate slave world of robots, where they reap all the benefits & profits and complete & total power forever.

What a sick sci-fi madness this reality is becoming.

[DenverDem]

1. This is one of the first things that must be done by President Kerry.

Take America back from the corporatist traitors.

[bryant69]

2. It's tricky

You've heard of the old line "Well the operation was a success but the patient died." I mean corporations employ millions of Americans. They are central to our economy. If he openly declares war on corporations; well, than that's not going to be good for the economy.

On the other hand he can focus on bad corporate actions; offshore banking for example. Given what we know about how that was used to fund the 9/11 attacks and other potential terrorist activity, it's bizarre that there hasn't been a crack down yet.

There are also things he should do to provide health care for all.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[DenverDem]

4. Regulating business does not mean shutting them down.

It just means stripping corporations of "human" rights. Business will go on without giving them all the power in the country.

[leftyandproud]

5. I'm afraid..

doing this would greatly increase the risk to those with the $$$ to invest in starting a business...It won't be worth the trouble for many of them, knowing a single accident could wipe them out financially. Corporate "personhood" allows the risk to be spread among many shareholders, making it easier to get large sums of cash together for major projects..and of course, hiring thousands in the process. If you increase the risk in anything, you get fewer people doing it. That's a universal fact.

[w4rma]

3. Corporations should not be able to. The individuals running them should

, of course, be able to, just like the rest of us who don't have a corporation to control (and hide behind).

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. We need Clean Elections

Mandatory. we're doing it voluntarily here in Maine, and I think it's making a difference, but I'd love to see it mandatory nationwide.