It’s a bit lengthy, but historical and current knowledge that every self-respecting citizen should know.  The Santa Clara Blues: Corporate Personhood versus Democracy by Bill Moyers, is and excellent introduction.  If you happen to hear about the coming court case in the news, where Nike will be claiming First Amendment right to free speech, even when the speech is a lie, you will know the back story.

For some reason, I hear Ice-T singing in my head… “freedom of speech, that some mother-fucking bullshit…” but that’s a different political argument.

-b