GE CEO: Protesters Should 'Root for Me'
In an interview that aired Sunday, General Electric Chairman and Obama job czar Jeffrey Immelt told CBS' Leslie Stahl that the notion that Americans were against big companies was "just wrong."
"I want you to root for me," Immelt said. "Everybody in Japan roots for Toshiba. Everybody in China roots for China South Rail. I want you to say, 'Win, GE.'"
Not only has GE shipped thousands of U.S. jobs overseas, the company also reportedly paid no taxes in 2010. Protesters at Occupy Wall Street and across the country are calling for corporations to be taxed at least at the same rate as individuals.
Former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold (D) responded to Immelt Monday.
"Mr. Immelt is not recognizing that you root for corporations when corporations are making sure your jobs stay here in the United States," Feingold explained. "His corporation has had more to do with shipping jobs overseas than almost any corporation in the world. And so, the deal here is we root for corporations and we support them if they're fair to us. And these people who are protesting are recognizing that just about everything that has happened to working people has been unfair in recent years."
"When people look at these Occupy Wall Street protests though, support has grown across the country as we have seen," CBS' Erica Hill noted. "Is this the best way to go about making change and if it is, how do you turn this support into some sort of a movement?"
"This is a great way to make change," Feingold declared. "I don't just understand what the protesters are saying, I'm not just pleased about it, I'm excited about it. A few yards from here [in Madison, Wisconsin], some of the biggest protests in history of this country occurred when [Gov. Scott Walker (R)] ripped away the collective bargaining rights of public employees in Wisconsin. We did it here and I think this is going to happen all over the country because people have been kicked when they're down over and over. You can only kick people so long before they react. So this is the time now for accountability. And this is a good way to show people how strongly we feel that the working people of this country have been treated very brutally and it has to change."
Feingold also responded to comments made over the weekend by Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, that the Occupy Wall Street protesters were "anti-American."
"There is nothing more un-American than a person like Mr. Cain trying to intimidate people from exercising their right to protest," the former Wisconsin senator explained. "There is nothing more American than peaceful protests and if people are being hurt, if they can't get a job, if students go to school for five or six years and take out student loans and come out and see they are getting no job and no opportunity, and people on Wall Street continue to get whatever they want or are not properly regulated, that's the time to protest. This is the time to protest. It is the most American thing you can do."
Just another reason why Obama should not be re-elected! If he were it would be a mistake in that he would continue to behave as he has since in office and point to his second term as vindication of his policies. Frankly, if one of the denizens of the republican "clown car" were to win it may spur the early mounting of the revolution this nation so desperately needs! FREE BRADLEY MANNING & TIM DECHRISTOPHER!!!!!
Oh ya? Who should be elected?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
I really DO think a case could be made for "Al Gore".
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
Yes, Gore is a good guy. Do you know if there has ever been a primary'd Democratic president, where the result was a Democratic president, either the same Democratic president or a new one?
I'm only familiar with the primary of Carter by Kennedy, and that ended in a win for the republicans.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
You are correct. A same-party challenge of a sitting president by either party has never succeeded.
But these are not regular times.
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
Don't think it won't happen just because it hasn't happened yet.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
And it's the only one I know of.
So let's do what you say. Who would vote for then? Don;t just say some name on a wish list. Someone who's actually running and has a chance of winning. Who would you pick over Obama?
Bachmann
Cain
Romney
Perry
?????
Let's get serious, they are the only four who have a snowballs chance in hell of winning (cliche). And Bachmann and Cain are a stretch. Are you going to waste your vote on a third party who has even less than a chance than a Huntsman because he's to sane.
Seriously, those are your choices, Obama, Romney or Perry. Who would you vote for?
is intended to be a factual statement
Your proposal is to REWARD abuse and deception.
And, serve to reinforce the deception, the abominable actions and policies.
And this changes things how?
Seriously.
Please enlighten us.
