It likely does! I was reading writings by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today and came across the following ARTICLE. It lists all the corporations who are supporting the seditionists in Washington D.C. (ie republicans) We’re talking about corporations who are donating money by the MILLIONS to republicans who participated in the 2021 coup attempt and/or republicans who continue to spew the so-called “Big Lie” (to me, just one LIE among MANY) One way to hold these companies accountable is by NOT giving them any of your business.
As one might guess, the WORST offender is Koch Industries (Charles Koch) and it might be difficult to figure out what products to avoid in this instance although, I believe, it’s not impossible. A quick search of the internet reveals, for example, the following are Koch companies: Flint Hill Industries, Georgia Pacific, Guardian Industries (not the publication from the UK), Invista (A spinoff of DuPont), Molex, Koch Ag and Energy Solutions, and Koch Pipeline. You (and me) probably spend money supporting Mr. Koch without knowing you’re doing it. In my case I’m going to be more selective. For example, instead of using UPS or Fed Ex – everything’s going via the USPS (when possible).
The list of these companies is long and some of the CEO’s seem to have no shame in prostrating themselves over Trump, apparently wanting to be in his “good graces” should he manage to CHEAT his way back into the “White House.” Apparently, they’re playing “both sides” and, instead of attempting to make sure he DOESN’T cheat his way back into the “White House” by, say, working to prevent that from happening, they’re kissing his ass er ring – it really is all embarrassing/pathetic.
So, the other day, on the eve of Trump’s 78th birthday (he’s 3 years younger than Biden with decades less wisdom) Trump was invited to a republican hangout on Capitol Hill in D.C. – he STILL couldn’t go to the Capitol, but for different reasons this time – and, I’m not kidding, the Congressional republicans were fawning all over him as they sang “happy birthday” (one day early) and, it appeared to get close to getting on their knees to worship him. It was as if they were trying to crowd in front of each other to be the next one to get a hug (or kiss) from him. It reminded me of when he was in the Oval Office for a meeting and one by one his cabinet officials went around the room exclaiming how thankful he/she was for him to allow them to prostrate themselves over him. Disgusting!
At this point I kind of expect this type of behavior from Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Andy Biggs, Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Matt Gaetz, Ron Johnson, “liddle” Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, Elise Stefanic, Louie Ghomert, Scott Perry, Byron Donalds, and a whole bunch more republicans (many “applying” for the job of VP) but, the 80 members of the business “round table” participating was a bit much for me. For example, there was Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan who all actually allowed their spokespeople to announce they were present. Is there no shame? Apparently, they can’t remember back more than a month or two from 1/6/2021 – as republicans are busy working to “revise” recent American history.
These are all executives who claimed, after January 6th, 2021 they wouldn’t support any politician who was complicit in the INSURRECTION. They’re now apparently willing to throw their support to Trump, (as if he wasn’t involved) but also to the 150 or so republicans who participated in the scheme to overthrow the 2020 election. It’s no wonder the American public is so cynical – which absolutely works in Trump’s favor – let’s call it American amnesia. The worst attendee, in my view, was Tim Cook of Apple – who, was clear as a bell (?) after January 6th neither he nor Apple would be caught kissing up to Trump or anyone else involved in the storming of the Capitol. Surprise, Surprise.
What was Trump “offering” these American oligarchs? That was a rhetorical question if there ever was one. OF COURSE, he was telling them if they help him get re-elected he will “cut their taxes” and he’ll block regulations that do things like make the air and water you and I breathe and drink clean, but cost many of these businesses money and headaches. In Short: He was telling the business people if they put their profits ahead of the good of the country and the people in it, he’s their man. Cook, apparently, attempted to shake hands with Trump and “get out of town” without being noticed. Didn’t work! Maybe that’s Cook trying out the new Apple AI?
While, to me, this is all disgusting and embarrassing, none of it is surprising. It reminds me of the SCOTUS where one decision after another has been coming from the Court favoring corporate interests for the past 30 or more years, with the “pace” picking up once we were “in” the Roberts Court. And, trust me, “we the people” are about to see a barrage of “unfriendly” Court decisions in the next two weeks that will cement the idea the Court is CORRUPT to the core and there’s nothing those of us worried about issues like Climate Change, Voting Rights, Civil Rights, education, Women’s rights, the environment in general, government institutions’ decisions being made by experts as opposed to the Court, personal rights (ie LGBTQ, etc.) gun rights, and on and on, can do about it.
For those of us who are NOT CEO’s of America’s international corporations it might “behoove” us to think of those issues I just mentioned before deciding to sit out the 2024 election because Joe Biden is too old, or – just as bad – voting for RFK Jr. or another third party candidate – none of who have a “snow ball’s chance in…….” (you know the rest) of winning. In Robert Kennedy’s case – and, I’m saddened to have to say this – one of his surrogates, in New York recently, said, “Our purpose is to make sure Biden doesn’t win.” Yikes!!!
