NationStates Jolt Archive


What rights do corporations have?

Exomnia
17-02-2006, 03:51
I was reading the wikipedia article on Legal Entities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_person) when it hit me. If corporations are legally persons do they have a sort of reduced set of human rights? I know they can own stuff, duh. But philosophically what other rights do they have?
New Genoa
17-02-2006, 03:57
They aren't people, so in my opinion, really don't have rights. Government should recognize the people who OWN the corporations, not the corporations itself as a legal entity.
Exomnia
17-02-2006, 04:00
They aren't people, so in my opinion, really don't have rights. Government should recognize the people who OWN the corporations, not the corporations itself as a legal entity.
Did you read the wikipedia article? They are considered people legally for convienence.

There is also the downside of being considered a person, corporate manslaughter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_manslaughter).
New Genoa
17-02-2006, 04:04
Did you read the wikipedia article? They are considered people legally for convienence.

I think limited liability is a big problem there.
Perkeleenmaa
17-02-2006, 04:19
"Legal personhood" is a procedural shortcut, not a grant of officially recognized humanity. Sometimes Americans don't get this (since the law in America is a bit unclear about this).
Cannot think of a name
17-02-2006, 04:24
Old school primer (http://www.archive.org/stream/what_is_a_corporation/what_is_a_corporation_256kb.mp4) (broadband)

Slowpoke connection (http://www.archive.org/stream/what_is_a_corporation/what_is_a_corporation_64kb.mp4)
Lacadaemon
17-02-2006, 04:36
I was reading the wikipedia article on Legal Entities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_person) when it hit me. If corporations are legally persons do they have a sort of reduced set of human rights? I know they can own stuff, duh. But philosophically what other rights do they have?

They get limited due process, freedom of speech, jury trials, standing to sue, bankruptcy protection, that kind of thing.

But as someone pointed out, they aren't real people.
Straughn
17-02-2006, 05:26
http://www.thecorporation.com/

I recommend y'all peruse here. The flick is well worth your time.
Also, i recommend taking note of IBM's "service call" issue, the water privatization issue, and the "Fanta" issue.
Especially the IBM issue, though.

And on a funnier note, i'm not really sure if that's Dobbs or not.
But that's about as funny as it gets on this issue.
Harlesburg
17-02-2006, 05:29
Corporations suck.
Lets outsource jobs.