Why do we tolerate turning over our democratic rights to corporations?

[white_wolf]

I really don't understand why we tolerate corporations to exist. In a free society should we really be forced to turn over our rights to free speech just so we can have a job? I don't think so, but it happens all the time. If you say the wrong thing at work you can be fired. The modern corporation is the most anti-democratic institution there is. It is closest in structure to a medieval kingdom. You have the king(CEO) and his council of nobles(Board members) on top, and below them you have the serfs(workers) who really have no rights within in this institution. They exist only to make profits for the company and if they dare speak out against the business they are fired.

To me there is nothing more than a form of coercion and an assault on democratic rights. The libertarians may say it's not coercion since you can always quit, but if you quit you have no means to provide your family with food,shelter, or medical care. To my mind being forced to work under threat of starvation is no better than being forced to work under threat of getting shot, both are forms of slavery.

[Odin2005]

1. For the same reason most peasants never though of offing their lord.

They were indoctrinated into believing that the way things were was the "natural order of things".

[villager]

2. Because we believe the lies that it's "bipartisan," or "reasonable," or "just for now"

But of course, we don't get those rights back.

[valerief]

3. Men with guns defend them. nt

[Doctor_J]

13. But the gun culture will tell you that the 2nd amendment should preclude that

that the ridiculously lax gun laws in the US make it possible for the proletariat to not be tyrannized by "men with guns"

[white_wolf]

23. Yeah because the proletrait can really afford the same weapons and

training as the soldiers of fortune that guard the rich. :sarcasm: I hope the gun culture has a better defense than that one up their sleeve.

[valerief]

30. You mean the empty skulls? The foot shooters? The I-hate-to-thinkers? nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. You don't even have free speech rights when you're off the clock

Say the wrong thing (or post the wrong pictures) on Facebook and you could find yourself out of a job the next day.

[lindysalsagal]

5. Burger King, Playstation, Cocacola, pizza delivery, HD tv, Ipods, iphones

designer jeans, sneakers, cars, rap stars, family feud, Wheel of fortune, Jersey Shore, fake nails, french fries, home grown pot....

[ixion]

6. home grown pot doesn't belong on that list.

Just sayin'... :smoke:

[WinkyDink]

7. Because organic veggies are free? Because bicycles are free? Because arable land is free?

[white_wolf]

8. Corporations are the only ones who can provide those.

Farmer owned co-ops could easily provide our vegetables, worker owned factories could produce our bicycles, arable land should be turned over to those farmers co-ops I mentioned.

[lindysalsagal]

22. I stand corrected. But there is something to be said for a society that allows

flagrant drug use. It keeps some of us medicated and others fighting amongst each other. Both adequate distractions, both keep us dependent and manipulated.

[white_wolf]

24. Our modern day bread and circus. nt

[Recovered Repug]

9. Free speech is protection from government action.

There is no such thing as freedom from consequences. Why is that such a difficult concept for people to understand?

[white_wolf]

10. Then perhaps our goverment should enact a law forcing employers to respect our democratic rights.

The fact remains that corporations are totalitarian organizations, whose very existence is antithetical to democratic principles.

[Recovered Repug]

11. By your standards, Democratic Underground does not

respect our democratic rights. Why should there be moderators? Why should anyone ever get tombstoned or posted get deleted? What right do moderators have to lock threads and deny free and open discussion? I'm sure a Democratic Underground that respected our democratic rights would be - to say the least - very interesting.

[white_wolf]

12. Your analogy is false for a few key reasons.

DU isn't exploiting us. Secondly and most importantly, DU isn't forcing us under threat of losing our means of livelihood to conform to their rules. If we get banned from DU, we don't have to worry about our families losing healthcare, food, shelter, etc. Corporations force you to work for them and obey their rules or lose the means to provide for your family. That is coercion.

[Recovered Repug]

14. Corporations force you to work for them?

No, a person is hired to perform a task for a specified amount of money. Now, there may be rules on how the task is completed, work schedule etc, but the employee chooses to follow those rules when they get the job. Should they choose not to follow the agreed upon rules, they will more than likely get fired. Any employee has a right to leave employment upon request and they will not be kept by force.

