Thank you for this! Hopefully this year will be a year of great progress and consciousness raising. Fight on, guys!

I wanted to add though, that, even though it seems like we weren’t the ones to blame for the system getting out of control, our apathy and ignorance of our consequences had more impact than you think. It’s, to me, one of the biggest tragedies of mankind and it’s exactly what we have to change the most. Because cleaning up beaches and urging governments to change their policies won’t do much, unless we change the way we think.

You and your team are awesome. How can I help?

Finally you’ve seen the light of the source of our problems!

As Marat was already saying in 1774 (THE CHAINS OF SLAVERY)…
”
Sometimes Despotism is established at once by the force of arms: but this rapid progress of power to absolute Empire is not the subject of my present work: it is the flow and gradual efforts of policy, which by degrees subject the necks of the people to the yoke, depriving them at the same time both of the means and desire of shaking it off.
”
http://jpmarat.de/english/jpmcha1e.html
In French below:
“Quelques fois le despotisme s’établit tout à coup par la force des armes et une nation entière est violemment asservie ; mais ce n’est pas de cette marche de l’autorité légitime au pouvoir arbitraire que j’ai à parler dans cet ouvrage ; c’est des efforts lents et continus qui, courbant peu à peu sous le joug la tête des peuples, leur font perdre à longue et la force et l’envie de le secouer.”

Can’t wait to see the video.

There is a French professor you should contact about this specific topic: Etienne Chouard,
[In French again]: http://etienne.chouard.free.fr/Europe/index.php

What a lot of people don’t realize is that climate change is a “solar system wide” phenomenom. Many top scientists have proven this. Unfortunately, people fall for the misinformation from all angles.

I think it is wonderful that you are endorsing a complete change of paradigm towards a fair and sustainable way of living. It is spiritually, physically and ecnomically a great move towards a solution. I support you 100%. However, as I mentioned above. I really believe that misinformation does not stop with cap & trade, it also has a strong agenda to make us believe there is a climate issue. I believe that this misinformation is created to help implement devestating agendas not just by corporations (like you mention in your video). It is also proliforated by all forms of the elite including our own goverment because they are essentially owned by corporations. In your video you make it seem like we can easily speak to our governments and have them change things to a logical solution for sustainability. I think this is fantastic but unrealistic because our government officials (including the FDA) are just as corrupt as our corporations. In fact, they are getting paid by them so why would they want to see anything change? You should do some more research into that side of the story. You are my hero already, but you would be my superhero if you made a doc about that! Thanks for your great work.

wonderful ideals about economic ethics! i really appreciate you for informing the mass through the collective conscious! i once had the notion of abandoning my society for their culture! since then, i have thought that i ought rather change these trends. i’ve long pondered this problem, probably due to my conditioning! ;D… i see many people strife about this and claim technology is to blame. where as we really ought to advance beyond harmful technologies to adjust to a more considerate attitude for our environment. i hear we’ve recently found a suitable manner of producing cold fusion! this only supports my idea of questing for greater knowledge! i am not specifically sure if you suggest sovereign communalism or a unionized version of communalism, but either way, localizing industry/enterprise is imperative to earth’s vitality. co-op enterprises are also a wonderful alternative to factories and outsourcing. i see a good amount where i live in portland, but not nearly enough! keep up the good work of spreading awareness!

sincerely, evan

I’d love to host a viewing party, but I don’t have a TV and
my computer screen is too small and not arranged for viewing
by more than two (my wife and I).

I’ll look into putting a link to your stuff on my website.

I came across this page while reading “A Hopeful Earth” by
Sally Dyck and Sarah Ehrman.

From the New Oxford American Dictionary, a definition:

corporation, noun

a company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity (legally a person) and recognized as such in law.

If you have an issue with the actions taken by, and the legal rights afforded to corporations then I would suggest you exercise the options to redress your grievances made available to you by the founders when they established our constitution representative republic.

Change the law. If said changes are deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court then change the constitution through the amendment process.

It borders on disgrace that, while our brothers and sisters in Egypt are risking, and at times losing, their lives to topple a repressive regime, a feat they were able to bring about by igniting long-ignored, long-smoldering calls for social justice by the people. A feat orchestrated by a small, brave group via clandestine communication over social networking sites.

Their actions stand in stark contrast to your claims that the biggest threat to social justice in our nation and, in fact, something you believe so grave as to threaten the republic itself is the ability of corporations to spend as much money as their shareholders deem appropriate to promote their interests by buying advertising in the mass media.

Their spending and their message, if it does not stand up to the simple scrutiny of truth will be open to attack and challenge from a near limitless number of intelligent and informative bloggers, popular web sites such as the Huffington Post and even from the man who will rightly go down in history as one of the most insightful and intelligent political commentators of his time, John Stewart.

The American people, for the most part, are far more savvy than you are willing to give them credit.

Remember, when the intellectual and political elite on the left, as well as the vast majority of corporate donors wrote off the presidential candidacy of a skinny black guy from Illinois, it was the same folks you believe incapable of being able to see through the smoke and mirrors of corporate election spending who ignored the voices of the elite and did the right thing for our nation by electing Mr. Obama president.

The opening of the new movie makes glib, negative globalizing statements implying that ALL corporations are money grubbing rights trampling toxic wast violaters. On it’s face this is not true. Many CEO’s do care very much about doing business responsibly. It would have been far better not to alienate those companies who are trying to do the right thing; saying, “SOME corporations…”. Can you change this? It would help the cause.

