The Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute’s CEO forum gathers top political leaders with Fortune 500 CEOs for a Chatham House rules discussion where direct quotes are off the record. In Washington DC this week at the 155th gathering, as clouds swirled around the Capitol building just steps away, senators from both parties and some top Trump administration officials joined us. They had to face down the near unanimous verdict from over 100 top business leaders, representing some of the world’s largest companies and most iconic brands:
Trump’s policies aren’t working.
These opinions were all about business results, by the way: the reasoning was independent of personal politics or industry sector, it always came back to the bottom line.
You and I get it. But I’m still not sure I would throw my hypothetical employees under the bus. I’m not arguing for capitulation, we damned well know that doesn’t work with fascists. I’m just presenting the major CEO side of the equation.
Fuck me, I can’t fly a flag, plant a yard sign or cut a bumper sticker because I dare not draw attention to my immigrant wife. I know, that’s different, but still, I can’t invite violence because I have the means to shoot back, at all times, even on the shitter. I can’t die or go to jail over shooting an angry redneck. I got a wife and two small children depending on me. I’m ready, I’m willing, but we all gotta pick our battles.
Neither of us are being paid millions to represent the interests of a Fortune listed corporation either. We have essentially zero influence on the national stage and as individuals can be easily targeted by the Maga nuts. Those who do have power and are getting paid accordingly have failed us completely.
Among politicians AOC and a few others shouldn’t be so alone when leading the charge against what the fascists are doing. There should be a fucking chorus of people from across the political spectrum, but instead pols, business leaders, law enforcement and the press are mostly busy keeping their heads down rather that speaking up. It amazes me that so many people in our government are blithely ignoring the oaths they took with their hands on a bible. If they actually believed in God those oaths would mean something.
If those paid to do so had been speaking up from the start Trump would have been removed from office during the last shitshow, or impeached after he left office, or tried and convicted for inciting insurgency, or tried and convicted for stealing classified documents and storing them in his bathroom, or dropped off the ballot in the states, or all of the above. Instead we’re stuck as the proverbial frog in slowly boiling water.
IMO it’s time that we start loudly calling out those in power who aren’t using it and are instead pretending there is nothing wrong.
Good luck making it through this dumpster fire with your wife.