I'll ask the same question, who are you going to vote for? Santorum, Newt? You missed the point. Here's your choice, Romney or Obama? Perry could get lucky so it's Perry vs Obama. Who you gonna pick. Never called Obama a saint. I asked who would you vote for.
is intended to be a factual statement
the choices you and others give are limited to obama vs. crazy. if there is no primary challenger than this is true. however if there is a primary challenger than you get another choice. choices are good. i say this over and over. if you keep supporting someone who sucks because you fear someone worse while ignoring the possibility of better you get sucks or worse. you act as if those are the only choices. everyone says they're unhappy with obama but you have to like it. it's kind of why everyone is upset with obama. we need REAL change. it's like waking up and thinking you better get drunk since the only other possible thing you can do is smoke crack all day. the world is infinite choices and all of you obama whether anyone likes it or not people are selling all of us short, holding us back, and pushing us into the gutter. being afraid of worse won't help you get better.
for the record two years before the last election hillary was the only choice.
doing a Rip Van Winkle during the Bush years eh?
Nicely done.
The US is supposed to be a democracy. We The People rule. NOT the corporations.
It's fine for a corporation to make a profit for its shareholders, but the benefit of the people MUST come first.
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
Unfortunately the corporation is owned by the shareholders. Maximizing profit is the fiduciary duty of the executive. They follow the rules set for corps. by the government of that country. Beyond the rules, they don't owe squat to the man in the street.
If the rules don't work for the country, change the rules. The bottom line is you need legislators with the balls and the acumen to bring the corps. into line.
Believe me, I'm not defending the corps., that's simply the way it is.
That's exactly why we need to pass Dodd-Frank, and all the other bills that the republicans are obstructing. Re-regulation.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
not that people haven't thought about that...but think about that
thanks for this david edwards
Really good article, except that in the Russ Feingold quotation, two instances of "that" should be "than."
"There is nothing more un-American that a person like Mr. Cain trying to intimidate people from exercising their right to protest," the former Wisconsin senator explained. "There is nothing more American that peaceful protests ...
yowzer, mr. jeffrey, yowzer, we be singing yo' praises.
“People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get.”
Frederick Douglass
If Obama needed a reason to dump Immelt, this seems like it. What a tone-deaf ass. We don't just want jobs, we want non-McJobs. We want careers, with benefits, job security, and rising, living wages. Please Obama, can this guy now.
would be when that would happen
but i am willing to wager that obama will keep trying to straddle the un-straddleable (coin). for the next year or so he will move more into the agent of change he was in 08, but, for those that care to peak, his dream team of advisors and appointees, his inner circle, will still comprise the geithners, immelts, daleys of the elite world
That's a good point Samson. We should keep close tabs of who he fires and who he appoints next, and work hard to steer him towards better influences. The OWS is a good start.
BTW - if Bush had a jobs czar, he/she did a lousy job at it.
I shudder to think about the people that a republican president would appoint! Holy crap!
Cheney could end up with a job again. Maybe Gonzales, Douglas Feith, George Tenet, Rumsfeld or Rice could find positions in a next republican administration...
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
indeed... or run screaming in to the night
from president cheney's wargasmic (mis)leadership i would assume that his job czar was eric prince of blackwater/Xe.
Romney. He was such a successful businessman, he knows all about creating jobs.
Yeah, at People's Rubber Dogshit Factory #14 in Shanghai.
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
Wargasm!
Thanks Ape-Man. I'm keeping that one for future use. I think that describes the MSM's Iraq and Afghanistan coverage from about 2002 to 2010.
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
Yep, thank Samson actually.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
That's what I get for trying to comment and multitask. Sorry. Thanks Samson.
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
That's some funny shit he's saying.
Now, off to the dustbin of history with this guy.
far left loon >.<
This sums it fo ya Jeffrey Immelt...
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Immelt's predecessor was far more candid when he explained it was wiser to gamble with other peoples money than your own.
The appointment of Immelt also serves to eviscerate the inevitable populist posturing of The Man himself during the next year.
Those that love to gamble with the fortunes of others are a chickenshit breed.
"Everybody in Japan roots for Toshiba." ....? I thought it was Tokyo Electric Power ....? oh .... yeah ... right ...., christ what a dipshit.
I'm 99%. ...
I'm Boycotting NewsCorp! Heres what not to buy: http://www.cjr.org/resources/index.php?c=news...
"And I should know because THAT is whom we sent all our jobs to!"
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
Root for YOU? People in Japan root for their corporation because they provide decent wages, health care, a safe working environment, profit sharing, job security, in short, many reasons for them to appreciate their employer.
