This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
Panic In DC As Starbucks' Schultz Calls For CEO Boycott Of Campaign Donations, Urges Americans To Go On Strike Against Their Politicians
In today's most underreported news of the day, which could potentially have the biggest impact on the future of America, none other than America's CEOs, or at least one of them: Starbucks' Howard Schultz, has mass blasted an email to fellow CEOs asking for a consensual boycott on donating to political campaigns in order to encourage the nation's muppets, elsewhere idiotically called "leaders", to solve America's budget and debt impasse. Bloomberg quotes from the CEO's e-mail to business leaders:"I am asking that all of us forego political contributions until the Congress and the President return to Washington and deliver a fiscally disciplined long-term debt and deficit plan to the American people." Cue panic, terror, homicidal and suicidal screeching, and overall sheer existential angst in D.C., whose critters suddenly face the nightmare scenario of having no corporate bribes, period, until they get to do their job.
Should Schultz' proposal gain traction, this could be the most revolutionary proposal to leadership reform since the advent of the corporatocracy. Yet as optimistic and idealistic as we are, we fail to see how corporations will all join into this mass game theory experiment, where the benefits for defection get exponentially greater as more and more people join and decide to cooperate. Oh well, it was a great idea while it lasted. And as for Schultz' own donation record, here is Politico: Schultz’s most recent donation was the $2,500 maximum to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in March. He’s also given thousands in previous cycles to Democrats including President Barack Obama, and one-time Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. He’s also given to Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.)." At least some democrats are certainly sweating it if Schultz decideds to proceed unilaterally with this threat (unless of course it is nothing more than a PR stunt).
From Bloomberg:
Schultz, 58, joined Starbucks about three decades ago and later served as CEO until in 2000. He took the reins again in 2008 amid slumping sales growth after the company expanded too rapidly. The Starbucks leader has spoken on issues such as the high price of coffee, which he says is driven by market speculation.
He also encouraged fellow business leaders in the e-mail to “voice your perspective publicly” and said that “businesses need to do all they can to accelerate job creation.”
Corey duBrowa, a spokesman for Seattle-based Starbucks, said the e-mail was sent last night and dated Aug. 15.
Politico completes:
Schultz said “businesses need to do all they can to accelerate job creation.” And, in his message to employees, he said Starbucks would do just that. The company’s “innovative, global growth and new distribution channels will continue to create full- and part-time jobs, and not just in the U.S., but in the more than 50 countries where we operate,” he wrote.
The idea is, naturally, noble enough:
What Schultz wants to see, he said in that interview, is for Americans to go on strike against their politicians.
“The fundamental problem is that the lens through which Congress approaches issues is reelection. The lifeblood of their reelection campaigns is political contributions,” Schultz said. Whether big donors or small ones, Americans should stop giving and see if it galvanizes Washington to act.
“The debt crisis is really the symbol of a larger problem, which is that our leaders are not leading,” he added. “America’s leaders need to put their feet in the shoes of working Americans…. Instead, all they think about is their own political self-interest.”
Once again, should this idea gain traction, it may prove to be the most (r)evolutionary development in US politics in decades. Which is precisely why we are confident it will never be mentioned again: good luck getting Wall Street firms, for whom 80% of their business model is bribing their DC muppets with pocket change, to pledge their participation in this program.
»
- 23289 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
1000's of years of shitting on the hillsides, that must be a wonderful place.
i know plenty of jews who arent pro israel. the hasidic jewish group known as the Satmars are not pro israel. why does anti israel sentiment make one prejudiced?
New antisemitism is the concept that a new form of antisemitism has developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, emanating simultaneously from the far-left, radical Islam, and the far-right, and tending to manifest itself as opposition to Zionism and the State of Israel.
The concept generally posits that much of what purports to be criticism of Israel by various individuals and world bodies, is, in fact, tantamount to demonization, and that, together with an alleged international resurgence of attacks on Jews and Jewish symbols, and an increased acceptance of antisemitic beliefs in public discourse, such demonization represents an evolution in the appearance of antisemitic beliefs
I see people as individuals.
I see nation-states as evil.
I'm runnin' on Dunkin'.
Dunk tank.
Jim Rickards, making sense on GATA and CNBC:
Liquidate the banks or endure years of slavery, Rickards tells CNBC | Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee
Fuck you racist bastard. I'm from Israel.
