By William J. Ersey
When Jesse Jackson attacked Silicon Valley years ago for not having enough minority engineers, T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductors, told Jackson he would hire every qualified minority engineer Jackson could find. Rodgers also challenged Jackson to a public debate. Jackson backed off, leaving town in search of more pliant shakedown targets. Rodgers’ advice for other CEOs who might find themselves in Jackson’s crosshairs: “Grow a pair.”
Have they? Hardly. Faced with accusations of racism, sexism, homophobia, pay discrimination, white privilege, poisoning the earth, and on and on and on, many trembling business leaders are folding like tacos. Stand up to unfair accusations? Defend their business practices? Expose their accusers’ thinly veiled, anti-business agendas? Please. Instead, they beat their breasts. They do a group hug with 400-plus other companies who file an amicus brief in favor of mandating gay marriage in every state. And now they throw roundhouses at the left’s latest punching bag, Indiana, a right-to-work state with a conservative governor. Do CEOs raise a sober voice in favor of an honest dialogue on states’ rights and religious freedom? Not on your life.
The growing signs of CEO timidity have been increasingly clear. The left ruthlessly attacked Mitt Romney and Bain Capital for closing companies and killing people. Many who didn’t know private equity from a turnip hysterically condemned Wall Street. How did business leaders, regardless of party affiliation, respond to such lies and distortion? Crickets. A near majority of college kids favors socialism over capitalism. What is the reaction from CEOs in defense of free enterprise and the economic system that has reduced poverty, disease and misery far more than any other? Another cricket invasion.
But when CEOs are asked to divert shareholder wealth to every “green” initiative Al Gore ever invented, or pour money into alma maters whose dopey presidents strike a “hands up, don’t shoot” pose, many fast-track their consent.
Business leaders might want to take a closer look at the bedmates with whom they are frolicking. The extreme progressive playbook is clear: destroy personal freedom, religion, individual responsibility, families, businesses, fatherhood, free markets and any other annoying anachronisms that inhibit the accrual of power and control by the State. Most of Hollywood, the media and academia have led the charge in this war on America. Has business now joined their ranks?
A bit extreme, you say? Don’t CEOs just want to show tolerance, attract a diverse workforce and be inclusive? And aren’t CEOs too smart to play into the hands of the radical left and become pawns in their extreme agenda?
Maybe.
After all, CEOs are paid well to gather facts, discern trends, assess risks, protect their brand, be courageous and make tough decisions. But when business leaders hop on political bandwagons, ride the tides of political correctness, cozy up to the forces of intolerance, stifle the free expression of their own employees, and create a groundswell of anger and frustration, then that job description is out of date.
What’s next? Perhaps recruitment efforts will soon be under way for CEOs to join such progressive initiatives as CEOs for Open Borders, CEOs Against Israel, CEOs Against the Second Amendment, CEOs for Abortion, CEOs Against School Choice, CEOs Against the One Percent, CEOs for Racial Quotas, CEOs Who Didn’t Create That. If past performance is an indicator of future behavior, will CEOs dutifully sign on?
Before they commit, maybe their employees, customers and clients will take a step back and look with alarm at what has become of the First Amendment. Maybe those who contribute their time, talent and treasure to causes not favored by the left will feel stranded and betrayed by the organizations they work for, buy from and pay enormous fees to. Maybe outstanding LGBT employees who are offended by corporate pandering and government overreach will say that their CEOs don’t speak for them. Maybe sponsors of the J.P Morgan January conference in San Francisco will lobby for moving it to a more tolerant city. Maybe Alibaba shareholders will decide that Seattle’s attacks on Indiana suggest that another headquarters location would be more appropriate. Maybe corporate sponsors of the NCAA will tell the conference to stuff it.
And maybe business people – smart, hardworking, fair, tolerant, proud of their work, tired of the attacks on their beliefs, and frustrated with being silenced and afraid – will forward this humble piece to their leaders. Along with the advice of T.J. Rodgers.
William J. Ersey is the pseudonym of a man living in New Jersey and working for a large company.
