I guess the Supreme Court wasn't satisfied with ruling that a corporation has the same rights as a citizen. They've struck another blow at you and me babe!
In a new ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed Big Business to deprive us of our best weapon to fight back if we are cheated or harmed by corporate wrongdoing.
From my own personal experience, some time back I joined an expensive dating service called Its Just Lunch. They stiffed me before my contract was up. They quit matching me for dates. Of those they did provide, there were many contract violations, such as, I wouldn't have to drive over 40 miles to meet a date, no local people as promised, no one in my age group to date. When I complained, I got bawled out. Then they closed their office and were gone. I couldn't even get a return phone call from them. With some diligent searching, I found them in Florida, but couldn't get any answer but a machine. I couldn't afford to take on a big corporation for my $1100. When I went online, I found hundreds of people who were stiffed by Its Just Lunch.
The court’s 5-4 decision Wednesday in AT&T v. Concepcion permits corporations to use consumer and employment contracts to take away your right to join class-action lawsuits.
You’ve likely entered into “agreements” like this without even realizing it. When you bought a cell phone or rented a car. When you opened a bank account, got a credit card or refinanced your mortgage. Or, even when you got hired at your job.
You didn’t get to negotiate the terms of these contracts. If you needed that car or that job, you signed on the dotted line. And unless you’re an attorney, you probably can’t make sense of all the legalese anyway.
Many of these contracts include what is known as binding mandatory arbitration clauses.
But in actuality, forced arbitration does not provide the protections of traditional trials, including the ability to gather information from corporate defendants. And the largest arbitration firms are heavily biased in favor of Big Business and against consumers.
So, what our Supreme Court has ruled, protects corporations interests while denying us the right to join together to seek justice in a court of law. How convenient. Now, you can bet, that every contract that hasn't had a forced arbitration clause, soon will. Hey, its a freebie for them, why not?
I lament what I used to be so proud of, the United States of America, by the people, of the people, for the people.The Supreme Court took away fair elections, and now the right to redress harm as a group, looks like they intend to cripple the America we know. Isn't a corporation a group?
Makes me sick.
If it angers you, try contacting Public Citizen, the only group working for you and me, public citizen.
No comments:
Post a Comment