The Revolution Continues blog is news, views, opinion and other expressions of hope from a leftist point-of-view. (We are not affiliated with any candidate, political party or organization. All are welcome.)
There’s something everyone can do this week to make the world a better place that’s as simple as doing absolutely nothing.
I’m not kidding. It’s that easy. Everyone can stop spending money all at the same time. Withholding our money even for twenty-four hours can make a strong point to the powers that be.
How do we coordinate such an action? Here’s how: There’s a planned “economic blackout” scheduled for this Friday, February 28, that you can join. (See meme for details.)
“But...but…” I hear some of the whiners objecting to the sheer simplicity of everyone not supporting Amazon, Walmart, Target and the like for a day. “Surely we must do something big and difficult to catch the oligarchs/billionaires’ attention, to let them know that we don’t care for what Mr. Musk is doing, that we want them to stop spending our tax dollars on wars and genocide. How can depriving mega-corporations of a few sales for one day get our message across?”
You’d be surprised how sales being cut back by even a few percentage points can catch a capitalist’s eye and make them worry...
To learn more about how you can give the billionaires/oligarchs cause for worry, please
continue reading the rest of this article by copying or clicking on this
Substack link:
There you'll see related article and video links, all the graphics, and
be able to leave comments. You can become a free or paid subscriber and
receive weekly posts in your email box, along with occasional special
articles just for paid subscribers, too.
Subscribe to The Revolution Continues on Substack today. Power to the people!
In Memory…
Protest comes in many forms. Rest In Power, Aaron Bushnell!
February 25, 2024
This
article is the 508th blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began
in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading,
sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years.
(A Brief Explanation of Why Things Are F’ed Up and What We Can Do About It)
By C.A. Matthews
“We’re All Sad About Tom,” the announcement posted on the Burger King kitchen wall begins solemnly, “But going to his funeral won’t bring him back. No time-off will be given. Thx.”
This short, emotionally tone-deaf message neatly sums up all that is wrong, all that is heinous, all that is cruel and totally f’ed up in Western society, particularly the United States of America. And in its cruel depths lie the seeds of our redemption.
Who is “Tom”? Obviously Tom was a Burger King employee. Tom was a low-paid service worker in one of a million fast food restaurants that litter the planet. Tom has since passed away, but whether his demise was job related or not we don’t know. All we know for certain is that Tom will no longer be reporting to work.
This means one very important thing: the Burger King restaurant where Tom worked is now short an employee.
This means that the remaining employees will be forced to pick up the slack. Whether or not this means it will be a permanent or temporary shortage of employees for the restaurant is unclear, but the late Tom’s position at the time the announcement was written doesn’t appear to have been filled yet.
The next line clinches the employee shortage situation: “But going to his funeral won’t bring him back. No time-off will be given. Thx.”
If you’re confused about the meaning of that line, here’s a different translation...
To read that translation and discover ways we can fix our problems, please continue reading this article by clicking on this Substack link: https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com. There you'll see related article and video links, all the graphics, and be able to leave comments. You can become a free or paid subscriber and receive weekly posts in your email box, along with occasional special articles just for paid subscribers, too.
Subscribe to The Revolution Continues on Substack today. Power to the people!
This article is the 502nd blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading, sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years.
It
confounds me. We're angry when we aren't paid what we should be, tired of how some
capitalists blatantly steal from the public purse and don't pay their fare
share, and yet we act mesmerized whenever the ultra-rich pull a flashy stunt
to generate more publicity for their money-making machines.
You
know what I'm talking about--the heavy mainstream media coverage of both
Richard Branson's and Jeff Bezos' recent "joy rides" into the upper
atmosphere. You'd think their private lives would be of zero interest to
everyday folks slaving away in dead-end jobs in these billionaires' concerns,
but the mainstream media seems to think their activities are more important
than climate catastrophes happening around the globe this week. In fact, the big
news outlets spent almost the same amount of air time covering Bezos' pretend
space race adventure than they did on stories dealing with the multitude of
deadly floods, droughts, forest fires and other climate emergencies that
occurred on the same day.
