A Real Dumb Question & Idea - Could The American People Incorporate?........

[global1]

and if they did - they could become the largest single corporation ever. I'm thinking - if you can't beat them - join them - and play on their own playing field. This would give a whole new meaning to the term "Corporate America" and this corporation could use all the same accounting and other loopholes that the corporations use. Think of the lobbyists we could hire. Think about the power we would wield in D.C. and the states.

I know some of you will say that we already have the power - but we don't use it - that is the power to vote. The power to donate to the candidates of our choice. But for some reason that isn't working for us. I'm just looking for another way to skin the cat.

That's my insane thought for the night. I'm going to bed. I've had a bad day.

[LSdemocrat]

1. Theoretically, our government is a people's corporation

The President is the CEO, Congress is a kind of Board of Directors, and we the people are shareholders with the power to vote them all out if we so choose.

[global1]

2. That's The Response I Thought I Get - But You Did Say Theoretically......

I'm sure that's what they like us to think - but really - do you feel part of a corporation.

I just thought if we approached it from another angle maybe - we begin to get some attention.

We might even be able to get TARP money - and give ourselves bonuses. We can be self insured for a healthcare plan. And if we get into trouble - we just go to the government to bail us out - because they couldn't let a corporation so big - go bust. Of course - we could always declare bankruptcy if things really get bad.

We could sell stock. Which could be traded on the market. Get foreign investors. Shelter our money offshore.

Come on - if the corporations are treated like individuals - why can't we individuals be treated like a corporation.

This is really - way, way out there - I must get some sleep.

[Chulanowa]

3. Do I feel like part of a corporation?

The larger a corporation is, the more impersonal it is, and the less stock you hold, the less you count for. So, well, yeah.

[global1]

5. I Don't Know That That Is True.....

I'm thinking the larger the corporation is - the more powerful it is. It might be impersonal for those that work in the corporation - but - who cares - we'd be employing Senators and Congressmen, lobbyists, MSM.

Who cares if they would count for less. Come on - Power to the People!!!!!!!

We could even take out corporate image ads on the networks. How cool.

Come on people - work with me here. There's got to be some benefits to this. Otherwise we wouldn't be posting here at DU all these diatribes about the 'corporations' that are running America.

Like I said originally - if you can't beat them - join them. Beat them at their own game.

[LSdemocrat]

7. You have that power already... your vote

If you don't like the whoever's in charge now, you can vote to have them thrown out. Your power would be no different in a real corporation as a shareholder.

[global1]

8. We Wouldn't Have Just Two Parties To Choose Our Candidates From........

the world is our oyster. Right now we have to vote for whomever they give us to vote for. As a corporate entity - we can really put the most qualified person up and not just the ones that they tell us are the most qualified.

And an afterthought here - we could implement 'term limits' in our corporation. We wouldn't have board directors for life - like we do now with some of our Senators & Congressmen. We'd just hold a Board Meeting - and kick the bums out.

Again - come on people - work with me here. There must be some redeeming benefits to being a corporation. Otherwise - why do we continue to criticize existing corporations here on DU?

[Chulanowa]

9. If only it were that easy. Let's have a look at it via math and social dynamics

I am 1/207,643,594th of the country's voting population. That's a tiny number. Such a tiny per tiny, that google calculator multiplies it by ten to the power of negative nine rather than giving me a full list of numbers. I'm less than a millionth. So are you, of course.

Thus the only way our votes "count" is if we can convince the greater part of 207,643,593 people to vote with us. Naturally this is a daunting task, and in order to maximize the number of people who will agree with us, we need as few candidates to throw our votes at as possible. Thus our two-party system, where both the greater and lesser portions of the voring population have one guy they can more or less agree with, and that they more or less agree is better than the other side's guy.

So then we vote. In most elections, our votes don't count. The majority of voters are a "granted", that is, if htye show up to vote, they're going to vote party line without batting an eye. Thus it ends up that the "swing voters" are the ones who really count.

In order to court the "swing voters" both candidates will try to look as similar to each other as possible, in order to try to win over some of the swing vorters leaning to their opponent, and maybe even a few of their opponent's weaker "base" voters.

The end result is that from our nations founding to the present day, actual change has never been affected by the voter, because the voting system in the United States of America is designed to maintain a centrist status quo. Each major change in our history has been instituted not by vote, but by legislative process or executive fiat.

When we mix in the Electoral College and the advantage money grants, the process becomes even more farcical. Due to age restrictions, incumbency advantages, and various assorted party rules and legislative "seniority" perks, the government actually lags an average of two generations behind its population in terms of thinking. Same reason we fight every war as if it were the last war we fought.

By all counts, this system is godawful for anyone who is not a disinterested, uninformed "swing voter", whom it favors, but who doesn't care anyway. But.. .For the moment it's what we have, and it is better than dictatorship of some sort.

[global1]

4. Cool - The Advertisements That Are Popping Up In This Post Can Help......

us incorporate. Let's see - a Delaware Corporation maybe. Isn't that the state where most companies incorporate in. Maybe Joe Biden would be able to help us.

[LSdemocrat]

6. Ok, I'll take it further

Instead of stock, we issue bonds sold overseas, mainly to China at this point
Vote ourselves bonuses? - Government services, Social Security, Welfare, Roads, Infrastructure, etc.
Corporate shield? - Let's put it this way, China isn't exactly going to sue you personally if the government doesn't make our interest payments.