The U.S. Constitution guarantees “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Private equity firms are increasingly denying Americans their inalienable rights.
Politics
Peter Goodman’s Davos Man Rage
Although marred by his politics and blind faith in government, Peter Goodman’s book “Davos Man” is a guaranteed delight for those who are angered about the growing disparity of wealth in America and around the world. Widespread understanding of Goodman’s core message is the requisite first step making towards making the world a better place.
Buy the book and you’ll gain some valuable insight about the business practices of Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, JP Morgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
The Ratings Defiance of Fox News
SNL’s cold open this past weekend again mocked Fox News and the network’s hosts. But Fox News is having the last laugh – in the first quarter of the year, Fox News eked out a three percent primetime audience gain, while MSNBC and CNN lost about half their audiences.
Those who despise Fox News and its politics would be wise to consider why the network possibly has more primetime viewers than MSNBC and CNN combined.
Why Disney Plus Can’t Stream “Midnight Cowboy”
Reading that Disney plans to stream its first R-rated film this month made me wonder why the entertainment company doesn’t go whole hog shedding its former family entertainment image and stream “Midnight Cowboy,” the only X-rated film to win an Oscar. Unfortunately, the stars of that movie are persona non grata in Hollywood.
Miley Cyrus and Disney’s Changed “Family Values”
Such is the bizarro world we live in. Whoever thought we’d see the day when Disney advocated the sexualization of children and celebrities calling out the hypocrisy of Hollywood?
The Cowards Running U.S. Hospitals
Here’s a clickbait idea for U.S. business publications: The annual Corporate Cowardice Awards. Although it’s only March, this year’s recipient is a no brainer – The American Hospital Association. Wright L. Lassiter III, the trade group’s 2022 chair and CEO of Detroit’s Henry Ford Health System, is most deserving of accepting the award on behalf of his industry’s executive colleagues.
Putin’s “Socially Responsible” War Investors
I didn’t think it possible, but my skepticism of socially responsible investing sank even lower upon learning that ESG funds are among the holders of Russia’s sovereign debt. Put another way, ESG investors helped finance Putin’s war machine.
Some additional thoughts on the LGBTQ+ hypocrisy of Disney and its employees, San Francisco’s official boycott of 28 states, and the cost to insure a Tesla Model 3.
SNL TikTok Parody No Laughing Matter
SNL’s latest cold open imagined the virtual meeting White House officials held last week with about 30 TikTok “influencers.” Watching the parody, I wondered if millennials whose worldviews are shaped by TikTok influencers found it all that funny.
The SNL characters didn’t seem all that exaggerated.
Ronn Torossian and the “Ethics” of PR
PR professionals expressing the loudest outrage about disgraced PR executive Ronn Torossian should be mindful that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Elon Musk’s Faux Free Speech Pledge
Elon Musk this weekend said he declined to heed calls from several countries to block Russian news sites from his Starlink internet satellites amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Sorry to be a free speech absolutist,” Musk told his Twitter bros.
Consumers in China know first-hand that Musk only supports free speech when it suits him or his business interests. Speaking of hypocrisy, a shoutout for GM CEO Mary Barra.