--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...pointed out that the corporation…" description: "\"“...pointed out that the corporation enjoys the same rights as a living person under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This concept was uph..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/john-perkins-17246_citizens_pointed-out-that-the-corporation-enjoys_2672955.png" --- # ...pointed out that the corporation enjoys the same rights… ![“...pointed out that the corporation enjoys the same rights as a living person under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This concept was upheld in 1886 by the Supreme Court in 'Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company' and has been a fact of law ever since. I emphasized to…” quote by John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/john-perkins-17246_citizens_pointed-out-that-the-corporation-enjoys_2672955.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/john-perkins-17246_citizens_pointed-out-that-the-corporation-enjoys_2672955.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/john-perkins-17246_citizens_pointed-out-that-the-corporation-enjoys_2672955.png) > ““...pointed out that the corporation enjoys the same rights as a living person under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This concept was upheld in 1886 by the Supreme Court in 'Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company' and has been a fact of law ever since. I emphasized to those executives that the corporation should also be required to accept the same responsibilities as those expected of a person; it too should be a good citizen, an honorable, ethical member of the community. In the case of international corporations, that community has to be defined as the world.”” [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Corporations are granted constitutional rights but must also bear equal responsibilities as citizens, including ethical behavior globally. **In simple terms:** Corporations should act like good citizens worldwide. Key Takeaway Demand corporate accountability. Themes ethics law global citizenship corporate responsibility Mood critical determined hopeful Type political ethical inspirational When to use this quote - shareholder meetings - policy drafting - public advocacy - international trade negotiations Key Concepts legal personhood social contract stakeholder theory Questions to Reflect On - How can corporations be held accountable internationally? - What mechanisms ensure ethical conduct? A Different Perspective Balancing profit motives with ethical duties can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Corporation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporation/) [Corporation Required](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporation-required-2517337/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Ethical Member](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethical-member-2517338/) [Fourteenth amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fourteenth-amendment/) [International Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international-corporations-2517336/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Responsibilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibilities/) [Supreme court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme-court/) ## Related quotes > [If a man is good in his heart, then he is an ethical member of any group in society. If he is bad in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-elmer-hess/if-a-man-is-good-in-his-heart-then-he-is-an-ethical-member-of-any/) [Dr Elmer Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-elmer-hess/) > [“corporate mass media, which by 2012 had devolved down to a mere five predominant international corporations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-marrs/corporate-mass-media-which-by-2012-had-devolved-down-to-a-mere-five/) [Jim Marrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-marrs/) > [TV that people will never see, that giant international corporations will never touch, will never pay your salary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lear/tv-that-people-will-never-see-that-giant-international-corporations/) [Norman Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lear/) > [I'm not against trade...but they're not really trade deals. They're really investment deals between international corporations...They're saying we want to get a race to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-m-not-against-trade-but-they-re-not-really-trade-deals-they-re/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [What type of 'person' is the for-profit corporation? A spoiled brat - all rights and no responsibilities, a traditional conservative argument would say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/what-type-of-person-is-the-for-profit-corporation-a-spoiled-brat-all/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [The broadening of the economic order which came to be seated in the individual property owner... dramatized by Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana Territory...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-wright-mills/the-broadening-of-the-economic-order-which-came-to-be-seated-in-the/) [C. Wright Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-wright-mills/) > [“the Ku Klux Klan Act. He had planned a California trip that spring, but canceled it in the belief that he couldn’t sidestep this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/the-ku-klux-klan-act-he-had-planned-a-california-trip-that-spring-but/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [As a matter of history, the Fourteenth Amendment was not understood to ban segregation on the basis of race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/as-a-matter-of-history-the-fourteenth-amendment-was-not-understood-to/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [“Other corporations have asserted Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination as well as asserted that the Fourteenth Amendment—passed after the Civil War to strip slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-hartmann/other-corporations-have-asserted-fifth-amendment-rights-against-self/) [Thom Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-hartmann/) > [The First and Fourteenth Amendments say that Congress and the States shall make "no law" which abridges freedom of speech or of the press.