One Man One Vote

Pres. Obama is not pleased by the ruling, but it remains to be seen what, if anything, can be done about it.

(PASO ROBLES, Calif.) - The assumption is that each individual is capable of thinking for himself provided he or she is old enough to vote. Whether it be true or not is a matter of opinion.

There is another sort of individual that exists in the corporate sense quite distinct from ordinary human beings, and it is to it that the Supreme Court directed its attention recently; the concept of individualism known as corporations, the purpose of which is to allow a business to continue to do business uninterrupted by the death or incapacity of primary members.

Partnerships do not enjoy the same privilege and seldom achieve the size of corporations. In its simplest term, the death of a partner puts an end to what legally was a business of all partners until that moment. If surviving partners want to continue doing business as before, they must create a new partnership unless they decide to dissolve the partnership by reverting to their individual character [there may be exceptions].

Corporations, on the other hand, because they are considered to be an “individual” never miss a beat. Corporations are legal entities that exist to avoid the bother of re-establishing themselves as do partnerships and are the larger, often much larger of the two.

The Supreme Court decided on a five to four split vote that since corporations are considered “individuals” in the legal sense, their management ought to be allowed to act as if they were one person. The ramifications could be astounding, especially when it comes to elections where corporations can now support with immense amounts of cash candidates of their choice. It would appear to give candidates a leg up over the competition and to create a bought political result favorable to corporate purposes.

The use of the definition “individual” seems to have been stretched, and President Obama is not pleased by the ruling, but it remains to be seen what, if anything, can be done about it.

I am not an attorney, and the law changes over time, so my comments could become the basis for a discussion by persons better informed.

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Kenneth G. Ramey was a 79-year old "writer without a Website" who is generating excellent, provocative articles on the subject of religion and world affairs. We are pleased that Ken's "lone wolf" presence as a writer in the world has been replaced by a spot on our team of writers at Salem-News.com. Raised in Minnesota and California during the dark years of the Great American Depression, Ken is well suited to talk about the powerful forces in the world that give all of us hope and tragedy and everything in between. You can write to Ken at: darken1@sbcglobal.net

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fishy moves February 1, 2010 11:58 am (Pacific time)

This is a terrible turn of events. Voters! Wake up and prepare to take back your country from the Corporations. Business is one thing, but corruption is another, and this just smells bad.

Natalie February 1, 2010 10:43 am (Pacific time)

Eureka! I'm glad to find out that I'm not just a perfectionist but a perfect cynic.

Roger von Bütow February 1, 2010 8:59 am (Pacific time)

"It is dangerous to be right when the government is so wrong." — Voltaire Not much seems to have changed in the 200+ years since Voltaire uttered those words......but then again I think that it WAS some Frenchman who said "The more things change the more the stay the same." An American comedian, George Carlin summed up how many feel, and to paraphrase: A cynic is just an idealist who feels betrayed, who has seen his hopes and dreams dashed on the rocks of reality. A cynic is someone who, when he smells flowers begins looking around for his own coffin.

Hank Ruark January 31, 2010 6:37 pm (Pacific time)

RvB: Your complex frustration truly appreciated, sir. BUT history, despite dark and black pages, also shows far more progress than regress esp. in America and despite our determined efforts to defy and deny what we've continued to learn since '76. My own return to realities is renewed with every classrm contact and talk with all teachers, intermittent but forever hopeful and helpful. Try that for remedy, while also absorbing "good news" bit by bit even from D.C. The future is there for us to control, at least in its foundation, by what we DO --or DO NOT DO !!-- NOW. That's the single most solid lesson of all history, for the few who will but learn...

Roger von Bütow January 31, 2010 6:15 pm (Pacific time)

Sorry, after I reviewed my posting I realized that I had typed over my main concern: Media are now mega-corporations or conglomerates, some of their team are even from unrelated fields, but nonetheless they manipulate to achieve their primary goal(s). Manipulation of political agendas is just the tip of the iceberg. Corporate advertisers control the media, and hence few indies like Salem-News can survive if they don't placate, if they don't "go along to get along." We're a representational form of government, one man never transposed into one vote at any level. We vote, basically delegating our power via a fiduciary expectation. Elected officials should be forced to sign compacts, renewable contractual agreements with the people. Break your campaign promises or compromise your ideals, sell out to corporate, special interest lobbyists against the will of your constituents and you're toast. A few years of this might be turmoil, but the turnover rate will slow down once politicians get thrown out and back-door, issues for sale to the highest bidder ends.

