With the rise of corporate money in politics, the
spread of trade agreements like TTIP, the attempt to bankrupt the State of
Virginia by a corporate land grab it’s clear democratic power is now
subservient to corporate power. This power structure equates to the
pre-democratic times where Kings, Barons and despots ruled the lives of common
serfs. England, France, Russia etc have all had bloody revolutions to remove
them. OK this is slightly different in that the suppressing armies are legal
teams, tax accountants, managers and shareholders but the effect is the same
and no doubt the results will be too. It’s amazing that people queuing up for
the guillotine aren’t paying more attention to historical precedents, but then
who would when it’s all going so swimmingly. By overpowering the legal systems,
democratic governments and tax systems they’ve become free to milk the cow of
the world. So how to break the mould before a bloody revolution? In the face of
this ubiquitous power a head on approach is likely to fail; a more judo
approach is necessary. Firstly our legal system is basically social. It
recognises that society exists even if Thatcher didn’t, and many actions of
corporate individuals in pursuance of corporate profit are directly harmful to
our society as a whole. So can we serve them with ASBOs? If a farmer can be ‘given an
ASBO and instructed to keep his geese
from damaging his neighbour's property’ surely Monsanto can be ASBOed for
threatening the whole farming industry. They
may be doing it ‘lawfully’ but can they be challenged on the more fundamental
grounds of causing social harm or using the law in an antisocial manner?
Alternatively in the American Psychiatric Association’s directory
of mental disorders, DSM 5 2013, the clinical definition of ‘antisocial
personality disorder’ might well be used to show that may corporate heads and
board members are sociopaths needing at least therapy if not sectioning. It’s
clear that the legal and psychiatric sectors have become solely focused on the
lower classes and studiously avoid the antisocial behaviour and personality
disorders of the wealthy and powerful. If companies such as Coca-Cola or
McDonalds can be proven to provide food that promotes wide spread obesity can
they, irrespective of their legal position, be deemed antisocial? Can their key
personnel, in pursuing that direction, be deemed to be acting antisocially and
prohibited from taking an active part in running the company? Can information
on Donald Trump be gathered to prove he has acute antisocial personality
disorder and be deemed unsuitable to hold a position of authority? From the
recent cases of sexual abuse it’s clear it was known about for years with
nothing said because the abusers were powerful but in the end they were
prosecuted. So how can we apply the law to the top end of the market? Oh I
never got on to politics, which is what Wiki(poli)tics was about.
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