Corporate Leaders

Pure Hysteria About Mamdani “Socialism”, Depicting Him As A “Communist” And “Islamic Terrorist”, By Republicans!

Ronald 8 Comments

New York City is very likely to elect Zohran Mamdani the 111th Mayor a week from now, despite the dire warnings being spread by Republicans and corporate leaders, and even many religious leaders, both Jewish and otherwise.

There is pure hysteria being spread that Mamdani, a self described “Democratic Socialist”, is a “Communist” and an “Islamic Terrorist”, as he is of the Muslim faith.

The Jewish community is deeply divided over Mamdani, who has been harshly critical of the Israel-Gaza War, which has killed about 65,000 Palestinians. Some Jewish groups who are totally supportive of any tactic or policy of the Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu see Mamdani as a dire threat to Jews in New York City and elsewhere.

The fact that Mamdani has plans to help the struggling middle class and poor, rather than cater to the wealthy elite, also has led the Republican Party nationally under Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump, to portray him with the lunatic accusation that he is a “Communist’, which demonstrates total ignorance and stupidity about the meaning of the term.

If anything, Trump himself being too “cozy” with Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and Kim Jong Un of North Korea (both Communists), belies the manipulation of public opinion being perpetrated by a Republican Party, which clearly does not care about the rapidly worsening economic conditions caused by Trump’s refusal to care about the economic plight of tens of millions of Americans who were told the cost of living would decrease under Trump in his second term.

Donald Trump Demeans The Presidency With His Offensive Personal Twitter Attacks, And Totally Undermines Sense Of Civility!

Ronald 12 Comments

Donald Trump, the ultimate bully, somehow managed to demean the Presidential campaign of 2016, bringing it down to a lower level of civility than any Presidential campaign in American history, and the American people, or at least the 46 percent who voted for him in the “right” places so as to award him the Electoral College, chose to overlook it,

But the incorrigible Donald Trump, who has spent his life treating people this way since he was a child, has refused to stop, and has engaged in character assassination against any and all critics in his public statements and on Twitter, with no sense of embarrassment, or any willingness to apologize in his 161 days in the Presidency, and has brought the level of ethics and morality down to an all tome low.

He has become a burden to the nation, and undermined trust in all nations around the world, which used to look at the US as a beacon of hope.

He has endorsed dictatorships and tough tactics, and ridiculed our allies and friends, and has, in particular, showed total lack of respect for women, in a way that creates future generations of men who will think it is just fine to act the way he does, when it is not at all acceptable.

Donald Trump has become the Demeaner in Chief; the Misogynist in Chief; the Bigot in Chief; the Liar in Chief; and brought the Presidency to an all time low of behavior, and he should be widely condemned for it by all decent people.

If any corporate leader or any public figure acted in this way on a regular basis, he would be summarily dismissed, or denied any privileges or respect, and we are nearing the time when it could be argued that his behavior is a sign of mental illness that is dangerous, and a good reason to impeach and remove him, as a disgrace to the office he holds!

Trump’s Pledge To “Drain The Swamp”? Trump Has More Wall Street Corporate Types And Military Leaders Than Any President Since Eisenhower!

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Donald Trump pledged to “drain the swamp” of corporate people having influence on government, and this is the first of his pledges that has been totally ignored.

His Secretary of the Treasury (Steve Mnuchin); Secretary of Commerce (Wilbur Ross); Secretary of State (Rex Tillerson); and Chief Strategist (Stephen K. Bannon) are all from Wall Street or from a leading corporation in the case of Tillerson (Exxon Mobil).

Additionally, he has more military people, including those who are not retired for long, and require special legislative approval to serve—Secretary of Defense (James Mattis); Secretary of Homeland Security (John Kelly); and National Security Adviser (Michael Flynn).

So this is more than ever the “Military-Industrial Complex” that President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against in his Farewell Address in January 1961.

This is a danger to American democracy, as the wealthy one percent not only dominate this administration, but also, more than ever, members of Congress, who are overall wealthier than any previous Congress in American history.

Where is the concern for the average middle class or poor American?

The True Heroes Of Natural And Man Made Disasters: Teachers, Nurses, Paramedics, Police Officers, Firefighters!

Ronald 24 Comments

Again, with the Oklahoma and Boston Marathon tragedies, as so many others, it is PUBLIC servants–teachers, nurses, paramedics, police officers, firefighters–who are the true heroes, doing beyond the call of duty to rescue and save lives!

But yet, these public servants are constantly pilloried and condemned, if they demand a living wage and decent benefits, as appreciation for their services, while people in the world of business make outrageous salaries and perks on Wall Street, and think that they deserve what they get, despite having messed up the economy, causing the Great Recession of 2008, as they have in every recession since the Great Depression!

We are told to worship Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, and other bank CEO’s who, by all justification, should be in prison for their actions!

We allow the Koch Brothers and the Walmart heirs to run rampant without any consideration of how they exploit their work force, and these are just examples, not the only ones.

We have Apple and Walmart and Target and numerous other companies which exploit foreign workers, and do not give a damn about safety or a decent living wage for these poor women and men who died in the disaster recently in Bangladesh!

It is time to hold these corporate leaders and companies accountable, and stop complaining about public servants who deserve respect and dignity and better pay for their sacrifices and dedication to the people they serve!

Bush And Cheney Emerge: Reminders Of How We Became What We Are!

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The emergence of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney from “exile” helps to remind us of how we came to be where we are today!

Bush was on National Geographic Channel, explaining and justifying his administration’s actions before September 11, on September 11, and since. You would think he would be a bit humble about the shortcomings of his administration regarding terrorism and the wars he initiated, but not one bit of apology was offered!

Even worse, Dick Cheney, who is seen overseas as an international war criminal, has been gloating about his attacks in his memoir on Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and George Tenet, and claims no mistakes, no shortcomings, no regrets about the foreign policy of the Bush Administration!

And of course, the man who said as Vice President that deficits did not matter, helped to preside over budget deficits that doubled the national debt, and convinced “fat cats”, corporate leaders and super rich people, that it was patriotic NOT to pay their fair share of taxes!

Adding insult to injury, we have today the former CEO of American Express, Harvey Golub, having the nerve to go on MSNBC this afternoon, and attack Warren Buffett for his assertions that wealthy people should pay higher taxes as part of patriotism, and appreciation for their success in America!

Golub says he earned his salary, worked very hard, and should not be forced to pay higher taxes until it is proved that the government handles money in a better fashion. While no one can criticize that assertion, it must be realized that CEOs are paid outrageous salaries to head major corporations, just at a time when many corporations have no morality or concern about firing their employees, cutting their benefits or pay, or adding more tension and pressure to their jobs!

But really, when a CEO says he works HARD, what does that mean? It means he “barks” orders to his underlings; spends time in his office intimidating others in meetings; uses his time on the phone and pushing papers to make himself look busy; and often could not survive without good staff, which he almost certainly treats in a disrespectful and disdaining manner! All he is concerned about is how much wealth he can acquire, how many perks he can have, and the level of arrogance and abuse that he can practice without accountability!

It is time to stop giving deference to corporate leaders, and start demanding that they do their part for their country, instead of expecting the “peasants” below them to bear the whole burden!

So Bush and Cheney emerging reminds us of the alternative of Barack Obama, and cannot but help make the choice for 2012 much clearer!