Punishing the Dragon

By Wayne Brown


Credit:

http://www.sott.net/article/264834-Why-do-we-love-psychopaths-and-sociopaths
//www.truthdig.com/report/item/this_how_we_should_actually_punish_bank_felons_20150622

Treating corporations as "persons" is a huge mistake but perhaps we can wind it back by expanding the criminal law as it applies to corporations. I agree that the *individuals* who control corporations must take responsibility for corporate crimes and be punished as thieves or, in some case, even murderers. But we *do* need ways to punish the *corporation*. The corporation has a life of its own and, as the article points out, hardly feels the sting of a multi-billion dollar fine.

The approach outlined above is equivalent to shunning and banning, which goes a long way back as punishment for individuals for the crimes of individuals. It's brilliant. Just turn our backs on the perpetrators!http://dragontheory.blogspot.ca/

Why not stop buying gas from BP and Exxon (pollution)? Why not stop recognizing American passports or putting all Americans on "no fly" list (millions of murders)? Why not ban convicted corporations from the public forum (no political donations, no lobbying), equivalent to not allowing felons to vote? Ultimately, a corporation exists under the laws of the State. The State may dissolve a corporation or revoke its license to do business within the borders of the State-- the equivalent of capital punishment. Too big to fail? That's like saying a we need to go easy on organized crime because it employs so many people.

The "immortality" of corporations is a myth. 

We urgently need a way to hold corporate "persons" accountable for the harm they do.

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