Obviously,
what rich people do with their billions for fun is infinitely more important
than our children's safety or futures.
Or
could it be…the mainstream media just wants us to think we love billionaires
and find their antics lovable? Could it be we don't really love the hoarding toadies
at all, but the powers-that-be want us to be tolerant of them and their destructive ways?
Tolerant enough that we don't all grab our pitchforks and build guillotines before our homes burn down in
a drought-driven forest fire?
"Just
a little off the top," one can imagine Jeff Bezos muttering as
thousands of his ill-treated warehouse workers lead him up the scaffolding to
meet the blade.
It's time to be honest with
ourselves. We--and by this I mean you, me, our children and loved ones--are the
99%. We can't afford to put up with these "lovable antics" by the ΓΌberwealthy any longer. The 1% have by far the largest carbon footprint.
Scientists tell us that the 1% and their conspicuous consumption is the leading
cause of climate change. The 1% are the spoilers of this planet and human life
in general.
It's time we stopped admiring
them. It's time we stop kidding ourselves that we'll ever become one of them.
You know deep down the odds that you will ever become a billionaire are a
billion to one. So, if we're never going to become a member of the billionaire club what can we do to give our lives meaning?
First off, we can stop the idol
worshiping right now. There's no such thing as a "good billionaire"
as I heard someone say. It's an oxymoron like "military
intelligence." The two words don't belong in the same sentence.
Billionaires aren't God. They're not "good" because they own just
about everything and everyone on the planet and keep it to themselves. End the adoration of their
senseless buffoonery in fast planes and dildo-shaped rockets.
Second thing, stop making excuses
for these clowns in designer clothing. They are not better than the rest of us.
They're not even smarter than the rest of us. Didn't Trump's nonsensical tweets make that fact more
than obvious? Billionaires were simply born into wealth and have used that wealth to
take things away from those less fortunate--such as our land, natural
resources, our labor, our clean air, drinking water, and now even outer space. They live to make
a profit off of everything and everyone.
(And you do qualify as one of the
"less fortunate" if you actually pay your taxes. Most billionaires
don't pay any.)
Last, but not least, call out the
mainstream media and others who attempt to glorify the billionaires
and their activities. No more spreading their propaganda. Tell it like it
is--they're greedy bastards who don't share their wealth, treat their workers like slaves, and get away without
even paying their fair share of taxes. They're not to be emulated, idolized,
admired, or tolerated. Shut down their PR spokespeople.
Think of billionaires as your ex.
You walked away from that dysfunctional relationship, didn't you? You know you are
strong enough to walk away from the likes of Branson, Bezos, Musk, Gates, Buffet, the Walton family, etc. You
don't need them to distract you from what really matters in life--taking care of yourself, your loved ones, and your neighbors.
Let the billionaires go--and be sure to let the door hit
them hard on the backside as they exit!
Fifty years ago, poet Gil Scott-Heron expressed a similar attitude on this very subject.
And be sure to check out the best place on the web for independent journalism: https://radindiemedia.com/
What if UFOs are just billionaires from other planets?
— ππ€π’ ππππ π¨ (@tlhicks713) July 24, 2021
If you're arguing the success of capitalism based on this psychopath having spent 10 minutes in space while millions are deprived of medical care and/or bankrupted by medical bills, you're as twisted as he is. Just dumber. pic.twitter.com/JMm4nHSb7U
As Seattle was breaking records with triple-digit temperatures, Amazon
warehouse managers called for a "power hour." They were pushing workers
to run fast and pack faster despite having no indoor air conditioning
in the warehouse.1
Amazon puts productivity over the safety of their workers.
They use high-tech algorithms to enforce it, surveilling workers and
punishing them if they can’t meet the algorithm’s goals, even in the
heat. This kind of workplace surveillance shouldn’t be legal, that’s why Congress needs to act now.
