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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

1174.0. "any connection to Mass High Tech?" by LASSIE::OFSEVIT (card-carrying member) Thu Aug 30 1990 15:16

    	Is Digital a member of, or does it contribute to, the Massachusetts
    High Tech Council?  That organization is, to say the least, highly
    political in nature.  Even if I agreed with them, I would not feel
    right about my employer endorsing (explicitly or implicitly) their
    activities.

    	(I've scanned the directory of this conference, and I didn't find
    any discussion of this topic.)

    		David
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1174.1Bad luck...MU::PORTERit's 4AM inside my mind...Fri Aug 31 1990 00:204
    I think it is - I seem to recall a mention in a newspaper 
    article.
    
    But I'm not certain of this.
1174.2It's called freedom of speech.TOTH::PREVIDIFri Aug 31 1990 14:208
>    political in nature.  Even if I agreed with them, I would not feel
>    right about my employer endorsing (explicitly or implicitly) their
>    activities.

	  Corporations have the same First Amendment rights
	  as individuals.
	   
	   
1174.3Is this true?DEMING::WILSONWed Sep 05 1990 01:018
    Re -1: Do corporations have the same First Amendment rights as
    individuals?
    
    Not to wander, but the corporation derives its existence from the
    state, unlike individuals.  I've often wondered where in the constitution 
    a limited liability corporation is equated with an individual..
    
    John Wilson
1174.4What does the First Amendment have to do with it?MARVIN::COCKBURNnemo me impune lacessitWed Sep 05 1990 06:1526
Re .2

 What does the First Amendment have to do with anything? I assume you're
 talking about 'Freedom of Speech'. 

 As I understand it, Freedom of Speech merely allows the Massachusetts
 High Tech Council to exist and have a political opinion if it wishes.
 (so long as it isn't Communist, but that's another rathole). 

 Anyway, what is being discussed is whether Digital should make a 
 contribution to such a society, not whether such a society should 
 exist. I don't see the connection with Freedom of Speech I'm afraid.

 Digital UK donates large sums of money to an _extremely_ political
 organisation. It's called the Conservative Party. With Britain being
 one of the three countries in the world without a written constitution,
 it seems you don't need to resort to constitutional 'rights' to 
 justify this behaviour.

 It is Digitals money, and it does with that money what it deems best
 for the Company, it's shareholders and it's employees. If supporting
 a political organisation or party is good for the company, then what's
 the problem? 

	Craig. 
1174.5Corporations are individualsISLNDS::HAMERWed Sep 05 1990 09:259
    I don't know about the Mass High Tech Council, but since the 1880's (or
    early '90s, I forget the exact date) corporations have been defined as
    "individuals" by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case that led to that
    decision was about due process. The court ruled a corporation could not
    be deprived of property without the same due process as an individual.
    The case specifically addressed the 14th amendment and the rights of
    states to regulate corporation behavior. 

    John H.    
1174.6What I learned in Jr. High social studiesNOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Wed Sep 05 1990 10:385
re .-1:

I believe the equation is corporation = person, not corporation = individual.
Laws that are to be applied to real people sometimes use the term "natural
person."  I suppose that makes a corporation an unnatural person.
1174.7a textbook exampleBCSE::KREFETZReality is the fiction we live by.Wed Sep 05 1990 12:4611
    corporation = person (de jure)
    corporation <> person (de facto)
    
    displaced person = person (de facto)
    displaced person <> person (de jure)
    
    
    [To forestall the inevitable question:  A `displaced person' is someone
    without a country, a citizen of nowhere.  There was a time following
    World War II when DP would not have been taken to mean Data
    Processing.]
1174.8Back to the question:LASSIE::OFSEVITcard-carrying memberWed Sep 05 1990 13:423
    	So does Digital have anything to do with this organization, or not?

    		David
1174.9MU::PORTERit&#039;s 4AM inside my mind...Wed Sep 05 1990 14:257
re .6

> I suppose that makes a corporation an unnatural person.


	Does that mean anything a corporation does is
	an "unnatural act" ?
1174.10NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Wed Sep 05 1990 15:231
David, why don't you call Corporate Public Relations and ask?
1174.1116BITS::DELBALSOI (spade) my (dog face)Fri Sep 07 1990 15:514
 . . . and let us all know what they had to say.

-Jack

1174.12DEC is part of Mass High Tech CouncilAMELIA::SEGALLen Segal, MLO6-1/U30, 223-7687Fri Sep 07 1990 20:078
     As I  recall,  during Dukakis' 1st attempt at governing Mass, KO was
     chairman/president of the  Mass  High  Tech  Council.    Thus,  I do
     believe that DEC is a member of said organization.
     
     I vividly recall a news story where  Ken told the Duke that he would
     not expand DEC in Mass due to the negative business climate that the
     Duke  was  pursuing.  After this happened, DEC opened  a  number  of
     new facilities in Merrimack, Hudson, and Nashua NH.