Greg Sudmeier makes a point, but the larger issue seems to be that, if only they just wanted to, All corporations could be “money grubbing rights trampling toxic waste violators.” Political work that regulates the worst will surely not damage or corrupt the best.

Now that the supreme court has decided that corporations are people, is there no way to sue them into paying the 33% tax rate required by a person making that kind of profit, instead of the 15% tax rate they currently enjoy? People pay 33%. Corporations are people. It seems pretty cut and dry to me. I live in the middle of a sea of red(state) for hundreds if not thousands of miles in any direction, so none of my congressmen will care, but are there not any democratic congressmen who would be willing to proffer this argument? How is it possible no one else is thinking of this?

Congratulations! You’re giving voice to the elephant in the room – and as one of the commenters says above, this is a downward spiral that’s been growing for decades. We are doing what we can at Merge, and are delighted to see and join with your work!

No! not the voice of the elephant, please delete that comment – the elephant’s trumpeting is already deafening! Heck, you know what I meant. Keep up the good work!

Annie and all, I hope you include some points covered in the Canadian documentary “The Corporation.” That is, how big corporations love suing the little guy. For example, Monsanto sues small farmers for “illegally growing” Monsanto’s genetically engineered seed, when the seed has been blown there from a neighbors crop miles away or blown from a passing truck into their field. Yet, these farmers can’t sue Monsanto for the blown seed trespassing on their property, destroying their heirloom crop! Also, I hope you mention how people on staff of large corporations also have been serving as government officials in DC, then return to their corporation post after their government term is finished. Talk about conflict of interest!!!

p.s. I love your animation!!

BTW, for sequel, how about telling how big corporations infringe on small farmers in poor countries? They pressure Indian farmers to purchase genetically modified Monsanto seed, in lieu of native seed used freely throughout countless generations. After buying seed, they must buy Monsanto fertilizer and weed-killer (which native seed never required). Due to Monsanto’s patented seed, farmers can’t save seed like they did native. They must buy every year. (And Monsanto’s newly developed “Terminator seed” now ensures seeds can’t be saved from previous crops.) Farmers mortgage land to pay for this, deepening in debt. When crops fail, they turn to suicide.

“Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” expounds further how US Government and corporations are so intertwined. US Government gives incentives and opens doors for corporations to come in and destroy livelihood (and natural resources) of villagers in third world nations, all in name of profit and progress.

Isn’t Free Range Studios a corporation?

I would say not allowing to treat corp as a person, is a good thing. But it is like treating the symptom and it won’t bring overall benefit if we don’t treat the root cause of this problem.

There is no point in demonizing the Corporation. We know it is a non living thing; it can’t do good or bad without the people who own those corps (Read shareholders). It is their motive to make money which decides each move of the corporation.

As long as the owners of corps have an incentive to extract more money in terms of profit from the corp, they will and there is no stopping that, unless they all decide to become Buddha.

The only way to prevent corp from doing evil things even though it is bad for the employees, customers and society, is to minimize the incentive for corp owners to make profit their main motive.

And how to do that ? Simple, have progressive income tax rates to a high percentage. Check the facts that highest individual income tax rates were over 80% for a long period during 20th century in the US. What is the highest tax rate now ? 35%. The wealthy have an incentive now to make more money, they pay very less tax.

What would wealthy people do if highest tax rate now was 80% ? It acts as a discouragement for wealthy to make or extract more money. Too much money anyway is useless for anybody. Think about it.

PS: Money is power. Nobody would like to lose power and become weak. Rich would always like to stay rich or become more rich.

Does anyone suspect that corporations are like secret societies that are owned by anyone with some capital to buy shares which can be bought in any country in the world and do not belong to any country in particular?
For example what prevents the richest man in the world (a Mexican National) or a Arabian Sheik, or even worst, Al-Queda from buying a majority of shares in a mayor US corporation or one of its subsidiaries and having a say in our policy, elections, and even our daily life through advertising, campaigning, Lobbying and changing our laws without ever having to disclose their covert interest.
People wake up!! Corporations do not have nationality, or loyalty other than to profits. Nothing prevents our enemies from owning corporations. Do you really believe they are the same as citizens?

the answers have always been right in front of us, now behind the stuff.

article published quite interesting & informative so that adds new value to me

What is a corporation other than a group of people with a common interest and a contractual relationship. This group of people have the right as individuals to there own expression, so why should it go away when they act as a group? The only issue i see would be publicly traded corporations. In which case its up to stockholders to keep an eye on the political activities of there companies and if they take issue can invest elsewhere. The real solution is the flat tax. prohibit tax exemptions(while lowering the overall rate a bit as well, of course) and these companies have no reason to buy off our leaders.how about a constitutional amendment setting a flat tax at 15% across the board for corporations and personal income exceeding twice the poverty line. Problem Solved.

Wow, please forgive the monstrosity above, here it is again, proofread this time:

What is a corporation other than a group of people with a common interest and a contractual relationship? The individuals among the group each have the right to free expression, so why should this go away when they act as a group? A possible issue of course involves publicly traded corporations. In this case its up to stockholders to keep an eye on the political activities of there companies and if they take issue can invest elsewhere. If this is now impossible due to disclosure being eliminated,I still consider this a small price to pay for the preservation of free speech. And the problem, still, is not insurmountable. If we prohibit tax exemptions(while lowering the overall rate a bit as well, of course) and these companies have no reason to buy off our leaders aside from genuine belief in a candidates positions. For example, how about a constitutional amendment setting a flat tax at 15% across the board for corporations and personal income exceeding twice the poverty line? Problem Solved…and your all correct, its not ideal, abuses will exist, but I see it as the better direction to error in.