What does nationality have to do with race?
Hey captain ignorant: I am ISRAELI. I am from ISRAEL. I am JEWISH. My people want to live in PEACE.
Quit being such a combatitive asshole and you will be one step closer to your goal.
Racism is the belief that there are inherent differences in people's traits and capacities that are entirely due to their race, however defined
I, however submit that your inherent differences stem from your belonging to a sub-species of human, commonly referred to as fucking cunts.
Who gives a shit ?!!
Just shut the fuck up already with your OWN racist bullshit.
You aren't doing much to help dispell the myth that all of your people are the same...
... fucking cunts, I mean.
Dupe
CEO's got a long way to go themselves to earn my faith. These same guys were dumb enough to get behind the community organizer with little to no experience like he was the second coming. How about during Obamacare how they dared not step up and say no to the take over of our health care system. How about the auto CEO's telling Congress that they themselves should give up their Pelosi jets as well. Vote against every incumbant that has been there for two terms or more.
Boss Mann:
Didn't get rid of the lobbyists.
Didn't say, "Free Starbucks coffee for a day" or. "I will take a pay cut".
Didn't say, "I demand all corporate CEOs to pay more taxes" or that corporations will pay. Warren Buffett conveniently avoided that topic as well.
Politicians aren't going to stop getting campaign money: PACs and SUPERPACs will still funnel funds to hungry ad budgets.
Different kind of spam from another Big. Wanna make a difference? Don't buy anything @ Starbucks!
Wanna make a REAL difference? Throw away the TV, become a vegetarian and get rid of the car.
When do you guys start building the ovens? I just want to know so I can get my brown shirt on and blend in here again.
Good for Schultz. It reminds me of the tape I have of Ayn Rand chastizing a group of businessmen who were donating dollars to universities who were hellbent on destroying the American Business Model, and in the end, their businesses.
Did he also call for real live magic ponies for every little girl?
http://julianaheng.com/wp-content/images/DollDivinePony_MagicPop.jpg
Well anyway the framing that the US government deficit is the biggest problem instead of the symptom of far greater ones pretty much makes this less than useless.
Buy more gold my broker told me today.
http://www.floatingworldeditions.com/images/covers/noh-masks-hell.jpg
Who knows how how food, gas, oil, education, health insurance, etc will go. Wages are stagnant or falling while commodities ---food, etc--are rising.
GL!
$2,500 less... I gess it means one box of the finest cuban cigars less for them.
Is Blythe Masters a little bit sad now that her invention, the CDS, on sovereign bonds of European states has been banned in large parts of Europe ?
I hope so.
Hey, can anyone please supply the link to the ENGDAHL piece on Rockefeller, oil, empire, and global finance?
....that'll just empower Goldman as they will become the only game in town....
People don't make campaign contributions. It's all just an urban legend.
Politicians finance their campaigns by trading on non-public information with the connivance of the facilitators.
Starbucks is gonna get the Mark Cuban treatment. When Cuban was preparing to finance the "Loose Change" remake for his HD network, out of nowhere he bacame the subject of a huge SEC investigation. He backed off the film and voila! the charges were dropped. God Bless America!
What do you have against my people? We merely wish to exist in peace and be left alone. You are dripping in ignornace with your racist attitude.
Wow - YOU again?
Thought we told you to shut the fuck up already.
What do you have against my people? We merely wish to exist in peace and be left alone. You are dripping in ignorance with your racist attitude.
I will believe you when you say that you want to exist in peace and be left alone. I don't think you have any authority to speak for the politicians and war mongers that rule the nation of Israel. For they clearly do not share your sentiment.
Schultz abstaining from politics? The same Schultz that in 1998 was awarded the "The Israel 50th Anniversary Tribute Award" from the Jerusalem Fund of Aish Ha-Torah for "playing a key role in promoting a close alliance between the United States and Israel." Oh that guy, yeah he's Switzerland </sarc>
Next panic: Euro bonds "no topic" for Merkel and Sarkozy at their meeting in Paris tomorrow.
In German:
http://www.faz.net/artikel/S30638/schuldenkrise-eurobonds-kein-thema-in-...
Hey Tyler, my main reason for creating a user account here was due to your posts. TY.