Even before the "heat dome" Amazon warehouses were already dangerous places to work. Amazon
uses high-tech algorithms like Rate and Time off Task to push workers
to the physical limit and then punish them for taking bathroom breaks.2 It’s so bad OSHA once called Amazon warehouses one of the most dangerous jobs in America.3
Workplace
surveillance and productivity algorithms shouldn’t be legal in the
first place. But our legal system lags behind the pace of technology. Unless Congress closes the gap, Amazon will continue to use its high-tech grip to squeeze the life out of its warehouse workers. Like, increasing productivity rates, during a historic heatwave, in a warehouse without air conditioning.
Join thousands of activists already calling on Congress to fix this and protect Amazon workers.
Sources:
1. Daily Dot, "Amazon warehouse runs productivity contest at warehouse despite record-breaking heatwave," June 28, 2021.
2. The Verge, "How Amazon automatically tracks and fires warehouse workers for 'productivity'" April 25, 2019.
3. Futurism, "After Deaths, Amazon Lands on List of Most Dangerous Employers," October 18, 2019.
***
It’s a big week for the resistance. As the Line 3 protest camps
continue to meet the unprecedented advancement of Enbridge’s dangerous
pipeline — arrests are happening nearly every day as this Indigenous-led
movement attempts to stop a host of river crossings — my colleague,
Chase Iron Eyes, and our full media team are heading out to the
frontlines right now.
This trip, and our staff’s ongoing dedication to media creation,
outreach, and logistical support, is a huge investment — and it’s one we
hope you’ll help us make. We’re going all in on providing the camps
with needed equipment and capability to amplify this struggle now, while
we still have a chance to protect Anishinaabe homelands. Will you give generously in this moment to protect our relatives and our world?
Water protectors at a Line 3 front in June. Photo by Christopher Francisco.
Our presence — and that of any allies who can also make the trip — is
badly needed. In 2016 and 2017, the movement against the Dakota Access
pipeline at Standing Rock attracted tens of thousands. In Minnesota, we
are far fewer, and we’re spread thin across several camps. Those already
on the frontlines are struggling logistically to stop Enbridge’s rapid
build across many bodies of water. As you can see below, the police
presence is mighty. We must do all we can.
Police ready to enforce Line 3’s incursions in June. Photo by Christopher Francisco.
Fortunately, we’re joining a coalition led by knowledgeable
Indigenous leaders like Winona LaDuke of Honor the Earth, who was
arrested this week, and Tara Houska of Giniw collective (pictured
below). Our first jobs are to get there, set up, listen to the needs,
and begin amplifying the voices of those on the ground.
Giniw Collective’s Tara Houska provides leadership against Line 3. Photo by Christopher Francisco.
The time is now. This week, another mistake in construction spewed
noxious fluids into another sacred river. As they always do, this
pipeline is already despoiling pristine waters. How much worse will it
be when the tar sands oil — some of the world’s dirtiest — is spilled in
these same water systems? We must not let that happen. We’re preparing
to hold our ground for as long as it takes, and we thank you from our
hearts for your generous support of this mission.
Wopila tanka — thank you for supporting our direct action against this toxic pipeline!
Madonna Thunder Hawk
Cheyenne River Organizer
The Lakota People’s Law Project
The company isn’t exactly hard-up. It’s the most
profitable firm in America. Its executive chairman and largest
shareholder, Jeff Bezos, is the richest man in the world, holding more wealth than the bottom 39 percent of Americans put together.
It backfired big-time. (Amazon stock even dropped!) More and more sympathize with and support the Amazon warehouse workers in their attempt to organize and start the first union at an American Amazon facility. Nobody likes a bullying billionaire, after all.
But why did it have to come to this? Why couldn't Amazon cooperate and listen to the workers' demands? There's only one reason and Robert Reich is right: Amazon abuses its workers because it can.
Amazon's owner Jeff Bezos knows he can get away with it. A government that won't enact a decent minimum wage or give its citizens universal health care that isn't connected to their employment isn't exactly demonstrating that it cares for those who are being abused by a billionaire monopolist. A government that allows a fast food corporation to crush the measly attempt at a living wage--$15 per hour--isn't exactly proving that "promoting the general welfare" is very high on its list.
