all 12 comments

[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (11 children)

break up all corporations, mom and pop businesses only

[–]Tom_Bombadil 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun -  (10 children)

1 legal change could solve 90% of these issues.

Eliminate corporate personhood.

This will make owners liable for their corporate actions. Corporate owners get sued directly.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

How would it work though? Owners of a corporation are all of it's shareholders. Maybe the criminal sentence is divided up by ownership %. I'd be down for the whole board of directors to be criminally liable.

[–][deleted] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

In the US a corporation is legally a person. It's super retarded and hurts non-corporate people, like humans when it comes to political influence and legal power.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I'm actually pro corporate free speech and think that Citizens United was a correct ruling. I think I'm the only one.

I'm less familiar with how criminal liability and corporate personhood are related.

[–]Chipit 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

In China the legal representative of the company is liable for the company. They can and do go to jail when corporations break the law.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

They can and do go to jail when corporations break the law.

Yep. Imagine what things would be like in China if this wasn't the case.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Those who are in direct leadership positions would be liable for the actions of their corporations.

The corporate entity wouldn't be sued as a person. The individuals involved would be sued directly instead.
Investors would be liable for corporate activity, and would necessarily have greater influence in the activity of the corporation.

Corporate charters would no longer be permanent, but would need to be renewed yearly.

Charter renewal should only be granted by elected officials.

Corporate super-citizens are not citizens, and do not deserve the rights of humans.
They are perfect totalitarian institutions.
They are the literal inverse of democracy.

The world would be a more just place if they were abolished.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Sounds like a pretty good plan although

Investors would be liable for corporate activity, and would necessarily have greater influence in the activity of the corporation

this is like jamming a stick in the spokes of Wall St. It's probably too radical to ever pass but it sounds interesting. It would require some kind of radical transparency.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It would require some kind of radical transparency.

This wouldn't be a problem. Eliminating corporate personhood also eliminates the fraudulent individual rights that are granted to corporations.

No more 4th amendment protections. Search them, and seize them.

[–]Jesus 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It might be jamming a stick in the spokes of wallstreet, but having the legal representitives and shareholders be liable for malicious corporate activities would effectively curtail corporate shortcuts and bolster appropriate shareholder pursuits. If they could be sued directly this would give power back to the common person and provide them with a clean playing field. It would also hold corporations accountable for their misdeeds and these reprocussions would effectively increase shareholders pursuits into investing in good corporate practice.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah it would be great for a lot of reasons, but the second shareholders are help personally liable, there are no more shareholders because they are risk averse colleges, cities, retirement funds, etc. They would all bail and it would just break the whole thing. Maybe that's for the best, heck if I know.