I listed above a BUNCH of reasons why corporate CEO’s might be throwing their support to Trump which are VERY MUCH reasons, if you’re a normal person (not in Trump’s CULT) why you SHOULD be voting for President Biden (who actually – in his first two years, accomplished more than any other modern president since FDR). However, as you watch the number of “ugly” decisions coming down from the Court in the final two weeks of this year’s session, keep in mind, THREE of those judges – the ones who overturned Roe v Wade – are on the court because progressives allowed themselves to be manipulated into either voting against Hillary Clinton or for Trump, or stayed home, in 2016 – much to the delight of V Putin, MBS, Netanyahu, and other dictators around the globe who consider America’s “democracy” (actually a “democratic republic”) a threat to their own fascist states.
Remember, fascism’s foundation is a corporate/government partnership. We the people have immense POWER when we exercise our right to vote – but, taking that privilege for granted could be a fatal mistake to the nearly 250 year experiment we call the “United States of America.” Yes, we’ve got MANY failings – including “electing” Trump (with the help of the Russians, other right wing despots, and, of course James Comey) but, America has slowly been working through the dark spots and including more and more of “us” in the process – to the point where those in the so-called “business round table” along with a base of political support led by white nationalists and right wing media outlets – are desperately attempting to “turn back the clock” one hundred, or so, years. In both cases they fear a diverse, progressive population.
There’s even a Black GOP member of Congress (I think his name is Byron Donalds) suggesting “Black Families had it much better during Jim Crow.” (I’m not kidding) In fact, I find Mr. Donalds, along with Tim Scott – the Junior GOP Senator from South Carolina (who is also Black) – to be two of the most pathetic of the republicans fawning all over Trump. Apparently, each one would love to be the VP – promising if they were in Mike Pense’s shoes they would have chosen the alternative slates of electors. (Apparently, the “hang Mike Pense” shouts failed to “jar” their memories to the days when their ancestors were actually getting hanged – for, the crime of being Black. Who knew?)
Final Thought(s): I’ve pointed this out here MANY times: The republicans have adopted the “strategies” of the Nazi’s of the Third Reich (back in the 1930’s) via the use of the “Big Lie Theory” (concocted by Hitler, himself, and put into practice by Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda) and the use of projection. The Big Lie Theory is simple. You concoct a LIE and you tell it over and over again – meaning all surrogates telling the same LIE – and, eventually, it will be considered true. Take for example the so-called “Big Lie” of Trump – that he actually “won” the 2020 election. Not only is he still spewing this nonsense, but so are all those left in the republican party. The RNC actually used it as a “litmus test” for anyone to be hired there. (I often wonder if, in the case of Trump – who I considered a pathological LIAR prior to the “Big Lie” – if he hasn’t convinced himself his LIE is “true.”) Well over half of the republican base actually believes the “Big Lie.” (In other-words the tactic works!)
They LIE about virtually everything. They haven’t the least bit of SHAME which would/should prevent them from looking straight into a camera which is broadcasting, in some cases, to MILLIONS of their fellow Americans and purposefully LYING through their teeth. This is classic Nazi propaganda style garbage. I actually think it started with Rush Limbaugh in America with Trump taking it to new “heights.”
Then there’s the projection. “Accuse the other side of that which you are guilty” or words to that affect. We see this ALL the time with Trump and the republicans. It’s as if Trump is teaching the republican party how to CHEAT in order to win. I’ve said for years republicans are all about “winning at all cost” or, put another way, they believe “the end justifies the means.” i.e. win by CHEATING!
Trump is the master of projection. For example, “The Biden Crime Family” – he’s even got the republicans in Congress repeating that one, it seems, endlessly – again, with NO shame. Trump and his sons and his business have amassed an impressive “display” of CRIMINAL conduct being called out in court settings of late. In the New York Fraud case they LOST to the tune of close to half a BILLION dollars for Trump, his sons, and a couple of his executives for FRAUDulent business practices. Of course, as the head of the enterprise, Trump is racking up an impressive number of additional FELONY accusations, and NOW convictions. 34 CONVICTIONS along with another 54 alleged FELONIES. And, in our “two tiered” system of justice, Trump will likely avoid jail time via the 34 FELONY convictions and the rest. (Thanks to SCOTUS) Sad!
