Behind closed doors, top CEOs say Trump is bad for business
fortune.comDoes nobody have a spine anymore? Say it out loud and show some damn leadership.
As recent actions against media outlets have shown, the current administration likes to pursue actions against its enemies, so it’s better to fall in line and at least maintain the impression that they’re committed to the administration’s cause.
Long term though, I wonder how many companies would just close down, and worse yet, whether America would continue to maintain its soft power. The so-called trade deficits were instruments, if used carefully, could have brought about reform, and yet the its current leader continues to squander it away, pushing countries further towards an Asian power that has typically not been well known for democratic values (although, again, given the recent actions in America, who’d have thought it’s possible in America either!)
Is it? They attack whoever they want and continue attacking even if you capitulate so you might as well stand up on day one.
Easier said than done when standing up could cost you millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars.
How many subs did Disney just lose? Pick your poison I guess. I’ll take my spine over a mil any day of the week.
How many subs did Disney just lose?
Beats me, you got any idea? I know how many I’d like them to lose, but for all I know I was the single household that cancelled Hulu, and wrote a strongly-worded letter (yes, as in I had to go find a stamp).
I don’t know but they dropped a few B in market cap so maybe fighting this would’ve actually been a win.
You are not alone
Hard to do when you’re a coward. Some things are more important in the long term for a company than the next quarter’s results.
Every person and every company which cares about democracy, freedom, … should collectively stand up to these bullies. They aren’t smart, they aren’t tough; they’re greedy, undisciplined, unethical, amoral, narcissistic, thin-skinned, unintelligent bullies. They whine and moan and will crumble if we just stood up to them. So why don’t we?
Yeah, standing up is reserved to those who have nothing rather then those who can loose hundreds of million dollars and still remain rich and powerful. /s
I remember the good old days when corporations controlled the President. I guess now we’ve got a guy that seems to be willing to burn everything down to the ground if he doesn’t get his way, which I guess is a new thing. What do you do besides just play along?
They hope there will be democratic president next time and you will see how brawely they will criticise then.
Welcome to 20 years of social media normalizing everyone to avoid mean words; everyone is a Neville Chamberlain.
"Bernie Sanders is barely a good start" types like myself were trained not to tell these guys off at work and the like as in the past.
Imo there's a value to shit talking and taking the piss out of people. A necessary reminder if there is indeed a center to the universe to measure for truth relative to, it isn't them.
Related:
Tariffs make it harder to justify US investments, automakers and suppliers warn
Government being “good for business” hasn’t exactly been great for the country or the citizens so this isn’t a surprising sentiment when the pendulum starts swinging back against globalism, though it is a bit ironic considering it’s the right that often is more outspoken about preventing the government from getting in their way. Really the government has become so overblown and over regulating and businesses have adapted to it so much that it became a big machine of corporate fascism with extra steps, and now they are trying to roll it back to the dismay of the people still working within it.
'I never thought leopards would eat MY face'
I mean, look at Tim Cook when he’s in the room with the President. You don’t need a Fox News body language expert to be able to see how insincere he is when he says “thank you for your leadership”. That being said, grow a spine.
On the one hand, yeah, grow a spine but on the other hand I picture Cook thinking, “that’s it? A gold statue placates this buffoon? Assistant, call the trophy shop, we are apparently being let off cheap!”
As much as I’d love to agree with you, Cook’s job isn’t to grow a spine and be a moral leader; it’s to do whatever is best for Apple’s shareholders.
You can bet that they’ve got experts advising on this and have probably war-gamed different scenarios. Given how hugely exposed Apple is to the geopolitics that Trump cares about, and as Trump could cost them huge amounts on a whim, he’s probably right to be inoffensive and obsequious.
Not destroying society is in the best interest of Apple shareholders, whether they believe it or not.
Heck, not destroying the US economy would be as well.
I have revolutionary idea: spine can exist even if your shareholders wont be happy.
We are not discussing what would be good for Tim Cook personal wealth and career. Topic is having backbone, courage or moral values. Or, not having them.
This "behind closed doors" crap is about CEO wanting to be seen as being in opposition and as in support simultaneously.
How is being subject to a double-digit tariff on devices sold to American consumers — one of Apple’s most critical markets — in the best interest of shareholders?
And actually, I’m now forgetting if those tariffs are in play on phones again or not because of how chaotically the tariffs have been applied. I can’t be the only one losing track.
Let’s assume the tariffs are in play though. Apple now has to perform some combination of:
- reduce margins on devices sold in the US
- move manufacturing to a lower-tariffed country
- raise prices to offset tariffs
All of these impose unnecessary costs to the company compared to 9 months ago and risk alienating their consumer base. How is this to the benefit of shareholders?
Have you considered that it might've been much worse had Cook/Apple not behaved as they have, contributing to Trump's inauguration and giving silly golden gifts (and who knows what else)?
I can't see the future, but I'd be willing to bet standing up to Trump would be best for their shareholders. Maybe not now, but soon.
Top CEOs should look in the mirror and ask themselves why a guy like Trump is popular.
You mean because people don’t value education and want to vicariously cosplay as rich bitches, because that’s what the consumer media feeds them?