Saturday, February 18, 2012

OccupyFail: Corporations as people

The Citizens United Supreme Court decision affirming that corporations have free speech rights continues to rankle the left. At last Thursday night's Obama fundraiser protest in San Francisco, I saw this sign held by a man from Occupy San Jose:
"I'll believe Corp's are people when [San Jose] City Hall evicts one"
I explained to the protester that corporations are evicted if they don't pay their rent. That was news to him.

On the same theme, there is this sign from Occupy San Francisco (photo taken last October):
"I'll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one! -- I am the 99%"
Of course, corporations are executed, mercilessly, all the time: it is called Chapter 7 (liquidation).

At times, when dealing with people, logic is just irrelevant. In this case, in my opinion, the Occupy crowd is not expressing a legal theory about corporations; they are expressing emotional frustration with life. If conservatives/libertarians are going to respond effectively to their points, we need to address the emotion and not the logic.

PREVIOUSLY on the Occupy Wall Street movement:
Occupy Wall Street analyzes the Greek debt problem
"Occupy CPAC" protesters paid $60/day
Occupy Portland mob smashes windows
Occupy Portland blocks bridge, causes massive traffic jam
Occupy Oakland: the devolution
Occupy Portland explains its rape policy
News media report on terrorists and patriots
Occupy Portland protester loses it in front of KGW news
Occupy Portland and Michael Moore's hypocrisy
A Visit to Occupy San Francisco: photo essay
Occupy Oakland and Marxism: a video

2 comments:

defendit said...

The slogan/statement "corporations are not people" is Marxist/Occupy for "we do not recognize the freedom of association for any purpose other than for the purpose of communist revolution. There is only room for one party and one organization."

John said...

Mr. Defendit, I think you may have a point there.

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