Posts Tagged ‘corporate’
Gore Vidal on Corporate Lawyers in Congress
on Wednesday, April 9, 2014Gore Vidal Money Quotation saying corporate attorneys are sent to congress by business and banks to write laws that help them avoid taxes. Gore Vidal said that our…:
“Country is run by… financial powers & corporate interests [who] send their lawyers to Congress to make laws so that they don’t have to pay taxes” — Gore Vidal
This quote from Gore Vidal suggests that large financial and corporate entities effectively control national policymaking by influencing members of Congress. The best interpretation is that Vidal believed powerful economic interests deploy lawyers and lobbyists to shape legislation in ways that benefit their bottom lines, such as by reducing their tax obligations.
According to Vidal, these influential groups can craft laws that allow them to avoid paying full taxes and shift more of the burden to smaller taxpayers. The implication is that Vidal saw the political system as largely responsive to wealthy organized donors rather than ordinary citizens, with tax policy among the areas distorted by this imbalance of influence.
Birthday: October 3, 1925 – Death: July 31, 2012
Edward Ryan on Corporate Political Power
on Friday, October 4, 2013Edward Ryan Money Quotation saying as Wisconson Supreme Court Chief Justice that American business is aiming directly for political control via lobbyists and campaign contributions. Edward Ryan said:
“Enterprises … aggregating vast corporate combinations of unexampled capital, boldly marching, not for economic conquests only but for political power” — Edward Ryan
In this quote, Edward Ryan is describing large corporations that amass enormous wealth (“vast corporate combinations of unexampled capital”). He notes they pursue profit aggressively by “boldly marching” to expand their business interests. However, Ryan observes their quest for dominance goes beyond just “economic conquests” – he asserts these corporations also seek greater “political power”.
The quote suggests Ryan believed corporations were increasingly trying to influence government and policymaking in a way that extended beyond their economic role. He appears to see this pursuit of political influence as a threat to democracy.
Overall, Ryan is voicing concern about the growing ambition of big businesses to exert control over both economic and political spheres of society.
Edward Ryan on Corporate Capital Serfs
on Thursday, September 26, 2013Edward Ryan Money Quotation saying elected officials need to choose who they will serve – those who elect them or those who pay for their election. Edward Ryan said:
“Who shall fill public stations, educated and patriotic freemen or the feudal serfs of corporate capital?” — Edward Ryan
In this quote, Edward Ryan is posing another rhetorical question that challenges whether corporations have too much power and influence over society. He asks whether elected and public-serving positions will be filled by “educated and patriotic freemen”, meaning independent thinkers who act in the public interest, or by “feudal serfs of corporate capital”.
In other words, Ryan questions if corporate money and power will effectively dictate who governs. The “feudal serfs” reference suggests Ryan saw corporations amassing wealth and influence in a way that compromised democratic values and self-rule.
Overall, the quote conveys Ryan’s concern that concentrated economic dominance by corporations risked undermining political independence and replacing it with indirect rule by business interests.
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