Thursday, February 23, 2012

Rights Are for Real People: Where the Infamous Citizens United Decision Came From and How to Overturn It | Truthout

Rights Are for Real People: Where the Infamous Citizens United Decision Came From and How to Overturn It | Truthout
"Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Americans cannot prevent corporations from spending unlimited money to control elections, politicians, and policy. In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the court ignored the fact that corporations are creations of state law with government-derived advantages and labeled them, in the words of Justice Anthony Kennedy, “voices,” “speakers,” and yes, a “disadvantaged person or class.” In this Wonderland, corporations are people, corporate money is “speech,” and laws restricting corporate political spending violate the First Amendment."