The mistreatment of workers is nothing new at Amazon. From an article published in 2019:
Amazon’s
cutting-edge technology, unrelenting surveillance and constant
disciplinary write-ups pushed the Eastvale workers so hard that in the
last holiday season, they hit a coveted target: They got a million
packages out the door in 24 hours. Amazon handed out T-shirts
celebrating their induction into the “Million Unit Club.”
But
Dixon, 54, wasn’t around for that. She started the job in April 2018,
and within two months, or nearly 100,000 items, the lifting had
destroyed her back. An Amazon-approved doctor said she had bulging discs
and diagnosed her with a back sprain, joint inflammation and chronic
pain, determining that her injuries were 100% due to her job. She could
no longer work at Amazon. Today, she can barely climb stairs. Walking
her dog, doing the dishes, getting out of her chair – everything is
painful. According to her medical records, her condition is unlikely to
improve. --Will Evans, Behind The Smiles
Amazon (and other companies) leave many disabled workers in their wake. You'd think with the bad press, all Amazon workers would gladly join a union and organize like hell for better working conditions. But believe it or not, they all won't. Decades of anti-union propaganda has taken its toll on American workers according to Daniel Medina:
...the organizing effort has been largely led by older workers, many of
whom worked in union jobs before coming to Amazon. And many younger BHM1
workers have never interacted with a union over the course of their
working lives and may have little understanding of the role a union has
traditionally played in the workplace — a consequence, labor experts
say, of a decade's long assault on organized labor in the Deep South. --Daniel A. Medina, Some Younger Amazon Workers Still Undecided
So, what really could happen if American Amazon workers aren't allowed to organize? Our history paints a grim picture:
On
this day (March 26) 110 years ago, 146 garment workers, including 123 mostly young
immigrant women, died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in lower
Manhattan. Many of these women were forced to jumped from several
stories to the pavement below because the intensely anti-union sweat
shop owners had insisted on keeping exits locked and only one of four
elevators were operating.
These women were paid $15 a week and worked at least 12 hours a day,
seven days a week. The owners of the sweatshop were outliers, who
refused to acquiesce to the workers' demands that were made during the
city-wide strike by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union for
better pay and a more humane work schedule. --Bob Henelly, 110 Years Since the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, Its Lessons Are Still Unlearned
It's time we learned from history and from the current workers forced to work under inhumane conditions at Amazon warehouses and elsewhere, It's time for everyone to support union organizing. The job--the life--you save may well be your own.
The Revolution Continues
is now in our sixth year taking on the propaganda of the fauxgressives
and their friends in the corporate-owned duopoly. We need passionate
revolutionaries like you to help us provide progressive insights that
are being actively censored elsewhere. If you can donate a little to the
cause, please do so at the Paypal.me link below.
Today, Representative Barbara Lee,
along with Representatives Diana DeGette, Jan Schakowsky, and Ayanna
Pressley have introduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in
Health Insurance (EACH) Act. EACH is bold federal legislation that
aims to get rid of the Hyde Amendment and related abortion coverage
restrictions in health care plans.
For more than 40 years, the Hyde
Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds for abortions, has
created barriers to accessing abortion care that disproportionately
affect low-income and women of color. Not only women are affected by
this, but trans men and nonbinary folks are also affected by the Hyde
Amendment which has effectively stripped healthcare from those who
would otherwise have it.
Together, we can work to end the
Hyde Amendment and become one step closer to a world where
Reproductive Justice is a reality, let’s work to get EACH
cosponsored.
URGE is proud to have worked with
our friends at All* Above All and other reproductive health, rights,
and justice organizations and advocates to reintroduce this historic
legislation.
In Solidarity,
Monica (She/Her)
***
We've all seen the screaming headlines about the border this week,
but let me be the first to tell you: they're missing the point.
What's missing from the story is the fact that our collective humanity is at stake. This is about how we as a nation are going to treat children and families.
These are mothers and fathers who like any parent would move heaven
and earth for their children. They've fled horrific violence, abject
poverty, and climate disasters.
Are we really going to slam the door on families who had no other
option but to run for their lives? On kids who had no choice but to come
here alone?
What's happening at the border didn't happen overnight--and
it's certainly not a political football to be thrown around when lives
are at stake.
