Micah Tillman

(Don’t you think?)

You may recall my recent discussions of the “Bizarre Ontology” that makes individuals responsible for things other people in their “group” do — even when they disagree with what those other people are doing — because it treats groups as the primary reality of which individuals are mere appendages or manifestations.

You also may recall my discussion of whether corporations can talk.

That was the one where I reacted to the Supreme Court decision [PDF] to strike down some restrictions on corporate funding of political “speech.”

Well, today brings us a report from Adam Liptak at the NYTimes, about some statements by Justice Clarence Thomas.

____

Evidently “the first legislation in the United States prohibiting monetary contribution to national political campaigns by corporations” was “The Tillman Act of 1907.”

The bill was “[n]amed for its sponsor, [Democratic] Senator Benjamin Tillman of South Carolina” (Wikipedia).

Ironic, eh?

____

Now, Liptak quotes Justice Thomas as follows:

“Tillman was from South Carolina, and as I hear the story he was concerned that the corporations, Republican corporations, were favorable toward blacks and he felt that there was a need to regulate them.”

And this is not surprising.  Evidently, “Pitchfork Ben” Tillman was “[c]ombative, vitriolic, and openly racist” (Wikipedia).

____

According to the Bizarre Ontology, all Democrats would be responsible for Tillman’s liftetime of reprehensible actions, all Tillmans would be responsible for Tillman’s liftetime of reprehensible actions, all South Carolinians would be responsible for Tillman’s liftetime of reprehensible actions, etc.

After all, Pitchfork Ben was — like every other Democrat, according to the Bizarre Ontology — a mere appendage or manifestation through which the group “Democrats” acted.

It wouldn’t matter to the Bizarre Ontology that today’s Democrats are, for the most part, not racists like Pitchfork Ben.

Likewise, Pitchfork Ben was — like every other Tillman, according to the Bizarre Ontology — a mere appendage or manifestation through which the group “Tillmans” acted.

It wouldn’t matter to the Bizarre Ontology that I — who am a Tillman — fundamentally disagree with everything Pitchfork Ben stood for.

Additionally, Pitchfork Ben was — like every other South Carolinian, according to the Bizarre Ontology — a mere appendage or manifestation through which the group “South Carolinians” acted.

It wouldn’t matter to the Bizarre Ontology that more South Carolinians have voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1980, than voted for the Demcratic candidate.

____

No.  For the Bizarre Ontology, it’s all about “corporate,” “collective,” and “shared responsibility.”