"The members of the billionaire executive class have billed themselves as great men of history beyond scrutiny and reproach.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"The members of the billionaire executive class have billed themselves as great men of history beyond scrutiny and reproach. This is the year that shattered the illusion. ...

It’s more than past due time that we tore down these false and nonsensical myths about the executive god-kings in our midst."

~ Ross Rosenfeld

#ElonMusk #JeffBezos #WashingtonPost #PatrickSoonShiong #LosAngelesTimes #EconomicElites
/1

How America’s Craven Plutocrats Busted the Myth of the Business Hero

The members of the billionaire executive class have billed themselves as great men of history beyond scrutiny and reproach. This is the year that shattered the illusion.

The New Republic (newrepublic.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"The actions of Bezos and Musk and Patrick Soon-Shiong shouldn’t shock anyone because—steady yourself—they like power and money.

They will rationalize their choices, of course. But you’ll consistently find that that rationalization follows a simple formula: I am brilliant, only I can accomplish these things, and therefore whatever is best for me is best for everyone."

#ElonMusk #JeffBezos #WashingtonPost #PatrickSoonShiong #LosAngelesTimes #EconomicElites
/2

[ballista11@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy
Some of us didn't have the illusion that the excessively wealthy will save us. Charles Koch did not decide to be a over bearing wealthy fascist. His father helped the Nazis before the Germans invaded Poland. He was educated by his father to be a degenerate over bearing fascist.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@ballista11 I suspect that, in fact, many of us have never cherished the illusion that billionaires will save us. I think the point of Rosenfeld's analysis is that many Americans have, however, believed this and this is responsible for the ascendancy of people like Musk and Trump himself.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"It is possible to do meaningful journalism without being under the thumb of a conflicted billionaire. Independent outlets like ProPublica, 404 Media, the Marshall Project, the Texas Tribune, Mother Jones, the American Prospect, the Bulwark and, yes, Popular Information do it every day."

~ Judd Legum

Legum provides links to each of those valuable sources of news commentary.

#JeffBezos #WashingtonPost #PatrickSoonShiong #LosAngelesTimes #EconomicElites
/3

Jeff Bezos isn't the only person who can make choices

On Monday, Popular Information published its report on the Washington Post's abrupt decision not to endorse in the 2024 presidential election.

(popular.info)

[thedailyburble@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy Are they all on here? I'd follow if so.

[shansterable@c.im]

@wdlindsy
From the New Republic:
"Of the top 10 richest men in America, not one of them has publicly endorsed Kamala Harris or been willing to condemn Donald Trump. These supposed business heroes are mostly business cowards, the first to stoop to obey."

So much "alpha" in stooping and obeying...

[suepat@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy I'm afraid this will take a huge societal switch before this can happen. Being a million/billionaire is the hope and American dream that is driven into the mind of every person in the country. No one wants to call the current billionaires out in case THEY ever get rich.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@SuePat Yes, I very much agree. To change this way of thinking would require quite a cultural shift.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@shansterable This is so good. I've boosted it. Thank you for this valuable commentary, and I love your final statement.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@TheDailyBurble I appreciate the helpful response of @mcpinson. Now I need to click and follow those if I'm not already doing so.

[thedailyburble@mastodon.social]

@wdlindsy @mcpinson Mostly following but one I'd missed

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@TheDailyBurble @mcpinson For me the same.

[mcpinson@mas.to]

@wdlindsy @TheDailyBurble
Just added the RSS feed for The American Prospect.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@mcpinson @TheDailyBurble Thanks for the notice. I just followed — or, at least, I think I did. I saw four options to follow and chose one of them.