But the corporations here, like GE, do nothing BUT outsource jobs to slave labor in foreign lands, close factories, putting thousands out of work, gut pensions plans, lay off remaining work forces and break unions.
Among all that, GE buys congressmen, judges and media corporations to make sure that we are left in no doubt as to what a patriotic company GENERAL ELECTRIC CORPORATION is, and how their obscene profits are good for America..
And this fucker is getting paid HOW MUCH, for NOT CREATING JOBS?
Hell, give it to me, and you'll have created one job more than you already have.
Obama chose this guy?
far left loon >.<
Ya he could have found someone from academia rather than a major corporation - perhaps a well informed (real) economist, who can see the entire picture.
I've been trying to find anything on Bush's jobs czar, but so far i have found nothing...
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
I say get rid of the job czar. It's a lot of phony baloney BS. Job czar- yeah, what's he doing except saying "root for me," the #sshole?
WTF is up with all these czars? They don't do anything.
far left loon >.<
All of these Czar's seem to have Rasputin sitting next to them, whispering in their ears. Talk about destructive policies.
What a crock.
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
He also appointed Tim Geithner and Larry Sommers and kept Ben Burnanke...I could go on...
but yes, Obama is big wall st banks choice for president!
see here below:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php...
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
Obama: Fire this piece of garbage. Now!
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
Did anyone here catch the CBS "interview" hosted by Bob Scheiffer with Cain and Gingrich concerning the Occupy Wall Street protests? [10-09-2011]
Scheiffer was the textbook definition of incurious corporate shill, posing as journalist.
No follow ups to blatant lies and dogma proffered by his "expert" guests.
No counterpoint from someone that represents OWS.
This is "mainstream" "liberal" press, according to righties.
Absafuckinglutely a sham.
"News and journalism" should be replaced by:
Fawning corporate propaganda.
I say turn off the corporate news: there'll be no truth about #Occupy to be found there.
I just read an article in my daily: Occupy Wall St.: more from a culture or narcissism. Utter trash! Here's a sample:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2...
far left loon >.<
Got into it with a right winger. They were foursquare for "personal accountability, taking responsibility for ones actions".... etc
They got awfully quiet when I countered with "where is the corporate responsibility, accountability?"
Now THAT is going too far!
an adult who understands *personal responsibility, *humility, work and *service to others?
Like the banks? The writer of that article is Star Parker.
far left loon >.<
Maybe the Brazilians buy GE products because they can afford them now that they HAVE ALL THE GE JOBS.
Oh, and by the way we should be kissing his feet because he brought fifteen thousand non-union jobs to the U. S. that pay maybe ten to fifteen dollars an hour. Wow, that can feed a family of four. It can barely feed a family of one. Oh it can, if the government provides the health care and the food stamps.
I watched that interview. I wonder if he could live off ten to fifteen dollars an hour, probably at thirty-two hours, not a real forty hour job. Part time (considered full time) so you are very lucky to have a job and barely scrape by. Go team GE!
He and Cain are made for each other. "Let them eat cake" should be their motto.
Another poor choice by Mr. Obama (to say the least)
Obama is a lead weight around the ankle of the Democratic Party.
Mr. Obama should step down.. especially now that his AG is super Toxic.
Give the DEM Party a chance at life....
Give the DEM Party a chance at life....
For that to happen, the Democratic Party has to do some heavy duty housecleaning. More Al Graysons, Bernie Sanders, Al Frankens, and Dennis Kucinich. Less Harry Reids, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Obama, Ben Nelsons, Kent Conrads, Max Baucus, Rahm Emmanuels, and Nancy (off the table)Pelosi's.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
Obama is a lying tool.
But he sure does make with the nice sounding speeches.
Many listened to what he said and believed him.
That would include me... no longer.
One cannot ignore the lengthy list of outright falsehoods, lies, and prevarications spoken with such wonderful eloquence....and believe ANYTHING said now.
Maybe he thought that when people said they wanted change, he thought they just wanted a better sounding campaigner. Not someone who actually BELIEVED what he said, and ACTED on his vows.
But, Please, let's do hear the crushing, caving, LOTE arguments.
Fucking pathetic sheep.
yeah,
...Obama lost me when he didn't close Guantanamo...
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
I say...
far left loon >.<
I'd have to go out and look for myself if he told me the sky is blue.
