Think Progress: Ron Paul disagrees with Romney: "Corporations are not people"

[sailingaway]

there's a video in this, too:

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/08/15/295646/ron-paul-mitt-romney-corporations-people/


Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who placed second in the Ames Straw Poll over the weekend, took a far different view when speaking with ThinkProgress. Unlike Romney and his own son Rand, Ron Paul argued that corporations are “obviously” not people. “People are individuals,” Paul affirmed. “They’re not groups and they’re not companies.”

KEYES: What did you make of Mitt Romney’s statement that “corporations are people” yesterday?

PAUL: Obviously they’re not. People are individuals, they’re not groups and they’re not companies. Individuals have rights, they’re not collective. You can’t duck that. So individuals should be responsible for corporations, but they shouldn’t be a new creature, so to speak. Rights and obligations should be always back to the individual.

[Jtorsella]

Yeah I just was about to post this. He's right but it might be taken as saying that they shouldn't be allowed to spend on campaigns.

[specsaregood]

Yeah I just was about to post this. He's right but it might be taken as saying that they shouldn't be allowed to spend on campaigns.

Except he is on record on that issue. The point being the right does not belong to the company entity, but the individuals behind the company.

[matt0611]

Corporation aren't people, they're just an association of people.

Doesn't mean people don't have rights because they are apart of a group.
You can't limit a groups free speech because you are limiting individuals free association and free speech by doing that.

To be fair to Mitt though, and believe me I have no love for him (being from MA).
I think what he meant to say is that: Corporations are just (groups of) people. They're not just these evil entities that liberals make them out to be.
They are not individuals yes, but they are made up individual people.

[Tarzan]

I completely agree with Ron Paul. The whole notion that corporations have the same rights as individual American citizens is ludicrous. Unfortunately, there are a number of court rulings that support this incorrect notion under the law. Including the recent ruling that allows corporations to create Super PAC and circumvent election laws and contribution limits.

I have a legal argument that could work to overturn all this nonsense. Since corporations are made up of individuals and these individuals retain all their rights under the constitutions, allow these individuals to also be considered individuals with rights under the guise of a corporation they are, therefore, double represented.

To put a finer point on it; it is completely legal for one individual to create a corporation over which they would have complete autonomy. This one individual would be able to exercise their rights twice... or, a many times as they have created or belong to a corporation... thus making them 'super citizens' which violates the rights of all other citizens not so represented.

No one loses their rights because they are part of a corporation... but, nether should they become super citizens with multiple instances of individual rights.

Somebody would have to get this in court... but I think it is a viable legal argument that could begin the overturning of all of these laws giving corporations the rights of individuals.