
Supreme Court rejects limits on corporate spending in electoral campaigns - blasdel
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/21/AR2010012101724.html
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jcnnghm
"When government seeks to use its full power, including the criminal law, to
command where a person may get his or her information or what distrusted
source he or she may not hear, it uses censorship to control thought," the
court said in a decision written by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. "This is
unlawful. The First Amendment confirms the freedom to think for ourselves."

Seems like a fairly compelling argument to me.

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robotron
Corporations and unions are not sentient beings.

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jcnnghm
No, but they are composed entirely of sentient beings.

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logicalmind
Yes, but corporations are a way for sentient beings to skirt liability. A
corporation cannot go to prison for life. A corporation is designed with the
goal of producing profit for its sentient owners/shareholders. It has no
interest in leading a "healthy" life, only a profitable life.

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hga
A corporation can be put to death, and with no due process. See e.g. Arthur
Anderson, which was eventually exonerated by the Supreme Court. But long after
it was dead.

And that threat can get them to do crazy things, e.g. that's what wrecked AIG
a few years before the financial crisis.

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mieses
It's not a problem as long as politicians are required to report their funding
sources. One politician receiving a million dollars from a corporation is free
publicity for the opposing politician.

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hga
This doesn't change _anything_ about what companies can do _with_ politicians,
e.g. "coordinating" let alone contributions, both of those are still
forbidden.

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nfnaaron
I'm speechless, and the result of this decision will make that more so,
relative to rich non-person corporations.

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mieses
you're not entitled to equal power of speech or equal anything for that
matter. just freedom of speech. you can say anything you like. you have to
earn being heard.

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pmichaud
Yes, apparently with wads of cash instead of something like, oh I don't know,
rationale or expertise.

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mieses
I am an infallible bureaucrat working at the Ministry of Justice in
Communications and have judged that your comment should be deleted. Let me
remind you that while the system is not perfect, it is better than nothing.
Never mind the fact that I've worked out a deal to go work for R. Murdoch once
my stint at this shitty job is over.

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lurkinggrue
Fine, can we jail a few corporations now?

I would also like politicians to wear sponsor tags like nascar drivers.

I may as well be asking for a pony.

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pmichaud
I posted a day or two ago that I'm leaving the US, and I'm not kidding.

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jhancock
Where are you planning to go?

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hga
Some place with less freedom of speech, since that to the best of my knowledge
describes every other country in the world.

It makes a certain amount of sense: pmichaud is appalled by an increase in the
freedom of speech (really, a return to the pre-1990 normal state of affairs)
and wherever he goes, there will be less of it.

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Herring
_> The court split 5 to 4 over the ruling, with its conservative members in
the majority_

Can't say I'm surprised.

