In a comment thread below, blogfriend Steve said something about Obama loving GE and liberals loving GE for their green initiatives. That was news to me – I’d always considered GE to one of the more blatant corporations at the government tit (as it’s often so inelegantly called) and a major maker of weapons of war. (Plus the directions that come with their appliances really really suck which should be cause enough on its own to hate them.)
But Steve’s comment sent me surfing and I found this story at FOX, which seemed to track the objection Steve (and I assume many conservatives) have with the appointment of GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt as a major Obama advisor.
On liberal sites, the appointment is decidedly not popular. But in reading the FOX story with its questions (coming from such a different point of view) I found much to like about this appointment.
So now this liberal may have found an enlightening new way to see the whole story – but not exactly as Steve might have hoped. Where he sees a downside and something suspect, I see an upside and something hopeful and forward looking (if what FOX identified as ‘problems’ is correct).
I’d thank Steve, but I’m not sure he’d appreciate it.
UPDATE/CORRECTIONS: Blogfriend Steve points out that I incorrectly refer (above) to an exchange with him, that was actually with blogfriend pino (and Alan of course). Sorry guys.
You can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, or democracy. But you cannot have both.
Whatever Works 
Hey Moe! Great post, and I do thank you. Obama loving G.E. is more than obvious.
The problem I have with G.E. (among others) is that they got billions of … TARP money, which if I remember correctly, was for banks. Hmmmm, how did that happen? Elementary, they got classified as a ‘bank’ (basically) by the lewd fellows of the baser sort at none other than the Obama “administration”.
The bottom line is, dastardly corporations, that support Democrats, ie, Obama are subsidized with tax payer money, at 0% interest while others are driven out of business. And again my dear, I don’t watch, or listen to FOX. I don’t even watch television. I fail to understand why anyone cannot see the back scratching there.
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Who’s being driven out of business and who’s getting 0% loans? (I won’t blame you for Fox anymore Steve – promise.)
As for backscratching, well, I’m ‘shocked, shocked’ to find that in politics. But I guess I need to be shown what businesses are being targeted.
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I’m with you on the ‘backscratching’ thing Moe, and I’m you know how I feel about G.W. Bush. Truthfully, I’m disgusted with the Republicans and Democrats right now. Personally, I think we need to start over. Oust every incumbent and replace them with someone that isn’t an attorney, and set term limits.
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Steve, I’m not real optimistic about our ability to improve – or correct – the way we run government. The system as designed is terrific, but over the years Congress has managed to grab hold of all the oversight institituions that are supposed to be independent. The result is it’s nearly impossible to make changes because they are the ones who’d have to approve them. And they won’t. Term limits, redistricting, open debates, campaign finance – not going to happen. They vote for whatever keeps them in office. Of course there are some very good, very honest and service minded people in congress – just not enough of them to carry the day.
It’s often said of Americans that we don’t do anything till it reaches crisis. We talk talk talk and that’s all, until the crisis hits. I guess the question right now is what is a crisis.
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Sadly, now that corporations can legally buy their representation in office, (Thank you, Supreme Court) I don’t think ‘we the people’ have much say anymore.
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I rank Citizen’s United right up there with Dred Scott.
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One last thing, I clicked on “Steve said”, I didn’t remember commenting on that particular post; I think you have me confused with Pino. But you have my basic take on the matter.
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Whoops, I’d better update the post.
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Ms. Holland,
President Obama’s form of Socialism is somewhat like China’s but without the trade and budget surpluses. As long as the evil corporation plays ball with the central committee it will not be demonized and have the ACORN street mobs sent to it’s executives homes. It will also be protected from it’s less politically connected corporate rivals.
GE through it’s political arm MSNBC picked the winning side in the 06 Congressional elections, and the 08 Presidential election. At worst it was insurance to make sure GE was bailed out from it’s bad loans like the rest of Wall Street. At best it helps GE’s green businesses harvest some of those government subsidies.
Again I wish that when the American Left blasts those evil corporations, they would at least give GE honorable mention.
Now that Jeffrey Immelt is President Obama’s outside economic adviser, GE almost has as much clout in Washington as Goldman Sachs.
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Alan, no matter what the issue is, y0u manage to find the route by which the Democrats, especially Obama, manipulated the American people with the asisstance of anyone who dared be seen in the same room with them. I’m out of responses on this one.
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I don’t mean to sound rude, just pointed. You keep talking about Obama socialism — Where in this country do the workers have rights? What “socialism” are you talking about? Did you know that in true socialist countries, the workers get six weeks of PAID vacation every year? Where are the ‘worker’s unions’ in this ‘socialist eutopia’ that mislead conservatives keep spouting on about? (Remember, I am not a liberal, but a moderate just inches to the left.) Are you talking about Obama Care? That is blatant capitalism at its ugliest. Forcing citizens to buy medical insurance when there are only two carriers is not socialist, it is capitalist. Blue Cross and Aetna are loving it, believe me.
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Ms. Holland,
” Alan, no matter what the issue is, y0u manage to find the route by which the Democrats, especially Obama, manipulated the American people with the asisstance of anyone who dared be seen in the same room with them. I’m out of responses on this one. ”
Sorry. I was hoping you would rip apart my facts or at least my arguments. My point was the hypocrisy of Democrats constantly attacking Corporate everything, while having cronies like Immelt benefiting from President Barak Obama destroying their corporate competition.
Government should help American business in general, but it should not be picking winners and losers in the business world.
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[hypocrisy of Democrats constantly attacking Corporate everything,]
Not corporations in general; the left will rip the ones who abuse us and our system – the biggest, the most amoral, the non-State corporations with no allegiance to anything but profit (think banks, Wall Street, agribusiness, military industrial etc). And that is an empty allegiance. The big boys are no more ‘American’ than they are Presbyterian. They’ll shack up with pretty much anyone who’ll move their earnings up a fraction of a point.
The corporation that is the carpet store chain here in soth Florida with a dozen stores? Bless ’em. I hope they flourish.
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