I know there's a problem with "corporate personhood", but why does that mean we don't have the right to know what's going on inside these machines? Is our "personhood" any less legitimate?

Larry,
I have been complaining about "corporate personhood" for a long time here and elsewhere. I have two things to say about this blog-item. First, counties like Delaware Co will gravitate to the complete package deal because local politicians do not want to levy the tax increases needed to absorb more of the election cost burden. If the commissioner of a county sign a contract which provides a soup-to-nuts service, they will take it to avoid the issue of taxes. Elections do not roll around often enough for them to believe they'll be tagged with (or remembered for) selling out to a service contractor. Secondly, here is what I believe is the central difference in a "corporate" citizen and a mortal citizen: death. They do not die unless by suicide (vote of the shareholders) or revocation of charter (by act of government via long litigation). If you are someone who can't die, how are you going to view your responsibilities to all the folks who can and do die? If all you need to breath and eat is a reasonable return shown on your accounting, and all the responsbility you have by law is to keep showing that reasonable return, don't you think you'd have a different attitude toward all those mortals who have to get their kids thru school, go to the PTA meeting, pay for orthodontic work, fix the roof on the house, pay for the water and sewer improvements, argue over taxing one another? If my life were restricted only to selling for a profit, and any time I got in serious trouble all I had to do was say "punish me and you deny my legal right to a continued existence"---don't you think I would have an entirely different hourly-daily-monthly-yearly agenda than you, a mere mortal?

So, "personhood" is not illegitimate, but it has become second or third class. And we let it happen and we don't fight back. How do you fight something that is immortal? (Hint: suicide is invoked or charters that grant life are revoked).

Perhaps officials will begin to reject the state of denial that exists.

Katrina security, foreign policy, and voting practices are denied as a habitual knee-jerk. It is too massive to admit perhaps.

Tony Blair is trying to escape the denial. He has publicly admitted Iraq is a disaster.

That is big of him, and it is time for election officials to admit the election katrina disaster conditions in the machines they have accepted as produced.

"Stay the course" is not the way of democracy, it is the way of lunacy.

gtash #2

Very good point!
I feel like a fruit fly.

I think some very good legislation that will never get passed is a bill to prevent large, deep pocket, corporations from getting a better price while buying in bulk!

I've never heard anyone bring this up, but it obviously slants the field against any small business and is every bit as dangerous as a giant merger.

Wallmart is about to squeeze it's competition in a very big way, by offering drugs at unbelievable prices. American are hopelessly addicted to these expensive drugs and will literally flock there to pick up their drugs and shop. Americans are very proud to make a shrewed deal and will walk out feeling like they've out smarted big-pharma.

SUCKERS!