Because you've stood with Families Belong Together from the beginning, I know you care just as much as I do about protecting children and how we as a nation live up to our values.
I know that time and time again you've shown up to support our
dedicated activists, case workers, attorneys, and coalition of partners
who are working 24/7 to keep children out of detention, avoid cruel
deportations, reunite families, and welcome children with dignity.
The only thing that matters right now is that children are at our doorstep.
We've mobilized and are working directly with our partners on
the ground to push back on the racist, dehumanizing rhetoric that leaves
humanity out of the story.
However you might celebrate it, this is the time of year when many Americans express their gratitude toward others who have helped them (or have at least been kind to them) in the previous year. But what is it about Western society that thinks one day a year is sufficient enough to say "thank you" to our fellow human beings? How can one big meal make up for the centuries of exploitation that colonialism brought to the Americas? And why do we think that a little bit of showy philanthropy offered by a billionaire will right all the wrongs this individual has wreaked upon both people and the planet?
Our guest blogger considers this age-old concept, that somehow our "betters" will take care of us all...free of charge? You'd be surprised how common this bizarre belief still is in the 21th century.
Noblesse Oblige
by Coast Watcher
In French, noblesse oblige (No-bless OBlee-je) means literally "nobility obligates." It refers to the social contract
whereby those of high rank, birth or wealth are supposed to act
generously and honorably to others, especially those
of lower status and/or wealth.
The phrase has its roots in the feudal system that originated in Carolingian France of the 8th
century. It spread to dominate the whole continent of Europe within the
next three hundred years. Something akin to feudalism
existed at times in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, but in any case it
basically refers to the need of the weak and innocent for the protection
of a powerful man. The powerful—read, nobility—would allow those of
lower class to live on their land in exchange
for providing general labor or military service. In time the structure
of feudalism became rigid, with little scope for mobility between
classes.
Feudalism began a slow decline in the 14th
century when the Black Death struck Eurasia and Europe. One of the most
devastating pandemics in human history, the true death toll is unknown.
Estimates vary, but somewhere between
75 to 200 million people died during the plague, which peaked in Europe
from 1347 to 1351. The sudden scarcity of those who would labor or
fight for the nobility—usually under threat of dire punishment if they
defaulted on their obligations—resulted in a radical
shift in favor of the lower classes. Without a military to back them up
the nobility found themselves powerless in the face of demands for
social reforms from the lower classes.
The increasingly centralized
power of monarchy also diminished the nobility’s
scope to rule those beneath them. In time this led to a redistribution
of wealth, and the middle class, or
bourgeoisie, rose to occupy the ground between peasant and noble.
Richer than a peasant, not as rich as a noble, the bourgeoisie lived
comfortable lives and often worked in trade and industry. As a class
they tended to be conservative. They also took
on some aspects of noblesse oblige to those less fortunate.
So much for the history. What of the modern world?
It’s said that capitalism arose when
democracy met feudalism, and I believe there’s an element of truth in
that. Some members of the bourgeoisie who did well in the fields of
trade and industry became wealthier than the nobility,
often by a huge margin. Their enterprises grew into the multinational
corporations we see today. Each and every one of those corporations had
its origins in somebody’s store, shed, barn or laboratory. Over the
course of decades, and perhaps centuries, those
businesses merged or predated upon one another to become vast, bloated
operations too powerful for the public’s good. They grew wealthy and
powerful enough to control governments.
Quo plus habent, eo plus desire ~ The more they have, the more they want.
Capitalism is a greedy and demanding cuckoo
in the nest of humanity. The more it feeds off the public in the shape
of tax concessions and subsidies, the more it wants. It loves it when
conservative-oriented governments privatize
public assets and sell them to the highest bidder. Often capitalism
doesn’t have to use force—just wads of lobbyist cash. The more money
capitalism takes from the economy, the more ordinary people have to
struggle to keep their heads above water. Money which
would otherwise be in circulation is being stashed away in offshore
accounts where its sole purpose is to provide purchasing power for big
business’ next venture.
