___________________________________
Photo: devil/angel businessman logo is taken from the film “The Corporation”

Please tell me, I’m not the only one infuriated today… I am beginning to empathize with the passion and indignation that motivated Thomas Paine to write his provocative treatise, “Common Sense,” which was directed at the injustice of colonialism spurred by the Monarchy of England. For we are in an era of another type of colonialism – spurred not by a monarchy – but by the capitalistic greed of powerful corporations that rule just as tyrannically as the monarch’s of the past (if not more so).

Yesterday, our Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, deciding to reject the “Corporate Spending Limit” setting precedent for uninhibited political funding from corporations and labor unions. In essence, this decision gives corporations more individual rights, in effect more power then was ever intended. In the thought-provoking book and subsequent documentary film, entitled “The Corporation,” Joel Bakan et al, candidly explore the rise of the corporation throughout it’s short history and ruthlessly uncover the unconstitutional behavior of the most powerful corporations. As Jurgen Fauth, states in his review of the film:

One unique aspect of corporations is that they claim the constitutional rights of persons–the right to privacy, the right to property, and so forth. The film takes the next logical step and asks, if this is the case, what kind of a person is the corporation? The answer, arrived at through a series of case studies, is not reassuring.

The film lays out it’s argument that as a person, the corporation is not a good one, in fact, corporations are much like the bully who steals your lunch money in elementary school, except this bully, is also the Principal, Superintendent and Nurse. Basically, corporations are freeing themselves of prudent accountability – to government, to their consumers, and to their shareholders – they have risen above the role of a mere citizen to that of a Super-Citizen.

Suffice to say, if the corporation was too powerful before yesterday (many would agree that they were) this decision has given them a red carpet to a full political coup d’etat. As they now have unregulated access to advertise (for or against), lobby, and back any political party/figure that best suites their agenda. This decision has little, if any, precedent in the history of our Judicial system, and seems to be driven by the influence of the Neoliberal’s who were in office, pre-Obama, and put into place a structure of government that has slyly shifted the power from the public sector (we the people) to the private sector (corporations).

This is a scandalous, unprecedented attack on our right as citizens of this democracy, and is going to change the game of politics for the worse… and yes, it could be worse. Below are some things I’m thinking about relating to this decision:

• What does this do to our local government? Will local corporations heap more clout and money toward influencing state and local elections to push their agenda or political party?
• How do Labor Unions fit in this puzzle, who’s side are they on?
• Will this lead to Senators wearing logo tagged jumpsuits like NASCAR drivers?
• Who will Congressmen and women be accountable to? The corporations that fed their re-election budget or the people who elected them?
• In the shift from public democracy to privatized government, who wins? We are already becoming aware that our pace of consumerism is not sustainable, and with corporations gaining control of government who will look out for the rights of the people (or the consumer)?
• Corporate Wars? Will the wars fought today, be branded more outrightly than the past (I am aware, a lot of the wars fought in the past 30 years were based on economic issues and not issues of injustice, but I’m wondering if they will continue to be sold as justice, rather than competitive advantage.)?
• and much much more is stewing….

What do you think? Does this change how you see the game?