Corporations and Freedom of Speech You No Longer Have

Corporations and Freedom of Speech You No Longer Have


Currently corporations have Freedom of Speech, but it seems that YOU DON'T.

A new exposé raises alarming questions about the ability of corporations to influence the voting decisions of their employees. In an article published by "In These Times" magazine, labor journalist Mike Elk examines the contents of a voter information packet that Koch Industries sent to tens of thousands of employees at its subsidiary, Georgia-Pacific. The packet advised the employees on whom to vote for and warned them of the dire consequences to their families, their jobs and their country, should they choose to vote otherwise. Koch Industries is run by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. Corporations like Koch are legally allowed to pressure their workers to adopt their political views at the ballot box because of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision

So there's growing trend of employers putting pressure on employees into how they vote as well as how they donate money to a candidate. That's not the extent though, as they've also been threatening the jobs of people who post on facebook or other social networks if it goes against the stance of the company they work for. This is a huge hypocritical move for the Koch brothers in particular who have championed that money equals speech while taking away the genuine free speech activity of their employees.

The liberal capitalist ideologue might respond that this is perfectly acceptable and that people should be allowed to hire and fire who they please for what ever reason they deem fit. This, I feel is naive and ignorant, and doesn't take into account the massive power difference between employers, especially large ones have relative to the employee who is dependent on entering the market to sell his labor to not only live but to justify his existence. In this sense, we are very much free. The video goes in to far more detail. 

This isn't the first instance of that situation

Ohio miners say they were forced to attend Romney rally

WASHINGTON -- Employees of a major coal industry donor to Republican causes have raised complaints about their participation in an event earlier this month organized for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the crucial swing state of Ohio.

Several miners at Murray Energy’s Century coal mine in Beallsville, Ohio, contacted a nearby morning talk radio host, David Blomquist, over the last two weeks to say that they were forced to attend an Aug. 14 rally for Romney at the mine. Murray closed the mine the day of the rally, saying it was necessary for security and safety, then docked miners the day's pay. Asked by WWVA radio’s Blomquist about the allegations on Monday’s show, Murray chief operating officer Robert Moore said: “Attendance was mandatory but no one was forced to attend the event.”

Wow. So doing actions like FORCING your employees to attend a Romney event just seems all sorts of wrong. Though, in all truth, you're a weak fucking pushover if you let your boss fuck you around like that. It's not like in the ballot box with you. I don't tell people who I'm voting for... okay, maybe not considering you have read this blog and it's pretty clear who I am voting for. But in the work place you shouldn't have to tell anyone who you voted for. It's pretty unprofessional to do so. You're there to do your job. Just do it and go home. If the boss pushes you to vote one way, it's probably best to stick it to 'em and just vote the other way.