How Corporations Became People And How You Can Fight Back

Corporations have become increasingly powerful in recent years, and they have been using their power to influence our government and economy in ways that benefit them at the expense of the rest of us. This article explains how corporations became people and what we can do to fight back.

Unequal Protection: How Corporations Became "People"—and How You Can Fight Back

by Thom Hartmann

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4362 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	385 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

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How Corporations Became People

The concept of corporate personhood is a relatively new one. In the early days of the United States, corporations were not considered to be people, and they had no rights or privileges under the law. However, in the late 19th century, a series of Supreme Court decisions began to grant corporations the same rights and privileges as natural persons.

One of the most important of these decisions was the 1886 case of Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad. In this case, the Court held that corporations were "persons" within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits states from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

This decision opened the door for corporations to use the courts to protect their rights, and it also allowed them to participate in the political process. Corporations can now lobby Congress, donate to political campaigns, and even run for office.

The rise of corporate personhood has had a profound impact on our society. Corporations now have more power than ever before, and they are using that power to shape our laws and our economy in ways that benefit them at the expense of the rest of us.

How Corporations Use Their Power

Corporations use their power in a variety of ways to influence our government and economy. They lobby Congress to pass laws that benefit them, they donate to political campaigns to get candidates elected who will support their agenda, and they even run for office themselves.

Corporations also use their power to control the media. They own newspapers, television networks, and radio stations, and they use these outlets to promote their own agenda and to attack their opponents.

The result of all of this is that corporations have a disproportionate amount of influence over our government and economy. They are able to use their power to shape our laws, our economy, and even our culture in ways that benefit them at the expense of the rest of us.

How to Fight Back

There are a number of things that we can do to fight back against the power of corporations. We can:

• Support candidates who are committed to fighting corporate power.
• Donate to organizations that are working to fight corporate power.
• Boycott products and services from corporations that are abusive or exploitative.
• Educate ourselves about corporate power and how to fight it.

By taking these steps, we can help to create a more just and equitable society where corporations are held accountable for their actions.

Corporations have become increasingly powerful in recent years, and they are using their power to influence our government and economy in ways that benefit them at the expense of the rest of us. We need to fight back against corporate power by supporting candidates who are committed to fighting it, donating to organizations that are working to fight it, boycotting products and services from corporations that are abusive or exploitative, and educating ourselves about corporate power and how to fight it.

Unequal Protection: How Corporations Became "People"—and How You Can Fight Back

by Thom Hartmann

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4362 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	385 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE