Posted on 04/07/2021 3:59:55 AM PDT by Kaslin
The controversy surrounding the new voting law in the state of Georgia raises important issues regarding the governance of our country and the role of corporations.
Corporations are big and have a lot of economic clout, so there is justified concern about them abusing this economic power.
It's why there are such strict lobbying laws in Washington. We want to make sure that corporations don't step over the line of representing their legitimate interests in legitimate ways.
Corporations such as Atlanta-based Delta are now falling over themselves to see who can be the most zealously out front and condemn Georgia's new voting law.
After President Biden, who called the new Georgia law "Jim Crow on steroids," suggested that Major League Baseball pull the All-Star Game out of Atlanta, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wasted little time to announce plans to do just that.
But isn't the key issue about the "democracy" of the voting law? And wasn't Georgia's law passed by a democratically elected state legislature and signed into law by a democratically elected governor? Who are these multinational businesses to condemn what Georgians passed into law by their own state democracy? Who is Major League Baseball to use its economic clout to punish Georgians for a voting law that was passed legitimately and legally through the machinery of their own democracy?
According to Statista, 32% of Major League Baseball fans are Republicans, 38% are Democrats, and 30% are independents. Manfred reportedly earns $11 million in compensation to serve this diverse group of fans what they want -- great baseball. One widely quoted businessman now claims Atlanta will lose $100 million in tourist revenue as a result of pulling the game. Who is hurt here, and why?
When CEOs speak out in the name of their company, they are not speaking as private citizens but as an employee of their company. They are paid to serve customers and produce value for owners -- shareholders.
I happen to have Delta Million Miler Status and Diamond Medallion Status. I make considerable effort to adjust my flight plans so I can maintain this status.
It does not please me at all to discover that Delta CEO Ed Bastian does not spend every waking minute of his time on the job making sure customers like me get the best service possible.
Somehow, Bastian and other corporate CEOs have mistakenly concluded that they are being paid tens of millions for their opinions on voting law and matters concerning black Americans. As a black American and Delta Diamond traveler, I disagree with everything I have heard from Bastian on both these matters, and I urge him to spend his time on what he is paid to do.
Here's what famed economist Milton Friedman had to say on the subject in his classic text "Capitalism and Freedom": "The view has been gaining widespread acceptance that corporate officials ... have a 'social responsibility' that goes beyond serving the interest of their stockholders ..."
He continues: "Few trends could so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible."
In 2019, Delta had 91,000 employees worldwide and around 30,000 in Atlanta. As private citizens, the 30,000 who live in Georgia can exercise their political proclivities as they choose. In this way, Delta influences local politics. However, the common interest of all Delta employees worldwide is the economic welfare, the business, of the firm that pays them.
No doubt it is the left-wing activism of groups like Black Lives Matter, and the Democrats with this agenda who now control the White House and Congress, that has motivated CEOs to step out on Georgia's voting law.
In doing so, they are abusing the economic power of their firms and, as a result, damaging the economy and the political integrity of our nation.
You need to ask this CEO if Delta is going to stop requiring photo ID to purchase tickets and board their aircraft.
Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, etc have all given political donations to the Democratic Party in the form of their statements against the Georgia Law.
These CEOs should be prosecuted for being unregistered lobbyists.
Delta CEO said that international passengers must have vaccine passports to travel on their airline.
Another political contribution without reporting it.
You need to ask this CEO if Delta is going to stop requiring photo ID to purchase tickets and board their aircraft.
I like it! Bang, right between his woke eyes.....
The ‘social justice’ warrior has become the corporate CEO. If the press is the ‘fourth branch’ of government, the corporate world now wants to become a ‘fifth branch.’
plus... Bastian is either lying about or is misrepresenting or is ignorant about the actual provisions of the new GA law.
The man needs to stay in his lane.
And the chairman of Delta's board needs to be forced to publicly answer when they're going to stop requiring ID for board members to vote. Let them get thousands of illegal votes for their board decisions.
Except for Atlanta, GA people are not on a good mood with those who run the state government... and in no mood for delta or Coca-Cola to go pull a stunt like this.
the disappointment in illegal ballots and gov doing nothing to check how ballots were counted... and being the state to give the senate to the dems...
and now 2 GA companies have done a stupid thing which makes no sense and that fact says they both are catering to the wrong side.
biden lies every time he says anything and he lied about that bill.. they should have read the bill. they are mud in GA now.. we the people are tired of being taken for fools and seeing what is going on in our country.. the dems are headed for a mighty fall! and a huge loss!
Is all that flying really necessary, or does he just want to maintain his status?
Fascism by its very definition.
Bravo, best response to Delta’s CEO on this.
We all know that resident Xiden is a puppet emperor of the CCP. If Delta, Coca-Cola and MLB chose to be puppets of resident Xiden, what does that make them with respect to the CCP ?
In today’s world (since the mid-80’s even before the 9-11 airport miseries increased security dramatics), NO flight is pleasant . NOBODY travels by air just for the “fun” of flying.
Good on this guy.
I’m drafting a letter to Bastian that is short and sweet:
Mr. Bastian,
I recently learned of your (as DELTA CEO) stance on Georgia’s voting reform law.
I will never fly Delta Airlines again. There are many other choices out there for airline flyers such as myself, or I can drive.
This is a lifetime ban. I hope Delta Airlines fails.
This is on you.
Quite sincerely, ‘Pod
Is there a list somewhere of these companies?
Here’s the thing, Star...
The Law is NOT RACIST.
All of the democrats, DNCMedia, tv and movie stars, rock and rap stars, and corporate executive are propagating a BIG LIE, either knowingly or just parroting what Stacy AbramsTank told them.
Again, the claim that the law is anti-Black is a lie.
Ask anyone saying it is to tell you what particular part of the law is racist. They can’t. 90% don’t know a single item, or, like Biden, says you cannot eat in line—how awfully racist, huh?
The whole Jim Crow stuff is really stupid. They manufactured that narrative and are running with it. However, Jim Crow does not belong to the right, it belongs smack dab in the lap of the kkk-infested democraps. That is where it was birthed, but the left are trying to stick that donkey’s tail on the GOP. It all needs to blow back in their faces.
Star Parker, who wrote this article, is a black woman.
Fascism by its very definition.
Bingo!
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