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Populists Beware
From The Los Angeles Times:
Alarmed at the increasingly populist tone of the 2008 political campaign, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is set to issue a fiery promise to spend millions of dollars to defeat candidates deemed to be anti-business."We plan to build a grass-roots business organization so strong that when it bites you in the butt, you bleed," chamber President Tom Donohue said....
Although Donohue shied away from precise figures, he indicated that his organization would spend in excess of the approximately $60 million it spent in the last presidential cycle. That approaches the spending levels planned by the largest labor unions....
"I'm concerned about anti-corporate and populist rhetoric from candidates for the presidency, members of Congress and the media," he said. "It suggests to us that we have to demonstrate who it is in this society that creates jobs, wealth and benefits -- and who it is that eats them."
Comments (26)
Redshift wrote on January 8, 2008 6:37 PM:That last statement has to be one of the weirdest contributions to political discourse I've ever heard. "Be grateful that we give you anything, peasants!"
The reason populist rhetoric has such resonance is that while corporations and investors may be the ones who create jobs, the people who fill them are the ones who create wealth, and they've been getting to "eat" less and less of it.
Bushie wrote on January 8, 2008 6:47 PM:I wonder why Donohue believes Corporate America are held in low regard by the great unwashed? Could it be the strangle hold its lobbyists have in Washington, effectively disenfranchising voters, or the export of jobs to third world countries, or lower wages and benefits and retirement or the inordinate compensation packages CEO’s, COO’s, CFO’s and CIO’s receive for tactical profits, not strategic growth? Just wondering.
Dee Illuminati wrote on January 8, 2008 7:15 PM:Tom Donohue seems to imagine that the proletariat is happy?
When things get so out of balance as they have, where the concentartion of wealth skews as it has, and the results are recession, well the Tom Donohue's should ask the question, is it reasonable to have a no vote with management?
null wrote on January 8, 2008 7:18 PM:"I'm concerned about anti-corporate and populist rhetoric from candidates for the presidency, members of Congress and the media," he said. "It suggests to us that we have to demonstrate who it is in this society that ponies up staggering subsidies and allows virtual monopolies -- and who it is that gets to eat at the trough."
mcc wrote on January 8, 2008 7:24 PM:Wait. He's going to "build" a "grass roots"?
I don't think that's how it works.
BimBeau wrote on January 8, 2008 7:52 PM:The only acceptable result of the establishment of his 'grass roots organization' needs be a grass fire.
This is the kind of rhetoric that when uttered by labor, unions, and other progressives is indictable as terroristic threatening.
It is time for a level playing field. The electorate, generally, sees this need and the populist, consumerism message is resonating mightily.
No choice?
Helena Montana wrote on January 8, 2008 7:53 PM:No democracy.
Know choice; know democracy!
This response from the Chamber of Commerce just reinforces my own grass-roots, anti-corporate feelings.
hawkny wrote on January 8, 2008 7:58 PM:There is no way that Donahue and his crowd can lay their hands on $60M for this election cycle. I will bet next week's meager paycheck on that...
ctlrick wrote on January 8, 2008 8:00 PM:Progressives should fight back by cancelling all subscriptions to MSM, turning off network TV, purchasing only necessities, and picketing with all local union strikes whether you're a member or not.
danger wrote on January 8, 2008 9:02 PM:As a populist progressive and a business owner, Donahue can kiss my ass.
It really is going to take a general strike to get anything accomplished in this country isn't it? Stop paying the banks, stop patronizing stores we don't need, stop going to work...
I like your thinking ctlrick but as much as I'd love to see this all happen, it just won't under these circumstances.
littleblackpropaganda wrote on January 8, 2008 10:15 PM:But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Luke 6:25-26
Robbo wrote on January 8, 2008 10:31 PM:Geez, don't these tards remember what happened during the French Revolution?
The sense of aristocratic entitlement just reeks of blood in the streets. Let the lesson be learned: don't push people (proletariat - peasants - untermenschen - whatever - you and me) too far ... cuz when the "peasants" bite back it's cuz they're hungry ... and they bite deep.
Eat the rich.
Cheers.
Buck Batard wrote on January 8, 2008 10:56 PM:And how many small business people won't join the Chamber or renew, even though they'd like to meet with other small business owners in their community to discuss things like how small businesses can't afford health care for their employees anymore and why a progressive candidate would help immensely.
I suspect this kind of article, if widely disseminated, would cause a mass exodus of current members. Th Chamber isn't for small business people anymore. May they rot in hell. I'm sending it to every small business person I know urging them to quit.
We peasamnts should just not shop with Chamber Members anymore.
Let the editors of your local papers know about it and disseminate widely.
phil james wrote on January 8, 2008 11:02 PM:This item just in: President of US Chamber of Commerce makes the most compelling case for populist sentiment since the famous "let them eat cake" declaration. In related news, Dow Jones tanks on market fears that a majority of Americans are fed up and actually want a fair shake.
