Mitt Romney made headlines last Sunday when he told a group of Iowa State Fair hecklers, "Corporations are people, my friend."
When the hecklers shouted, "No they're not!" he continued:
“Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people. Where do you think it goes?”
File this statement under the category of Things That Make You Go 'Hmmmm.'
The notion that 'corporations are people' has become a defining statement of Romney's presidential candidacy -- and as we continue to encourage discussion among our political bloggers about the candidates, we thought we'd put the question to them this week: Are corporations really people, even figuratively?
What do you think?
After Romney made that remark last year, Democrats were quick to use it against him.
"It is a shocking admission from a candidate — and a party — that shamelessly puts forward policies to help large corporations and the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class, seniors and students," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in a statement.
Mr. Romney's connection with Bain Capital as its co-founder, a firm that often improved the overall health of its companies by cutting jobs and salaries, doesn't exactly make him seem like the most caring potential leader of the United States.
But Republicans argue that healthy corporations result in increased job opportunities and a more robust economy, thus improving the lot of hard-working Americans.
Legally, corporations are recognized as people- Personhood extends to corporations, allowing them to own property, be sued, or conduct business in the same manner as an individual.
Yet the statement that 'corporations are people' tends to infuriate people who hear it, particularly on the heels of a recession and in a time where the Occupy Wall Street movement has gained so much traction.
Here's what our political bloggers have to say on the subject:
Corporations Can Be Good People
Corporations Are More Tin Men Than People
Corporations Are NOT People, My Friend
Corporations Are People Any Way You Look at Them
Image via Austen Hufford/Flickr
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Comments 24
Until then, if they are not going be held accountable to the same laws as ordinary people they should not have the same rights as ordinary people. Of course, that will never happen, god forbid we demand justice from a corporation whose greed and negligence causes serious harm to many people!!!
I'll always believe that we all want the SAME thing underneath it all, we just have different approaches.
Expat, please don't forget the Democratic apologists and "shields" for corporations, too. It goes both ways. GE - a massive corporation - has been getting all kinds of tax breaks and favors from a Democratic Administration. And there are plenty of others (hello, movie industry). The corruption is on both sides of the fence.
On a technical note: corporations by definition are faceless, impersonal legal entities, for their operation and protections. They are not people, only payroll overhead that must justify itself every quarter.
As for the pet theory "healthy corporations result in increased job opportunities and a more robust economy" ... hm, think shoulder pads and disco... strains of Trickle Down — how soon we forget.
Yeah right.. "Corporations are people too!!". Give me a break. They are as much like a person as my cat. Allowing them to influence elections is so against what our founding fathers set out to do.
But yeah, stick with that class warfare stuff, you can get your righteous indignation emotional jollies, and it is much easier than learning and thinking...
Hate employers! Hate business! Vote democrat!