Hard to tell if its just mere delusion or full blown psychosis that which affects these people.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Actually is good ol' fashioned sociopathy.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405297...
paid no taxes in 2010?
Outrageous.
buy a light bulb....
.
To choke on his filet mignon.
If it comes down to Cain & Obama the republicans in my state will vote for Obama because he's whiter.
I'll cheer along with the millions of slave-wage workers GE exploits around the globe. I'll cheer along with those 99%'ers around the world that die every day, the victim of GE war technology. I'll cheer when Immelt and his fellow oligarchs stand in the dock charged with crimes against humanity.
"Activists will drag you into the streets and kill you"
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Hmmm. Delightful imagery, I must say. But don't worry Glen. If that comes to pass, we won't forget about you, my man!
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
"Activists will drag you into the streets and kill you"
Catchy, but I don't listen to Beck (ever).
far left loon >.<
On people protesting: "The one last thing left that they can do."
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Not the last thing. I hope we don't get to the "last thing", even though the 1%ers deserve it.
And lets not forget something. A majority of those scumbags in DC are ALSO the 1%. They deserve Madame Guillotine as well.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." -- Robert E. Howard
"Everybody in Japan roots for Toshiba. Everybody in China roots for China South Rail. I want you to say, 'Win, GE.'"
Oh fuck you! The people in China root for their corporate masters because they're fucking slaves that don't know any better. As much as you and your fellow 1%-ers want that here, it ain't gonna happen - at least without a fight. Besides, GE has done very well as a prominent member of the Military Industrial Complex and what has it gotten working Americans? Not a goddamn thing. If you need any proof that Obomber is a fucking joke, just consider that Immelt is the guy he appointed as "jobs czar".
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
Fire this idiot, GE, without the inevitable golden parachute. That would be the biggest win of all.
when it was un-American to follow the lies that lead to war.....
Dear Sir: ‹^› ‹(•¿•)› ‹^›
How did you create this?
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools\Character Map. Then just select a font, select characters you need, copy and paste.
Hope it goes viral. The workers at GE are going to love it.
Thing is, just when the IRS gets to their office, the corporate vampire will be in his coffin, which makes it look like he's dead. But really, he's just dormant. When you're not looking he'll crawl out of his coffin and send a lot of jobs overseas. Quite understandable that some people would mistake a corporate vampire for a human being. Some of them are relatively convincing...to the weak minded.
About the judgement of the president. He's over his head and can't find people who are intelligent and untainted by the stink of Washington corruption to advise him.
Keep up the Wall Street protest pressure because only external events will motivate this politicians.
The man is a fraud.
What disconnect. They all sit in their ivory towers and gated communities with no idea as to what's going on in the rest of the country.
Ask what this clown is doing to GE emplyees before rooting for him.
I was a GE employee. As soon as it became cheaper for them, they sold our department to a 3rd party contractor and forced us to re-apply for our jobs if we wanted to keep working.
Hey Immelt, there's a whole group of us out here who could care less for you and your corporate bullshit. No loyalty. None.
Let us all ask Sen Feingold to run for President. I know he has already said "no" to that, but the idea of a strong left challenge to the Bush Jr in the White House would energize this movement into electoral results, not necessarily in the WH, but at the State House levels. The Dems will lose big in 2012 because there is simply no reason to vote for them. Obama is a Wall Street Pinocchio, and if the Justice Department has bothered to prosecute even one case of investor fraud, or mortgage fraud these protests might not have happened. Obama has no coat tails, the people have no coats and no one can afford to pretend anymore.
Nobama 2012
I won't be back
Why should we root for you Mr. Immelt? All you do is take take take. What would we get out of it? The possibility of a low wage crappy job to make you richer? We'll root for us thank you.
I am rooting for GE. I am rooting for them to get thrown in jail like the criminals they are.
Years ago I worked for an attorney whose main client was GE Capital Corporation. He worked on their secured lending deals, among other money-moving strategies. While reading a newspaper at lunch I saw an editorial accusing GECC of usury. Usury is a very strong word, especially to apply to an entity of their size. I showed it to him. He read it. He shrugged, and gave me a sort of "the shoe fits" look.
Xavier Onassis
www.medic343.wordpress.com
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