Talking to The Economist, President Barack Obama has said that corporate CEOs have nothing to complain about. Under his leadership, corporate America has done exceedingly well, and it’s time for them to show greater social responsibility and stop complaining about regulations his administration sets forth.
“If you look at what’s happened over the last four or five years, the folks who don’t have a right to complain are the folks at the top,” Obama said.
The news report from NBC goes on to claim that Republicans have “sought to portray Obama as anti-business…” Well, what else is there to portray him as? I mean, yeah you can get into some other adjectives: incompetent, un-American, impeachable – but one of the hallmarks of this presidency has been the president’s disdain for corporate America.
Excuse me, not just corporate America, but literally anyone who wants to make money under his regime. He has taken to the podium numerous times to discourage students from going into profitable careers, pushing them instead to go into low-paying healthcare jobs. There’s nothing wrong with going into a low-paying career, by the way, but for Obama to make it seem like there’s something evil about making money is angering. Especially given that the man is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 million.
Acute political students will remember the 2012 election cycle when Obama rushed to make sure America’s business owners knew that they didn’t build their own companies. His whole M.O. has been to redistribute wealth, campaign on income inequality, tax the rich, and force new regulations on companies that are already suffering under a weak economy. If the president could snap his fingers tomorrow and put the government entirely in control of the means of production, does anyone doubt that he would do it?
Now he’s telling people in high places that they should just shut up and be more like he wants them to be. So, they don’t have the right to criticize administration policy, but he’s more than free to get up there on his bully pulpit and demonize the individuals who create American jobs?
Corporate America isn’t fooled by this guy. People who have risen to the ranks of these CEOs don’t need a lesson in social responsibility from this Johnny-come-lately. But they are listening. Oh, they are listening carefully. And it is because of what he’s saying that we’re seeing all of these companies looking high and low for foreign partnerships that can hide some of their money away. It’s the amnesty thing all over again. When problems brew, their rotten core can usually be found in the White House.
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