Roger von Bütow January 31, 2010 4:03 pm (Pacific time)

The media can ask all of the people they want for their opinion ad infinitum, take all of the polls or post the public's TWITTER responses ad nauseum. The reality is that although warned by Toffler, Orwell, Huxley et al, most folks mainline their news via attractive, empty headed TV and/or radio anchors and reporters sound bites, those 3 minute "In Depth" prefabbed value meals for the public whose lives are spent on the Go Go run. Then the same celebrity reporters that really only read copy and never actually investigate, promoted by their respective (NOT respectable) networks and stations, merely prompt for regurgitation public opinions. Like a computer program, garbage in becomes garbage out, these polls actually drive political will. Naively receiving and processing biased information, regardless of its left or right bend, can only result in pre-disposed responses. Socrates was asked his choice of suicide or execution when he encouraged, when he incited the youth of Athens to question such authority, even parental and traditional resources. We have gone backwards ever since that Golden Age. Somewhere back down the communication road in history we became overwhelmed by the sheer volume and rapidity of informational transference. So these new-fangled "Insta-Polls" reveal more about our culture as it becomes lazier and lazier, as it swallows what it's spoon fed. Ironic isn't it, there should be more intellectual scrutiny, more healthy criticism and dialogue because we have more data. Instead, the reverse has happened. We've gone wrong regarding corporate power, and unless Americans can impossibly wrest control from our feudal leadership, hold another Constitutional Convention on a level playing field (where are you gonna find that now?), then the emerging disappearance of the middle class will trigger confrontation. Two class societies are ripe for revolution, America without the social mobility of at least 3 such classes is stuck on the uncomfortable dime of US vs.THEM. Our world view has also withered, now it's USA vs. THEM. Maybe biologists are right. As a species, we're a dead end road.

Hank Ruark January 31, 2010 3:41 pm (Pacific time)

"Anon": Sir, I resent your patent and insulting assumption of whom I consider my master and savior. My record as independent journalist is right out there in the open, for all to see; whether agreeable or not,"I yam what I yam --and thass all I yam !" as favorite c-strip character would state. Re fund-involved, see whole series of Op Eds long before Nov. vote, and others pressing fact of Corporate Social Conscience as strongest area of instruction worldwide in leading business schools. Believe it or not, it is actually "catching on", via numerous dissertations and still other meaningful proofs. Your other points awkward, confused, but I note not one possibly positive forward step is suggested by YOU and your ilk. That one re "world hunger" has hung on ever since War II. Do you really believe even the strongest effort could have prevented either ? So it can serve ONLY as stillfurtherobfuscationbyyou for malign harassment here. Why NOT pick something so much more pragmatic, as in all the ways to confront, control and coordinate charters for predators prevalent ever since your documenting date of 1913? If you so sure-of-self on that outcome, why not elucidate and document, too ? As nation we have survived even worse-than-this; and can do so again when we enforce principles stated flexibly and presciently by our Founders. It is all too easy to buy a premise of failure/and/full disappearance, for their "experiment in democracy". We CAN STILL make of it what they would do, if they could.

Anonymous January 31, 2010 1:40 pm (Pacific time)

henry: your master and savior was voted in by the same money. Wall street gave obama so much money..well, that money could have ended world hunger. Nothing has changed, this has been going on since the beginning of time. This is not a repub/demo issue, this is the bansksters paying off the government just like they did in 1913. The only thing republicans and democrats fight over is who is going to keep their job. Mourning is dificult henry, but sometimes it is necessary to move on. Our country is gone, and its not the demo's or repub's, its the owner of the banks who made the false paradigme of left/right to start with.

Amanda January 30, 2010 9:43 pm (Pacific time)

Socialism, with a good dose of Capitalism is better than in reverse. I would not mind at all, I grew up under socialism, and my mother never had to worry about our health and welfare -and education..... A successful Nation has to have a good dose of socialism, or it is bound for destruction -because capitalism cannot exist on its own and leave the masses to fend for themselves.

Hank Ruark January 30, 2010 5:55 pm (Pacific time)

The concept of corporate personhood is result of very deliberate action to convert a legal fiction into a natural person. The precedent claimed by the key case (Santa Fe vs Southern Pacific R.R.) is known to have been perverted by admitted malign court reporter action, resulting in erroneous Supreme and other court decisions. It is an obvious falsehood now still claimed by this set of Supremes for very obvious political-pander purposes. The 14th Amendment interpretation used by corporations as misleading cover has run over the years around 50-to-1 by corporations while originally intended for former slaves and descendants. There is no way the current Supremes --ALL appointed by GOP Presidents-- could be unaware of historic classic investigations extremely well- documented, discussed deeply in leading law schools. Future dialog there will now be on how nail-down action by these S's was obtained, and by whom, part of attack on Obama objectives, out of desperate knowledge millions are now learning hidden truths once buried in our history. See current 3-part Seaside Signal Op Ed series and some ten or so previous OpEds since 2005 in detail re whole story. OR consult the main classic exposition: UNEQUAL PROTECTION: The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Theft of Human Rights; Thom Hartman;Rodale, 2004. ISBN: 1-57954-955-1.

Frances January 30, 2010 2:41 pm (Pacific time)

Does each individual think for himself? LOL Not when shown final proof of corporate power in the US (Supreme court decision) and I find so many still whining about a socialist takeover. Sure the big corporations are going to spend their money and deliver us to socialism, cutting their own throats. These people not only can't think for themselves, they are insane.

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