The question of corporations as people raises many more issues than it solves. I will mention several of the unresolved topics and questions that this raises.
Since this was raised in the context of political funding, lets start there. Instead of a corporation funding a candidate for President of the United States, or a PAC backing that candidate, since it is a person, why can’t it run for President itself? It would have to be 35 years of age, and “born” or incorporated in the United States. What would satisfy the doubters who want to see its “birth certificate” though? Since Big Oil can practically elect anyone they want as President or Vice President already (after they serve as Governor of Texas or Alaska), it wouldn’t make much difference. (Now you see how I can post this on an energy blog.) The question is, if a corporation is elected President, who would serve in the Oval Office? Would it be the CEO (as in the case of Dick Cheney for Vice President), or would a bigger desk be needed to accompany the entire board of directors? Would the CFO automatically become the Sec. of the Treasury? In fact, what is to prevent a corporation from running for every political office in the country at the same time, if it has a presence in that state or community? They certainly can contribute to all such races.
Now lets move on to growing up issues. Who are the parents of a young (under age 18) corporation? The venture capitalists or entrepreneur who founded it, the board of directors again representing the stockholders, or the CEO? Does the corporation have to go through K-12 schooling? Is it prevented from voting until it is 18 years old? Is it prevented from serving liquor at parties until it is 21? Can it not drive any vehicles until it is 16? Is it illegal for it to merge with other corporations until it is 18 years old?
Finally, lets move on to mergers. Before considering the legality of mergers, we have to determine if corporations have male and female sexes, or are uni-sexual, or multi-sexual. If they are unisexual, all mergers would be forbidden by laws that require marriages only between a male and a female. If some are male and some female, only male-female mergers would be allowed. I think steel and oil companies would be male, but the fashion industry would be female. Why they would merge is beyond me.
Again, many constitutional amendments and supreme court decisions will be necessary to settle these questions of corporations as people.
