[lbo-talk] Bernie Sander's "saving democracy" amendment

[michael perelman]

There is a difference between abolishing corporations and abolishing
corporate personhood.  The history of these two concepts is fairly
complex.  Didn't the English Kings create a corporate charter for
London to give the city representation in Parliament as a partial
check on aristocratic power, which did not like paying taxes?  Later,
states gave corporate charters to monopolies, which were expected to
pay big kickbacks to the government from their profits.
In the United States, corporate charters were initially given only if
the proposed Corporation were able to perform a public service, such
as improving transportation or supplying water to the people.  Under
the Jackson administration, corporate charters were more freely
granted, but corporations were still somewhat controversial for the
next couple decades.

If my history is mistaken, I will be happy to be corrected.
-- 
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA
95929

530 898 5321
fax 530 898 5901
http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com