Day on Torts
Some of you have seen Hot Coffee, the documentary that reveals how corporate interests manipulated the media about the McDonald’s coffee case and the other extra-ordinary steps corporate America is taking to take control of the civil justice system.
If you have not seen the movie, I encourage you to watch it. Quite frankly, it made me more sad than angry. I have spent over 25 years fighting corporate interests in Tennessee’s legislature and have been angry about what I have observed on a multitude of occasions. Thus, the sadness arose because all of the hard work by lots and lots of good people has done little to stem the tide of corporate power.
Money is the mother’s milk of politics, they say, and corporate interests provide money – lots of money. I believe that things are going to get worse. On the federal level, corporate contributions will now be permitted in federal elections. The Republican-controlled General Assembly just agreed to permit corporate money in Tennessee elections, and the Republican Governor signed the legislation that will turn on the flow of corporate cash.
Corporations know that the only check on their power is the judiciary and the civil justice system, and thus we can expect an even greater effort to take over control of the third branch of government.
Will Hot Coffee shift the tide? No. Will the movie start a discussion about the role of corporate power in this country? It might, but only if the movie is widely distributed and watch. Do your part by watching the movie and then making an appropriate contribution to help the distribution effort. Learn how you can help at www.hotcoffeethemovie.com.