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-and-fourteenth-amendments-say-that-congress-and-the-states/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The purpose that brought the fourteenth amendment into being was equality before the law, and equality, not separation, was written into the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/the-purpose-that-brought-the-fourteenth-amendment-into-being-was/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [I believe that nothing enjoys a higher estate in our society than the right given by the First and Fourteenth Amendments freely to practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-murphy/i-believe-that-nothing-enjoys-a-higher-estate-in-our-society-than-the/) [Frank Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-murphy/) > [Marriage is not defined in the federal Constitution at all; it's a matter for the states. And applying the Fourteenth Amendment to the equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/marriage-is-not-defined-in-the-federal-constitution-at-all-it-s-a/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [“Taft ended his opinion with an added clause, a statement so bold that it would rattle even his strongest supporters. The chief justice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-berard/taft-ended-his-opinion-with-an-added-clause-a-statement-so-bold-that/) [Adrienne Berard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-berard/) > [The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was enacted in 1865 by martial law. The Fourteenth Amendment was enacted in 1868…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eustace-mullins/the-thirteenth-amendment-to-the-constitution-of-the-united-states-was/) [Eustace Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eustace-mullins/) ## More by John Perkins > [I was initially recruited while I was in business school back in the late sixties by the National Security Agency, the nation's largest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-was-initially-recruited-while-i-was-in-business-school-back-in-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [I've never met anyone who wanted to be a terrorist. They are desperate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-ve-never-met-anyone-who-wanted-to-be-a-terrorist-they-are-desperate/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [But when 9/11 struck, I had a change of heart. I knew the story had to be told because what happened at 9/11 is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/but-when-9-11-struck-i-had-a-change-of-heart-i-knew-the-story-had-to/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [Basically, what Economic Hit Men are trained to do is to build up the American empire. To create situations where as many resources as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/basically-what-economic-hit-men-are-trained-to-do-is-to-build-up-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [The Treasury Department would use the interest from these securities to hire U.S. companies to build Saudi Arabia - new cities, new infrastructure -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/the-treasury-department-would-use-the-interest-from-these-securities/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [When the National Security Agency recruited me, they put me through a day of lie detector tests. They found out all my weaknesses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/when-the-national-security-agency-recruited-me-they-put-me-through-a/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“How, I asked myself, do you convince men and women who live comfortably to change a system that provides their comforts--even when they know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/how-i-asked-myself-do-you-convince-men-and-women-who-live-comfortably/) [john perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“The first question we must address deals with optimism, the possibility of achieving our goal. Are we in a position where we can actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/the-first-question-we-must-address-deals-with-optimism-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [And in Iraq we tried to implement the same policy that was so successful in Saudi Arabia, but Saddam Hussein didn't buy. When the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/and-in-iraq-we-tried-to-implement-the-same-policy-that-was-so/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [I felt guilty throughout the whole time, but I was seduced. The power of these drugs, sex, power, and money, was extremely strong for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-felt-guilty-throughout-the-whole-time-but-i-was-seduced-the-power/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [None of the quick fixes to the world's problems are going to work, unless we change the dream of greed and scarcity that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/none-of-the-quick-fixes-to-the-world-s-problems-are-going-to-work/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“Stop being so greedy," she said, "and so selfish. Realize that there is more to the world than your big houses and fancy stores.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/stop-being-so-greedy-she-said-and-so-selfish-realize-that-there-is/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [Had Roosevelt been caught, we would have been in a lot of trouble. It would have been very embarrassing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/had-roosevelt-been-caught-we-would-have-been-in-a-lot-of-trouble-it/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“The income ratio of the one-fifth of the world's population in the wealthiest countries to the one-fifth in the poorest went from 30 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/the-income-ratio-of-the-one-fifth-of-the-world-s-population-in-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [These were big ones. Those companies would then go in and build an electrical system or ports or highways, and these would basically serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/these-were-big-ones-those-companies-would-then-go-in-and-build-an/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) [Explore all 30 John Perkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) ## More Citizens quotes > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [I will be a model prisoner, as I have been a model citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-edwards/i-will-be-a-model-prisoner-as-i-have-been-a-model-citizen/) [Edwin Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-edwards/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [“The police ultimately pay the price for poor customer service when citizens become fearful of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-ultimately-pay-the-price-for-poor-customer-service-when/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [No greater victory can be won by citizens or soldiers than to transform temporary foes into permanent friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/no-greater-victory-can-be-won-by-citizens-or-soldiers-than-to/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) > [My dreams were always small and puny. All I ever needed was a little house with a little picket fence by the sea. Little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-marcos/my-dreams-were-always-small-and-puny-all-i-ever-needed-was-a-little/) [Imelda Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-marcos/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. 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