>Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 11:19:14 -0400 >H. Hart wrote: >> If you have not seen this, "The Corporate Elite Bill of Rights" below >was written by a graduate student in Georgia who got angry. >> David C. Larkin >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------- >> >> "CORPORATE ELITE BILL OF RIGHTS" >> >> "WE, the corporate elite of the United States, in an attempt to suck as >> much money as possible from the pockets of the working people, in an >> attempt to promote a quiescent and politically weak work force, fatten >the >> pockets of shareholders and CEOs, and secure the blessings of vast >wealth >> to ourselves (and ONLY ourselves) and to avoid sharing any of the >benefits >> of America's economic boom with terminally whiny people who just won't >be >> satisfied working harder than others and still falling behind, give you >the >> bill of OUR RIGHTS (only applicable to US--to see what your rights are, >see >> the BILL OF NO RIGHTS)." >> >> ARTICLE I -- Only WE have the right to certain luxury material goods, >such >> as decent, safe and secure housing. Paying for public housing would >> interfere with our tax cuts, and the rest of you are expendable anyway >> (especially the darker-skinned ones, who we believe to be our genetic >> inferiors). >> >> ARTICLE II -- Only WE have the right to health care. In a market-driven >> system, doctors, hospitals and pharmacies exist to put profit in our >> pockets, not to cure illness and suffering. If you are sick and have no >> money to pay stop whining and die already! You are costing us money. >> >> ARTICLE III -- Only WE have the right to be free from crime. If crime >is >> driven by vast social inequalities, then bring on the crime wave! >Prisons >> are profitable for us, too. Anyway, we have the money to hire security >> guards, get alarm systems, and build private gated communities to live >in. >> If any of the rest of you are victimized by criminals created from >poverty >> and desperation and you don't know what to do about it, see ARTICLE II. >> >> ARTICLE IV -- Only WE have the right to kill people. If you don't >believe >> it, just read some newspaper stories about toxic chemical waste, and >what >> it does to people's bodies. Or ask yourself whether the onslaught of >> chemicals we manufacture and profit from have caused the huge increase >in >> breast cancer. And let's not even talk about the deaths we caused with >> dangerous products, like breast implants, poorly engineered cars that >> explode in minor crashes, etc., etc. If you had killed as many people >as >> we have, you'd be on death row right now waiting for them to stick a >needle >> in your arm. But we're out on our yachts, enjoying the sunshine. If you >> don't like it, see ARTICLE II. >> >> ARTICLE V -- Only WE have the right to profit from our labor. The rest >of >> you can just work harder. If your wages are too low, blame yourselves. >> Maybe you are a "professional couch potato" who works only two >full-time >> jobs. Or maybe you were laid off when we moved our company overseas to >> employ "non-whiners" who will work happily for fifty cents an hour. >> Anyway, I have to go, almost time to tee off! >> >> ARTICLE VI -- Only WE have the right to elect people who will act on >our >> behalf and serve our interests. Remember that when you go to the polls >and >> are unable to decide whether the Democratic or Republican candidate >will >> screw you over worse. It is important that you keep concentrating on >> "Whiners" and "Welfare Cheats" because, if you ever really focused on >how >> badly we are eroding democracy here and destroying your lives in every >> conceivable way, you'd do more than just not vote for us. You'd >probably >> drag us out of our luxury cars and up to a guillotine, screaming "off >with >> their heads!" To make sure that day never comes, we will keep on >> brainwashing you. > >George Francis, >Department of Environment and Resource Studies, >University of Waterloo, >Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1 >(519) 885-1211, Extension 3061 >
