Corporate Money Will Reshape Politics

[richlevy]

My only question is if you buy a politician and use a credit card, is it %1 OR %5 cash back?

Another 5-4 decision in favor of corporate 'rights'. GWB's appointments will be the gift that keeps on giving for the next 20-30 years.

Corporation are 'fictitious persons'. They can't be put in jail. They don't need or use public services unless they are programmed to 'care' or in those rare instances when they actually engage in long term thinking. So they don't go to PTA meetings or volunteer for the fire department.

The only way corporations can be punished is by government regulators or by courts awarding punitive damages. Depending on the administration, government oversight can be spotty and with the move towards tort reform, any caps in place might weaken the last inhibitor of corporate misbehavior.

We may be seeing memos like the infamous Ford Pinto memo.

Expected Costs of producing the Pinto with fuel tank modifications:

• Expected unit sales: 11 million vehicles (includes utility vehicles built on same chassis)
• Modification costs per unit: $11.00
• Total Cost: $121 million
  [= 11,000,000 vehicles x $11.00 per unit]

Expected Costs of producing the Pinto without fuel tank modifications:

• Expected accident results (assuming 2100 accidents):
  180 burn deaths
  180 serious burn injuries
  2100 burned out vehicles
• Unit costs of accident results (assuming out of court settlements):
  $200,000 per burn death*
  $67,000 per serious injury
  $700 per burned out vehicle
• Total Costs: $49.53 million
  [= (180 deaths x $200k) + (180 injuries x $67k) + (2100 vehicles x $700 per vehicle)]

It ended up costing Ford a lot more than that in reputation alone.