Corporations have given us little reason to trust them. Like big tobacco, for example -- they lied to the American people and even in testimony to Congress. They lied because the truth would affect their profits.
Big tobacco lied to us for decades. They aggressively promoted lies in advertising, false information in testimony, and they suppressed the science reports that told the truth about how deadly it all is. They said their products were safe, improved over the years, less nicotine, etc. All lies.
While they were lying, 1200 people died from smoking every day, and the companies were aware of it. For decades, they continued lying and selling their deadly products. They even modified their cigarettes to make them more addictive, knowing that people would die as a result of their corporate actions.
Why should we consider big business as a legitimate voice in anything? Those whose only ethic is money, why should we let them exist outside of prison? The executives knowingly and deliberately sent millions to their death. Their motive was profit, pure and simple; they proved to be unethical beyond any explanation or excuse.
Top executives of the seven leading American tobacco companies who sat together and lied to Congress:
Donald S. Johnston, president and chief executive of American Tobacco Company
Thomas Sandefur Jr., chairman and chief executive of Brown and William Tobacco Corporation
Edward A. Horrigan, chairman and chief executive of Liggett Group Inc.
Andrew H. Tisch, chief executive Lorillard Tobacco Company
Joseph Taddeo, president of United States Tobacco Company
James W. Johnston, chief executive of R. J. Reynolds
William I. Campbell, chief executive of Philip Morris
It’s been called the greatest crime in human history. Big Tobacco knew cigarettes caused cancer, emphysema, heart disease and other deadly diseases, and they lied to the public about it. Big Tobacco knew that nicotine in cigarettes was addictive, and they lied about that, too. And they add things to cigarettes to try increasing the addictive effect of nicotine, all while publicly claiming that smoking is a “choice” that people can simply quit doing when they choose to do so. Meanwhile, internally within the companies, they recognized that cigarette smoking was an addiction that most smokers cannot give up even if they want to. Big Tobacco celebrated that, while knowing that nicotine addiction would lead to millions and millions of Americans suffering and dying from very serious diseases. Big Tobacco didn’t care 30, 40 and 50 years ago, and Big Tobacco doesn’t care today.
Tobacco companies were sued in several states (resulting in large settlements) and were all, after several years, convicted in federal court of racketeering. In a punishing affirmance, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a 92-page per curiam opinion upholding the judgment issued by D.C. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler in August 2006, in which she found eleven of America’s major Tobacco Companies and related entities guilty of nearly 150 counts of mail and wire fraud in a continuing “pattern of racketeering activity” with the “specific intent to defraud” under the Racketeer Influence Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Big oil has behaved similarly as has Wall Street. The conscienceless corporations wield more influence than citizens. This is not government of, for, and by the people; it's government by money.