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Kind of a weird premise. CEOs have always used their wealth and corporations to wield political power.
by jonathankoren 6y ago
Kind of a weird premise. CEOs have always used their wealth and corporations to wield political power.
- xkeysc0re 6y agoBut this time it's the correct political wielding of it!
- alistairSH 6y agoI think the difference being poorly articulated in the article is CEOs making public declarations of political positions. They've always donated to politicians and been active in local politics - that's how the rich and powerful maintain their status. Now, their employees and customers are demanding public stances on social/political issues that aren't directly related to the company bottom line. The statements earlier this week from Coca-Cola, Delta, and MLB relating to Georgia's voting restrictions come to mind.
- jonathankoren 6y agoAhem. This idea that companies -- and CEOs in particular -- only weigh in on things that directly effect their businesses is absurd. See Hobby Lobby. See Henry Ford and his newspaper, the Dearborn Independent. See Peter Thiel. Even the unwashed plebes using the power of the purse to influence policy isn't new. Lest we forget the original BDS against South Africa. You don't play Sun City[0]. You don't buy gasoline from Shell.[1] "Strangely" pearl clutching is only involved with the much less effective later, never the much more effective former. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_City_(song) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_City_(song) [1] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-12-me-3593-story.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-12-me-3593-s...
- jasonwatkinspdx 6y agoI agree with the comment you were replying to. Throughout most of history, corporations were seen as institutions that took an active role in shaping society. This was particularly true in the gilded age. This idea that corporations are purely apolitical money making engines is relatively recent, something purely of the post ware era, and somewhat illusionary in truth.
- slowmovintarget 6y agoA few extremely vocal customers, and a few extremely vocal employees, mostly in the U.S. People in other parts of the world seem to be aghast at what's happening in the U.S. because either a) they've tried on these kinds of political systems themselves and fled them in horror or overturned them already, or b) they see it as theater because all of the recommended actions are superficial or actively harmful. The term "Outrage-Industrial Complex" is so apt here.