SNIP>>
>>Lets not forget that anyone can form a corporation. Its not like they are exclusive. The tax laws apply to everyone equally, you just need to learn them.
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>I know, even I as a foreign citizen can form one (and may still do). But if I go bankrupt as a person, according to the latest law, I'll get into debt forever; if I do the same as a huge corporation, I may negotiate forever.
>
>As I once heard, if you owe some, you're in debt; if you owe a lot, you're a business partner ;).
>
SNIP
I watched the first of a 3 part series called "The Corporation" last Wednesday night.
It was interesting how corporations evolved, roughly...

The earliest corporations were very very few in number, with charters granted by federal or state or municipal for specific public infrastructure works like water and roads and power and such.

The U.S. Civil War resulted in Amendment 14 to the Constitution of the U.S., generally abbreviated as the one specifying "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law".

Some time in the late 1800s the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favour of a claim that a corporation was entitled to the same rights and priveleges, effectively making a corporation "a person". This opened the flood gates towards what exists today.

But that wasn't all. Laws were passed making it corporate leadership's sole responsibility to do everything possible to increase the value of the corporation for the benefit of the shareholders.

The result has been a curious mix of personhood without the encumbrances of morals or ethic, the directive to do everything possible to increase the value taking prime placement and overruling other considerations.

Initially, corporations were satisfied with "externalizing" whatever they could. "Externalizing" was the use (or abuse) of other's assets, and most notably public assets, without paying for them in any way. This included things like polluting waterways/lakes and/or the air. In fact a good many of the public services existent today were brought about by pressure from corporations.

Today, as we know, corporate leaders have honed their skills and have marvellous contrivances to cover up deception and exploitation and to maximize the extraction of money from our governments, all the while promulgating their "engines of the economy" pedestal and simultaneously turning unions into pariahs of capitalism.

The "behaviour" of a corporation was shown to match - perhaps better than any individual can - the characteristics of a psychopath. The classical case in every sense!

One spokesman for the corporate world described 'globalization' this way (roughly):

A corporation finds a country where the people are extremely poor and so ready to work for very small wages which, nonetheless, represent good value to those workers. As that society becomes more wealthy and living standards rise, the corporation is forced to look for another place where the people are extremely poor. When they locate the place they close up shop in the former place and open up in the new place and the cycle starts anew. This is obviously a very good arrangement for everyone concerned.
- Who cares about the people who built up the corporation in the original place?!
- Who cares if the economy of the original place collapses?!

My own comment: The antidote allegedly is to buy shares in corporations and so become one of the beneficiaries rather than one of the victims. Right. Join with the devil rather than vanquish him. No thanks.

I hope this cheers your weekend up.