Comments on: Tough on Terror, Tough on Stains

Tough on Terror, Tough on Stains

jonson — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:02:51 -0800

Writer Merrill Markoe proposes a novel solution to the issue of having our elected officials turn out to be little more than political figureheads for corporate special interests; why not allow the corporations to run for office directly?

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:18:30 -0800

Hear, hear. Corporations, by law, have all the rights of a naturalized citizen. Why shouldn't they be able to run? That they can't is discrimination, pure and simple. And they can't vote, either! Those poor, victimized corporations. Donate now!

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:23:05 -0800

US Steel needs my money. Where can I pledge?

By: Cranberry

Cranberry — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:27:13 -0800

Ms. Markoe has lost none of the wit and wisdom that led her to leave David Letterman all those years ago.

By: effwerd

effwerd — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:33:07 -0800

And every year we could lease the name of the country to the highest bidder so even if IBM lost the election, given the right price, we could be the IBM States of America for a year. Same with all the notable offices and national landmarks. The Washington Monument brought to you by McDonald's. Speaking from the Red Bull Oval Office, president Coca-Cola addressed the nation's vending machine deficit.

By: agent

agent — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:33:33 -0800

I'm happy to say that Ms. Markoe's bit of clever non-statement brings us all a little bit closer to the heat death of the universe. As did this one.

By: dustsquid

dustsquid — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:34:23 -0800

Instead of running for office corporations should instead claim a right to be represented via population or petition for statehood as if they were territories. So how many representatives should the great state of Microsoft receive? Perhaps a compromise where each employee counts as 3/5ths of a person?

By: jonson

jonson — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:41:47 -0800

Sure, but when the former citizens of Microsoft win their freedom and move to Linux, will they be granted 40 GB & a Mule?

By: teferi

teferi — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:24:30 -0800

I'm utterly astonished that no one's mentioned Subsidized Time, a la Infinite Jest, yet, especially after effwerd's comment.

By: rob511

rob511 — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:28:20 -0800

From Markoe's bio: In the past year, Ms. Markoe has purchased fifteen monkey paintings. She's obviously in thrall to the primate-creationist lobby.

By: clevershark

clevershark — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 05:32:10 -0800

Meh. You guys are already ruled by Halliburton anyway.

By: fungible

fungible — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 05:53:32 -0800

I can actually see this working. (and clevershark, that's her point)

By: matteo

matteo — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 05:54:19 -0800

By: LeLiLo

LeLiLo — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 06:19:34 -0800

having our elected officials turn out to be little more than political figureheads for corporate special interests At the very least, politicians should have to wear decals on their clothing like race car drivers or bike racers, so we can easily see who's paid for them.

By: clevershark

clevershark — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 06:35:00 -0800

True, but one might argue that with this administration it's already such an open phenomenon that there's little to gain (or lose) by formalizing the arrangement. Cheney's still getting paid by Halliburton, fer chrissakes.

By: Gungho

Gungho — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 07:08:26 -0800

Isnt that the premise of "RollerBall"? Johnathan! Jonathan! Johnathan!

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 07:33:12 -0800

politicians should have to wear decals on their clothing like race car drivers or bike racers, so we can easily see who's paid for them. I think that's the best idea I've ever heard.

By: jonson

jonson — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 07:33:39 -0800

clevershark - she mentions that very fact in the article, calling this the Penzoil/Haliburton ticket.

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 08:27:40 -0800

Oooo I was so excited to Merril is blogging! Big, big fan girl here. And I have to say the decal idea is fabulous. They can take the trips, accept the presents, bank the cash bribes, but each penny taken means they are forced to wear a ~~scarlet letter~~ corporate decal. Would there be jockying to see who could become most encrusted?

By: adamrice

adamrice — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 08:45:22 -0800

Decals. Yes. Actually, thanks to video overlay technology, the news programs could do the decal thing for us. Or better yet, show a swirling halo of corporate logos around the politicans' heads, and the appropriate logo would bounce or glow whenever a politician said something on behalf of that ~~sponsor~~ donor. Jon Stewart, are you listening? The next step would be to run a program on some Tivo of the future that tied into opensecrets.org and did this for you, regardless of what was being broadcast.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:11:55 -0800

Is this where somebody posts an inline image of Joe Lieberman with mouse ears?

By: Heywood Mogroot

Heywood Mogroot — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 10:17:44 -0800

Oddly, I was just reading Oswald Mosley's 1936 position paper, and he proposed this, replacing geographic representation with a "council of corporations".