This applies to both evil corporations and a mom & pop operation. Perhaps it would be best for you to start and run your own business.

[white_wolf]

18. They don't force you directly via holding a gun to your head,

well at least not anymore, though they used to send armed thugs to break up strikers. However, their methods are a bit more sophisticated now. Now they can simply say "work for us, do as your told, don't question us or lose your means to support you family and condemn them to poverty and possibly death." Either via the gun or threat of starvation you are being forced to work for the profit of others. They don't call it wage slavery for nothing. You are doing the work, while the nobles are stealing the fruits of your labor.

[Recovered Repug]

19. Then, what is preventing you from starting your own business?

You seem to know how to run one properly, so start your own.

[white_wolf]

20. A lot of things stop me.

For one. I lack the adequate capital to start up a business. Secondly, let's assume I did. I would have to find a market where that is virtually untapped, because it is very difficult to overcome the various oligopolies that run our economy. If I were to start a local retail store, I would be forced to complete against the likes of Wal-Mart and Target, who could easily force me out of business by undercutting my prices, as the can afford to sell things at a lower rate than I could as small business owner. That is the reason so many small towns hate when Wal-mart comes in, because it signals the death of small business. Secondly I've seen about 4 local restaurant chains ran out of business by Ruby-Tuesday's. These are just examples to show that simply say "start your own company" isn't a good answer to the problem we face in this country.

[larwdem]

27. money

money smart ass

[FiveGoodMen]

36. Ironic first name

[JustAmused]

15. LOL

Not too recovered are you ???

[Recovered Repug]

Simple fact. nt.

[white_wolf]

33. it is neither simple or a fact

[Doctor_J]

16. As with most of our major national problems, this one could be solved

with an aggressive purge of Big Media and Hate Radio. Those two entities go a long way toward keeping the ruling class safe. If the propaganda were halted and the citizenry heard the truth for a couple months, the rulers, including the corporate masters, would be trembling with fear for their lives, and with good reason.

[white_wolf]

21. Oh I completely agree.

We need to break up the six media conglomerates that own our airwaves and we need to reinstate and enforce the Fairness Doctrine. You are correct, if people knew what was going on things would change quickly. A poster the other day quoted Henry Ford who said: "If people ever learned how money was made, there would be a revolution the next day."

[lindysalsagal]

25. I'm in canada every summer, and the difference in feeling is remarkable. Canadians are citizens firs

first and consumers second of third or somewhere further down the list.

Their radio and tv is so much people-oriented, rather than product. We're so accustomed to the marketing that we really believe it is our purpose, and we voluntarily give up our own self-determination.
George Orwell was right.

[OneGrassRoot]

31. Absolutely. n/t

[RegieRocker]

17. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Dependency widens with every moment. Are you really going to attack corporations in any form when you have 401k's? LOL

[provis99]

26. aren't 401k's fascinating?

You make more money in your 401k if the corporations reduce labor costs, thus increasing profit. So your 401k increases when your wages shrink. Even when you win, you lose!

[guitar man]

28. Because we are cowards

We've become a nation of cowed, simpering cowards while a very few rutheless and very powerful people have managed to put their foot squarely on our necks. And all the while we are too frightened and/or apathetic to muster the collective courage as a common people to do what is necessary to get their foot off.

The only danger I see for the aristocratic class is that in their grand scheme, they're getting lighter and lighter on the bread and heavier on the circuses. I wonder if enough widespread hunger would force us to grow a backbone....

[Bryn]

29. Because we are outnumbered by conservatives?

Nearly all in my family and relatives are conservatives. I can't understand this. x(

[OneGrassRoot]

32. Good question, white_wolf. K&R n/t

[Major Hogwash]

34. Because we're all sponsored by some damn company or another

Can't break the contract to stop wearing this ballcap with the logo, ya know.

What I don't understand is why don't the Democrats enforce the anti-trust laws that are already on the friggin' books and break up some of these megacorporations.

[white_wolf]

35. because the dems are mostly bought.