Corporations are not people

The organization Move to Amend is promoting a Constitution amendment that essentially says: corporations are not people and can be regulated, money is not speech and can be regulated.

Here are a couple of the talking points:

* The sole purpose of a corporation is to amass profit and consolidate wealth. They are legally required and structurally designed to make money at any cost. This makes them dangerous to people and democracy.

* The structure of a corporation separates humans from their actions. They destroy responsibility and hijack decision-making. They make humans do things collectively that they would never do as individuals: poison water, deny healthcare, and destroy the planet.

I question the "legally required … to make money at any cost." Some corporations (Ben & Jerry's ?) are well known for being responsible citizens and may do that at the expense of profits. And some corporations don't manage the trick of making money and go out of business. Even so, I agree with the rest of the statements above.

Move to Amend is planning an Occupy the Courts (including the Supremes) on Friday, January 20. There is a long list of courts to be occupied that day, including one in Detroit -- Theodore Levin US Courthouse, 231 W. Lafayette. I'll have to contact the organizer for times. It is on a day I don't teach.

There have been seven amendments proposed to fix the Citizens United decision. The Move to Amend finds they are either unclear (loophole!) or don't address both the corporate personhood and the money is not speech issues. Getting amendments approved is such a daunting process there will be one chance to get it right.