A couple myths about Big Business debunked

It's nifty to debunk stuff. But in order to be debunked, something has to have first been bunked. And here's a couple of myths that have been bunked out like a big ol' wafto - forcing me to debunk them. Both of these myths about Big Business have been expressed to me within the past 5 years or so.

Myth: Businesses aren't allowed to donate to political campaigns.

Fact: They can and do. There's places all over the Internet where you can read about corporate donations.

Now, should this be allowed? No. Can the government ban it? Yes. Corporations are not supposed to have constitutional rights, and campaign spending is not speech. But right now, corporations donate generously to partisan campaigns.

Myth: The NFL doesn't have an antitrust exemption.

Fact: Voopvoopavoop wrong! It does. Someone told me that while Major League Baseball has this exemption, the National Football League does not. But they both do. That's why the AFL hasn't been split off again from the NFL. The USFL sued to challenge the NFL's monopoly but was awarded only $3 because the jury got misleading instructions and wrongly assumed the judge would have to award real damages.

Should the NFL lose its antitrust exemption? Of course it should. Especially after the NFL started frisking fans who attend games (a policy that a judge said was illegal, but seems to continue in defiance of the judge's order).

So that's a couple of misconceptions set straight once and for all.