A corporate pledge of allegiance
In Robert Reiche's new book, Beyond Outrage, he proposes that if the SCOTUS and the regressive right claim corporations are people, then the corporations should show some allegiance to our country and pledge allegiance to America. I agree. Robert also proposes that corporations who pledge allegiance should be free to advertise it. On the other hand, he says Americans should consider boycotting corporations that don't pledge allegiance.
This sounds good to me. Does it sound good to you? Here is what Robert suggests the corporate pledge of allegiance could say:
Our corporation pledges allegiance to the United States of America.
To that end:
- We pledge to create more jobs in the United States than we create outside the United States, either directly or in our foreign subsidiaries and subcontractors.
- We further pledge that no more than 20 percent of our total labor costs will be outsourced abroad. If we have to lay off American workers at a time when we’re profitable, we will give those workers severance payments equal to their weekly wage times the number of months they’ve worked for us.
- We pledge to keep a lid on executive pay so no executive is paid more than fifty times the median pay of American workers. We define “pay” to include salary, bonuses, health benefits, pension benefits, deferred salary, stock options, and every other form of compensation.
- We pledge to pay at least 30 percent of money earned in the United States in taxes to the United States. We won’t shift our money to offshore tax havens, and we won’t use accounting gimmicks to fake how much we earn.
- We pledge not to use our money to influence elections.
Robert B. Reich (2012-04-17). Beyond Outrage (Enhanced Edition) (Kindle Locations 1493-1505). Knopf. Kindle Edition.
So lets make this happen.
We will need a website to plan, coordinate, help spread the idea, highlight companies who pledge allegiance, you get the idea. We need to find corporations with CEOs and/or shareholders who will take the pledge. We need media attention. I'm sure there is more, but I've only been throwing thoughts on paper for a short while now.
Post a comment if you're on board. Also, buy the eBook of Beyond Outrage. It does a fantastic (and concise) job of explaining what is wrong with our economy (and country and politics), how it went wrong, and what we can do about it. This idea came from the book, after all. The eBook (I don't think its available in print) is $2.99. $3.99 for the enhanced version with videos. You can get it from Amazon for Kindle (which you can read on a PC or mac), iBooks Store, and others. http://robertreich.org/ has links.
Post a comment if you're on board.
Caligula’s Horse
Just got an interesting Email from the Grayson Campaign. He asks if the story he tells sounds familiar, and I think it does. Spread the word!
(The following email is reproduced in it's entirety, word for word.)
Dear Scott,
Here is a short, and very relevant, history lesson.
The Roman Senate governed Ancient Rome for five centuries. It looked much like the Congress today. The purpose of the Roman Senate was to rule in accordance with the wishes of the Roman People. The building in which the Roman Senate met, the "Curia Julia," still stands in Rome today.
In 27 B.C., Augustus Caesar formally took control of Rome, and established the Roman Empire. But the Roman Emperors didn't abolish the Senate. Instead, the Roman Senate continued to meet, for five more centuries, doing pretty much nothing.
Sound familiar?
During the Roman Empire, the Emperor held all the power. The Senate was simply a debating society, chosen by the Emperor, and serving at his pleasure. To prove this point, in 39 A.D., Emperor Caligula appointed his horse, Incitatus, to the Roman Senate.
What we are heading for, here in America, is something very much like that. The way things are going, Big Money will choose our "leaders" in Congress, and they will serve at Big Money's pleasure.
Big Money doesn't put horses in Congress. Just the hind-quarters of horses.
For the past few weeks, we have shown how Big Money is trying to select - not elect, select -- the Congressman from my district. Big Money has now spent three times as much in lying TV attack ads as all of the money that my Republican opponent has raised. Big Money is going all out to replace me in Congress, because I can't be bought.
Big Money doesn't care who replaces me, as long as he's pliant. It might as well be Caligula's horse.
We are at a turning point in our own history. What will we be? A government of the people, by the people, and for the people? Or a dictatorship, ruled by the Empire of Money?
Truth,
Alan Grayson
P.S. To the 2000 supporters who have contributed to our campaign since this corporate firebombing began, from my heart, thank you.