When poverty increases, there’s a
commensurate increased need for charity to step in where government
either fails to do so adequately or otherwise ignores the problem. In
1929 the Great Depression began with the infamous Wall Street
Crash, lasting well into the thirties. Charities that normally provided
a stop-gap solution to immediate problems found themselves having to
sustain an impoverished population for far longer than funds would
permit. The situation was eased by FDR’s New Deal,
which provided public funds to get industry back on its feet and the
public back to work.
Of course, the New Deal really came about
because the establishment was scared to death by the rise of socialism
and communism, both of which are anathema to capitalism. It wanted all
the anger and outrage generated by the Great
Depression channeled into safer courses. Once the heat had gone out of
the situation, those liberal policies gradually went away or were
watered down. The 1960s resurgence of public pressure for social reforms
was another scary period for the establishment,
but again, come the Reagan era, the reforms wrung from government
dissipated over time.
And so it is today. The 2008 crash saw
poverty hit America once more. Barack Obama bailed out the banks claiming
they were “too big to fail” instead of letting them perish for blatant
mismanagement of their assets—this after the CEOs
of those big banks flew their executive jets into Washington DC so they
could plead poverty. The mortgage crisis hit millions across the
country. Homelessness rose and has continued to rise.
Bankruptcies—especially from unforeseen healthcare costs—are endemic.
Charities are stepping into the breach once more, as they did during
the Great Depression, and again these charities are struggling to cope
with a high demand for their services.
What makes this situation all the uglier for those suffering economic hardship is the attitude of those more fortunate.
Noblesse oblige
is noticeably absent. A callous streak infects the rich and generally
better off. A pseudo-Calvanistic attitude prevails, whereby
many of those more fortunate than others believe the poor and suffering deserve their fate because “God ordains it
so.” They use it as justification for doing nothing.
Some donate to charitable causes as a sop to their consciences, but they’d rather not have any direct contact with the poor.
Another justification to deny charity
is that people will become too dependent on charitable donations,
and to a certain extent this is true.
Much as feudalism created a serf class dependent on the nobility’s
largess, so does charity become a crutch which is hard to discard even
in better times.
Even so, governments use the
same philosophy to refuse assistance for the sick and struggling even
though—especially in the case of the United States
Constitution—it has a
legal obligation to help.
Big business does indulge in a form of noblesse oblige,
usually as a public relations ploy and especially if their business
practices draw public and press disapproval. Some businesses such as
Amazon are not interested in
performing any charitable function. In fact, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos
plowed over a million dollars into the recent Seattle council elections
specifically to depose Socialist Alternative city councilor Kshama
Sawant and pack the council with his toadies. This
was after he browbeat the council into abandoning a tiny tax on
businesses in the city aimed at providing funds for the homeless. Bezos’
plan failed. Only two of the seven council candidates he sponsored won
their seats, and they look set to lose them at the
next election.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is
another example of capitalist noblesse oblige. With over $50 billion in
assets the foundation’s activities are worldwide and often
controversial. It drew criticism for its inoculation program
in Africa when it was linked to attempts to sterilize women.
Accusations have been leveled at the foundation concerning a hidden
agenda.
All things considered, the nobility and rich
in general take far more than they give. They rely on charities to take
up the considerable slack in helping the poor and disadvantaged in
society. It costs the rich far less than a tax
on their wealth aimed at providing at least adequate social benefits to
citizens.
Noblesse oblige: At the end of the day, is it worth it? Does
it work? Did it ever work? Or is it nothing other than gesture to soothe a
rich person’s conscience?
BIO: Coast Watcher stopped believing in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny as a child. He certainly doesn't believe in the mythical "generous and charitable one-percent class," either. He recommends you open your ears and use your brain to think through what the billionaires are really up to whenever you see them portrayed as heroes in the mainstream media. You do realize they own all the mainstream media outlets, don't you?
This excellent short video poses an important question of morality that needs to be answered for our very survival. https://youtu.be/axN8ppre-mU
The wealth of the billionaire class is almost incomprehensible.
The Waltons get $70,000 richer every minute.
Jeff Bezos makes $2,489 a second.
That is why it is not radical to say that millions of people in this country should not be paid starvation wages.
