The Economist’s Post

A sound business case.

I am a strong believer in capitalism and business as a force for good. Lately, there has been chatter about some Silicon Valley business leaders endorsing Trump, partly because he is “better for business.” I couldn’t reject this assertion more forcefully. Having Trump in the White House will be bad for our prosperity, our democratic institutions, and ultimately our place in the world. You can read my arguments outlined in The Economist. And if you agree, please share widely: https://lnkd.in/e9yw8EEi

#SiliconValley Is A Special Place For Coo Coo Cray Cray Dreamers, so thoroughly detached from reality; they fund startup and make hashtag #millionaires + #Billionaires out of business which have never made any positive cash flow nor never ever will they. So with all that is readily and easily known about hashtag #TRump's numerous massive #BusinessFailures, #malfeasance #grifting and #theft, it comes as no surprise some #SickliconValley players would consider #TRump and good bet for business. Or is it because they are expecting even more massive #taxrelief for the #rich and #bigbusiness. Present company #ReidHoffman, possibly excluded! The #SickliconValley #elite like #zuckerburg + #musk want all of the #freedom, #protection and #comfort of being #rich in the #USA, but do not want to #pay anything to maintain those #entitlements; seeking to push their #liability on to #middle middle #workingclass + poor they work so hard to keep in #degenerative #financial conditions, #poverty and #disenfranchisement.

Important perspective to share widely (IMHO).....

From a guy who has actually built a business from scratch.

Hopefully many will heed your warning. Another important need is to cultivate and support upcoming polititions that promote prosper instead of power. The long ignored middle-of-the-road voter needs a champion. Most do not want to thump ultra-conservative positions nor embrace the woke only addressing the squeeky wheel. We do not need candidates touting their race, religion, lifestyle. We need those that provide vision for all Americans. We also do not need Octoginarians duking it out in the polls. No need for decades of favors and mistakes to guide our country. Give us a mix of Teddy Roosevelt and Barrack Obama. The special interest factor has become the only focus of polititians, not seeing the win is in the pockets of every-day Americans. So business leaders need to help develope a pool of positive candidates that offer answers to the furute progression of the country. Hopefully, they are out there.

ANOTHER CASE OF TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME: Welcome to the Ultimate Showdown: Conning Conundrum Syndrome vs. Trump Derangement Syndrome! In one corner, we have... Conning Conundrum Syndrome (CCS)! - Symptoms: Unshakable loyalty, denial reflex, and the blame game shuffle. Victims insist they haven't been conned by Trump and Putin, despite overwhelming evidence that could make a blindfolded jury shout "Guilty!" And in the other corner, we have... Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)! - Symptoms: Uncontrollable eye-rolling at the mention of Trump, spontaneous fits of fact-checking, and an intense urge to debunk every tweet. Accused sufferers vehemently oppose Trump, sometimes with a fervor that rivals a sports fan during the playoffs. CCS - "Conning Conundrum Syndrome" is like having a GPS that stubbornly refuses to recalibrate. You're headed for a cliff, but it keeps saying, "Turn right in 100 feet." You’re convinced the destination is glorious, but spoiler alert: it’s a steep drop into reality. TDS - "Trump Derangement Syndrome" is like having a highly sensitive radar that detects every single Trump-related blip, no matter how small. You’re hyper-aware of every move, comment, and typo, often resulting in high blood pressure and a sudden urge to tweet. Denial vs. Obsession - CCS: "No way, Trump’s perfect!" - TDS: "No way, Trump’s terrible!" Blame Game vs. Blame Flame - CCS: "What about those emails?" - TDS: "What about that tax return?" Loyalty vs. Paranoia - CCS: "Trump could do no wrong." - TDS: "Trump can do no right." The Hilarious Hypocrisy: - CCS sufferers are like fans at a magic show, utterly convinced that the magician’s tricks are real, while TDS sufferers are the skeptics yelling, "I see the wires!" - CCS Remedy: "Come on, admitting you've been conned isn't that bad. Think of it like realizing the magician pulls rabbits out of hats, not thin air." - TDS Remedy: "Hey, take a breath. Sometimes it’s okay to let a tweet pass by without a full investigation. Not every blip is a bombshell." In the grand scheme of things, both CCS and TDS could use a little bit of perspective, a dash of humor, and a lot less stress. After all, life’s too short to be stuck in a syndrome, right? So, whether you’re staunchly defending or constantly critiquing, remember to laugh along the way. Because in the end, we’re all just trying to navigate this crazy world, one conundrum at a time.

insightful thinking

Attached Is a Strong & Well Reasoned Op-Ed From Reid Hoffman, Billionaire Entrepreneur, Investor & Strategist, Regarding the Threat Trump's Election Would Pose to the Economy. "Business leaders are mistaken to think that Trump would be “normal and controlled” back in the White House, he writes in The Economist. They shouldn’t empower a criminal, he adds. For American business, the rule of law is essential. It is the soil in which commerce can take root and grow. Without this stable, predictable, rules-based environment, New York, and America, would not have become the hubs of innovation, investment, profit and progress that they are. Unfortunately, many American business leaders have recently developed a kind of myopia, miscalculating what politics, and which political leaders, will truly support their long-term success. Perhaps this stems from their having lived their entire lives in a stable legal regime that they now take for granted. But a robust, reliable legal system is not a given. It is a necessity we can ill afford to live without. We trade it away at our peril." #votebiden2024 #savedemocracy #savetheeconomy #savetheenvironment

#Business leaders can hardly remain "apolitical" these days—especially when #democracy is at stake. Reid Hoffman sets a good example in The Economist this week. He sees the rule of law on the line in the US presidential election—and calls on his peers not to support Donald Trump. This reminds me of executives in Germany standing up against the country's far-right and anti-democratic AfD. And it reminds me of Karl Homann, the founder of modern business #ethics in Germany. According to him, companies must assume their social #responsibility on three levels: 1️⃣ Action Responsibility: Responsibility for performance in the core business and immediate, controllable side effects of the business 2️⃣ Order Responsibility: Co-responsibility for the social framework that provides the conditions for sustainable successful business activity—including the rule of law and the markt economy 3️⃣ Discourse Responsibility: Co-responsibility for public discourse and guiding narratives, as these significantly determine the development of the social and economic order In any case, especially in turbulent times, silence is not an option 🗽