Trump also claims, under Biden, “crime is way up.” In reality crime has been dropping steadily since Trump left office (when it was “way up”). He’s claiming President Biden has ruined the economy, we’re now a “third world” economy. Well, when Trump left office he had a NEGATIVE number of jobs created – that is, there were MORE jobs LOST than created in his four years. Also, 4000 people PER DAY, were dying of COVID. Since Biden took office people got vaccinated for COVID (me included) and he’s overseen the creation of more than 15 MILLION jobs – the most in ANY American administration in, well, HISTORY for the first 3 1/2 years in office.
Under Biden, the U.S. has led the world in the recovery from the pandemic and our economy is the strongest economy in the world. Trump says Biden “ruined your 401K because of the stock market tanking. Of course, anyone paying attention KNOWS the stock market has been on a continuous upswing since Biden took office where new record highs seem to be routine. Virtually EVERY economic “indicator” is UP since Biden took the oath of office.
Now, I don’t give any president credit – nor do I judge any president – based on whether the stock market is going up or down during their time in office. But, the reality is, there are many people who do judge a president based on the Stock Market. For example, Herbert Hoover = bad. George W Bush = bad. In fact, when you look back over the previous 50+ years, it seems as if virtually every democratic president has come into office with the “job” of cleaning up the mess left behind by his predecessor. George HW Bush (along with Reagan) left Bill Clinton record deficits. Of course, Clinton left Bush/Cheney an annual surplus of $250 BILLION (which would have paid off the national debt in 10 tears had Bush/Cheney followed the plan)
George W Bush and Dick Cheney (I mention both because, at least in the first term, it seemed as if Cheney was the president) left Obama/Biden, what seemed to me at the time, the worst MESS since the depression. I didn’t think it could get much worse. President Obama oversaw an administration which – with NO help from republicans, in fact, with Mitch McConnell BLOCKING everything he could for the entire eight years Obama was in office – headed off what COULD have been another “great depression,” pulled us OUT of the “great recession” and, by the time he handed the “reins” to Trump, the annual deficit he inherited from Bush/Cheney was cut more than in half. When Obama took office he inherited an annual deficit far exceeding one TRILLION dollars per year (which didn’t include two WARS being funded “off the books”) – plus, Bush and Cheney had just finished a multi BILLION dollar bailout of Wall Street.
Just as Reagan and Bush/Cheney had done, Trump’s signature piece of legislation was ANOTHER “Tax cut for the top 1%.” While Trump was president his administration amassed approximately 1/4 of the ENTIRE national debt in just four years. It’s true the pandemic was partly at fault, but his tax cuts for BILLIONAIRES added TRILLIONS to the national debt and once Biden took office, the republicans, of course, started fretting about the deficit and the national debt while threatening to take the country into default despite the fact they refused to help pass legislation which would significantly cut the deficit – while that national debt was largely the result of the republican administrations following Nixon.
During Nixon’s years Lewis Powell, who Nixon would put on the SCOTUS wrote a memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce laying out the plan republicans have used to create our OLIGARCH society. That ‘plan” has been followed surreptitiously by CEO’s ever since. In my view, it was actually Reagan who put the “Powell Memo” fully into practice. You can read it HERE. Powell was appointed to the Court toward the end of his term in office (that is, pre resignation) by Nixon and, as they say, the direction of the Court since then is “history.” Lewis Powell was the epitome of the Americans who HATED the New Deal. That’s the “glaring” impression I got while reading his memo myself.
The organizing of big business to attack “leftists” in our universities and liberals among “we the people” and, during the Reagan years, converting America from a “we” society to a “me” society could be laid at the feet of Lewis Powell. Like Trump on January 6th it was “Powell,” who, to me, lit the fuse ultimately resulting in republicans using the tactics of the fascists of the WW II era to turn America into a land of “oligarchs.” Most Americans I know have no idea of the “benefits” they have due to the “New Deal” and it’s obvious, to me, today’s republicans (along with the SCOTUS) are hell bent on taking away many of these “rights” “we the people” take for granted. (They’ve already started) Trust me, this November’s election is of paramount importance simply based on the SCOTUS – Trump MUST be defeated!
But, the reality is that the republican fascists are not going to go away even if “we the people” send them a message this November. I keep thinking: “The majority of Americans are women and they SHOULD be motivated to vote for democrats in record numbers in this year’s election. However, until it actually happens, Trump will be lurking as the fox in the bushes next to the hen-house. Young people will deeply regret their future if they don’t turn out in record numbers to vote for democrats. (The Climate Crisis and the court SHOULD be enough to motivate them) Here’s the truth: The message will be the same in 2028, 2032, and so on, until this SCOTUS is balanced and until these fascists running the republican party are looking for new jobs plus Trump’s “uneducated voters” are either purged from the CULT or pushed back under the rocks where they were hiding until Obama became president. Stay tuned……..