11:41 AM · Nov 25, 2019
Check out even more damning evidence of how billionaires call the shots worldwide--by starting wars and funding coups to obtain oil and other resources illegally. Excellent piece from Dirk at Beanstock's World. Here's a short excerpt:
"By now, a growing number of Americans have become aware of how our
intended democracy has become undermined by Big Money and turned into a
sham where voter participation is essentially blocked by a twin party
tyranny of the R- and D-Party, both working exclusively for the rich and
their corporations, think tanks, and an army of 42,000+ registered
lobbyists (plus many more unregistered ones) while dangling billionaire
puppets in front of us as “our” candidates, excluding true people’s
representatives from our ballots or rigging the elections when one does
make it on the ballots."
Tell SEC commissioners:"Shareholder resolutions are a crucial way for shareholders to
hold corporations accountable. Changing SEC Rule 14a-8 would silence
shareholder activism and protect big corporations from the consequences
of their actions. Withdraw changes to SEC Rule 14a-8."
Add your name:
Wall Street is trying to silence the voices of progressive activists,
and Trump's handpicked Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair
is helping.
Shareholder resolutions have forced Fortune 500 corporations
to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, promote
transparency, improve racial diversity and confront climate change.
But now, after lobbying from corporate CEOs, the SEC proposed new rules
that make activists jump through increasingly difficult hoops in order
to introduce and pass shareholder resolutions.1,2
We can't let the SEC help Wall Street crush the shareholder activists who hold major corporations accountable. We need to speak out against this awful proposal now, while the SEC is still accepting public input.
The SEC is supposed to protect people from Wall Street. It is doing the opposite.
In the past, the SEC made sure shareholders – from mom-and-pop
investors to the pension funds of teachers and firefighters – can
propose and pass resolutions demanding changes from the company they own
stock in. But under the leadership of Trump's handpicked SEC chair Jay
Clayton, the SEC is helping corporations hide their actions and escape
accountability from shareholders. The Sierra Club recently sued the SEC
to find out how the watchdog routinely allows corporations to exclude
shareholder resolutions that force them to confront climate change.3
Shareholder resolutions are a powerful tool for holding corporations accountable.
Many standard practices today – including banning discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation, allowing shareholders to hold a vote on
excessive CEO pay and banning conflicts of interests among board members
– began as shareholder resolutions. And shareholders continue to push
corporations to do better on racial and gender diversity, climate
change, environmental and labor practices, disclosure of political
spending, and far, far more.4
The new SEC proposal would help corporations crack down on these
shareholder resolutions by limiting who is eligible to submit new ones
and rejecting previous resolutions unless they gain immense popularity
over a short period of time. It would even give corporations a say in
which resolutions to recommend to shareholders – akin to letting Donald
Trump edit the New York Times opinion page.5
Right now, the proposal is open for public comment and the narrowly divided SEC gives us a chance to block the new rules. Trump's
SEC chair wants to let Wall Street CEOs write the rules governing who
can hold them accountable, and we cannot let that happen.
Surveillance is at the heart of Amazon's monopolistic business
model.They record our conversations, capture video footage of our lives,
creep into our elections, track our faces, and partner with police to
build a nationwide surveillance network. They exploit our intimate
moments and sensitive personal information for their profits. 1,2,3
Amazon devices don’t make us safer. Their executives recently
admitted there are no safeguards in place to protect our data, privacy,
or our civil liberties in their Ring doorbell cameras and surveillance
police partnerships.4
In response to Amazon’s blatant disregard for our basic rights and
security, a group of Senators sent letters demanding answers. But now
that lawmakers in DC are asking questions, Amazon will dispatch their
army of lobbyists and call in their favors with the politicians they
helped elect. There’s nothing they won’t do to avoid scrutiny and
accountability.
Amazon is going to continue to expand their surveillance network.
They will take advantage of the holiday season to sell more devices that
listen to us and watch us.
We need lawmakers to intervene. A Congressional hearing is the only
way to expose Amazon’s invasive data harvesting practices, and lay the
foundation for laws that will rein in their for-profit surveillance
practices.
