Krugman: Republicans are now the anti-business party

[pecksniff]

This is a summary -- the original NYT column is paywalled.

Krugman explains, "Big business is overwhelmingly in favor of requiring that workers get vaccinated against COVID-19. A recent CNBC survey of chief financial officers found that 80% of them say they 'totally support' the Biden Administration's plan to impose a vaccine-or-test mandate on companies with more than 100 workers — and many companies have already announced vaccination requirements for their employees. Yet Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, just issued an executive order banning vaccine mandates in his state. That is, he's not just refusing to use his own powers to promote vaccination; he's interfering in private decisions, trying to prevent businesses from requiring that their workers or customers be vaccinated."

"Republicans have been closely allied with big business since the Gilded Age, when a party originally based on opposition to slavery was in effect captured by the rising power of corporations," Krugman notes. "That alliance lost some of its force in the 1950s and 1960s, an era in which the GOP largely accepted things like progressive taxation and strong labor unions, but came back in full with the rise of Ronald Reagan and his agenda of tax cuts and deregulation."

But thanks to the "rise of Trumpism," Krugman adds, "Republican politicians are at odds with Corporate America on crucial issues."

"It's not just vaccines," Krugman observes. "Corporate interests also want serious investment in infrastructure and find themselves on the outs with Republican leaders who don't want to see Democrats achieve any policy successes…. Just to be clear, corporations aren't being good guys. They support vaccine mandates and infrastructure investment because they believe that both would be good for their bottom lines."

In the past, Krugman writes, businesses "could live with a bit of craziness" from Republicans "so long as they got their tax cuts and deregulation. But "Trumpism," according to Krugman, has made the GOP's "craziness" much worse.

"The conflict between the GOP and corporations is a striking new turn in American politics," Krugman emphasizes. "And I wonder if some corporate leaders find themselves asking, in the privacy of their own minds, 'My God, what have we done?' For the truth is that the Republican Party has been growing increasingly radical — and decreasingly rational — for a long time."

 

[Champakian]

So, is he then saying that it is the Democrat Party
that is now the party of the ultra rich and business?


You cannot have your cake and eat it too...

 

[Champakian]

Board rules say that excerpts are limited to five paragraphs.



Please be a good Litizen and follow the rules.

 

[bellisarius]

Of course their willingness to jump on board couldn't have anything to do with the various EO's and mandates coming out of government.............could it?

 

[Champakian]

Perish the thought!

 

[pecksniff]

So, is he then saying that it is the Democrat Party
that is now the party of the ultra rich and business?


You cannot have your cake and eat it too...

No, he's saying the Pubs are scaring business out of the red states. The blue offer a less hostile environment.

 

[Champakian]

You just reenforced my point.

The Democrats are the buddies of Big Business...



It's a great source of political funding; scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
By implication that means the Red States, cities, ares, whatever, are simply
refusing to engage in crony Capitalism as the way to electoral power.

 

[WillJ8787]

Of course their willingness to jump on board couldn't have anything to do with the various EO's and mandates coming out of government.............could it?

Business folks are practical....they just want to get back to business and making money in the fastest manner. I doubt it's very political on their part.

 

[phrodeau]

You just reenforced my point.

The Democrats are the buddies of Big Business...



It's a great source of political funding; scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
By implication that means the Red States, cities, ares, whatever, are simply
refusing to engage in crony Capitalism as the way to electoral power.

Oh, you’re opposed to Capitalism today?

 

[pecksniff]

What this indicates is that Trumper ideologues have gone that much further in supplanting the GOP's pro-biz Old Guard.

This is an even worse sign than if it had gone the other way. We used to have two sane and rational parties -- they had different ideas, but neither was crazy.

 

[butters]

oops, didn't see this thread and started another. I'll post the material here and edit the other:

Vin Weber, a Republican strategist and former Minnesota congressman, said that Biden’s order is welcomed by many businesses and actions like Abbott’s are divisive among Republicans.

“This issue is a vivid illustration of the divide between populist Republicans and corporate Republicans. Biden is doing a lot of business a favor by making them do something a majority of their customers and employees want without taking responsibility for the decision,” he said. “Gov. Abbott is reflecting the libertarian streak in right-wing populism.”

Witold Henisz, the Deloitte & Touche professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, said the conflicting orders are a “hassle.” He also said that most big corporations favor vaccine mandates, since it makes it easier for them to do business..."they want to get to the point where it’s safe for their employees to come in. So they’re overall happy with the mandate, and this political appeal from Abbott is the last thing they wanted. It’s a hassle for them,” Henisz said.

The Business Roundtable, which represents CEOs, warned against state and local governments getting in the way of companies keeping their workers safe.
“Since the pandemic began, America’s business leaders have been focused on keeping their employees and customers safe, including requiring vaccines for some or all of their employees,” said Joshua Bolten, the group’s president and CEO and a former White House chief of staff to former President George W. Bush.

“New regulations in some states would attempt to prevent private sector companies from taking these steps,” he added. He said the Business Roundtable “urges state and local governments to support and not impede companies’ ability to keep their workplaces safe.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/adminis...?userid=870671

 

[jaF0]

Be cool to see the big chain stores shut down in Aabbottsville.

 

[CornusKousa]

Big business supports Democrat authoritarianism??

Imagine that

 

[pecksniff]

Big business supports Democrat authoritarianism??

Imagine that

What matters is post #10.

 

[icanhelp1]

Big business supports Democrat authoritarianism??

Imagine that

Frightening how oxymoronic behavior has become the *soup du jour*

 

[YDB95]

Soupe du jour, Ican'thelpit. Soup is feminine in French.