XL wrote on January 9, 2008 12:14 AM:Isn't the U.S. Chamber of Commerce part of the State Department? If not, it still enjoys a very cozy relationship with the U.S. government and should not be interfering with politics. Frankly laizze faire policies have gotten us competitively weaker and nationally vulnerable. What business person would support that?
Mimi wrote on January 9, 2008 1:21 AM:The US Chamber of Commerce is panicked because John Edwards has changed the issues of this election. So now they have essentially made it the US Chamber of Commerce vs the United States Citizen.
What they are doing is threatening us - and the candidates. Vote for Populism and we'll fix you.
The Chamber of Commerce which has been in the forefront of outsourcing our jobs to India and China and insourcing people to take white collar and IT jobs has just woken up to the fact that
John Edwards has steered all the democratic candidates toward Populism. So they have raised 60 million dollars to attack any candidate supporting populism and saving jobs in America. As of tonite all democrats have taken on John Edwards' message. He has changed the nature and issues of the campaign.
Baaaa wrote on January 9, 2008 3:12 AM:My thoughts on the action we should take:
Maybe WE THE PEOPLE should be picketing the Chamber of Commerce offices in all our cities - it no longer represents the small American businessman but represents the gargantuan multi-nationals. I think our purpose should be to ask small American business to resign from the Chamber of Commerce. BUY AMERICAN and VOTE EDWARDS " should be on our picket signs !
I live in a rural area, have a small farm as well as a small business. These sorts of comments from the Chamber of Commerce are exactly why I refused to join them, even though they've asked several times. Not that I'd have time to go to their lovely little mixers since in addition to all of this, I also have to have a separate full time job so I can have health care coverage and pay the not-so-small mortgage (thanks, housing bubble!) and wildly rising feed costs for my farm critters.
What an ass.
J. Hart wrote on January 9, 2008 3:25 AM:That's the most arrogant, ignorant and just plain stupidest thing I've ever heard come from the USCC. Who does Donohue think purchases the vast bulk of his membership's goods and services?
RufusLeroy wrote on January 9, 2008 7:02 AM:Mr Donohue is just speaking from his heart. After thirty years of anti-populist rhetoric and indeed action from the USCC should we really be surprised by this statement. They have been VERY sucessful afterall. Look at the shift in wealth. Look at the shift from America first to profits first. Look at the USCC unprecidented access and influence in governments from the local level to the national level. The USCC strategy has worked and worked very well. They have always held the common working man and women with utter contempt. To them we are nothing but a piece of walking capital and if we outlive our usefulness then we should be discarded like an obsolete piece of equipment. Like the south of old their patronizing attitude shines through, "How DARE we question their methods or motives we should just all be good little chillins an be grateful fo the things massa gives us out of the benevolance of his heart".
Yellow Dog wrote on January 9, 2008 11:23 AM:It will take time to beat this nitwit because he will not change and will have to be subdued but candidates like the ones the dems are fielding this cycle are a start.
Companies do NOT create jobs; consumers of products corporations manufacture create jobs.
Seen the horse-whip industry creating many jobs lately?
High time someone reminded the Chamber that "labor" is not a bunch of non-consuming Martians outside the economy. "Labor" is consumers.
As a UAW leader put it decades ago to a GM exec who showed him an auto-building robot and crowed, "Let's see you get THAT to join a union!":
"Let's see you get THAT to buy a car."
It was Henry Ford, a capitalist who makes the fascists in the Chamber seems like Commies, who paid his assembly-line workers the un-heard-of sum of $5 per day for one purely capitalist reason:
So they could afford to BUY the cars they were BUILDING.
Wake up, assholes. By opposing populism, you're digging your own graves.
rdeaver wrote on January 9, 2008 12:01 PM:It isn't Democrats that Donahue is threatening. They would have been targeted by the USCC anyway. It is Huckabee, and any Republican who might dare to think like him, that Donahue is trying to intimidate with this rhetoric.
Powkat wrote on January 9, 2008 1:49 PM:Is it ironic if I buy my pitchfork at Home Depot?
Mooser wrote on January 9, 2008 4:32 PM:I wouldn't let Mr. Huckabee know you think he favors rational cogitation over divine ispiration. He will take that as an insult.
Anonymous wrote on January 9, 2008 6:51 PM:Anybody interested in learning more about the military-industrial complex and the corporate hi-jacking of whats supposed to be the most accessible institution to the people(congress), read the 7th college edition of Voices of Dissent. i forgot the editor as its a compilation of articles and speeches by persons on both sides of the political spectrum, but enlighten yourself and most of all...DO SOMETHING!
califone wrote on January 10, 2008 4:41 AM:I think this has serious repercussions for Huckabee. It may be a threat to him, and Edwards, albeit Huckabee is the bigger threat to maintaining Big business interests with the GOP. This is good news for the democrats if Huckabee wins the nomination. $60M of free advertising.
Heh.
bartkid wrote on January 12, 2008 11:00 AM:>>Wait. He's going to "build" a "grass roots"?
>I don't think that's how it works.
That's called astroturf.