It’s my opinion that the US democracy has been put at risk because too many in the billionaire class would prefer that the USA be governed in a more autocratic manner as detailed in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint on how to overhaul the entire US governmental infrastructure.
It’s in our US democracy that the power of each American’s vote is greater than all the billionaire backers spending lots of monies to prop up the GOP MAGA ex-president’s campaign. I’m believing that Americans possessing good common sense get this and will not willingly relinquish having their voices count.
While the democrat party’s presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has about 21 billionaires supporting her campaign, the GOP MAGA ex-president has his billionaires. As per Alternet, “of the $1.9 billion that was spent on all federal campaigns by the richest families in the country, 72% or $1.36 billion went to Republican candidates, and 22% or $413 million went to Democrats.”
Unlike the billionaires like Jeff Bezos owner of the Washington Post, Patrick Soon-Shiong of the LA Times who broke with the tradition of endorsing a US presidential candidate at this crucial historical time, and Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal which has been downplaying the GOP MAGA ex-president’s rhetoric advocating violence against political critics, other print media outlets like The New York Times, Boston Globe, Seattle Times, Las Vegas Sun, The Philadelphia Enquirer, The New Yorker, The Economist, The Guardian, The Atlantic have stepped up to endorse Vice President Harris.
A number of non-media business CEOs smartly resist openly supporting politically elected officials because of concern over alienating customers and employees needlessly, but media outlets have a duty to be a check on power and to inform the public when leaders, systems are falling short.
During the first Trump administration, the Washington Post adopted the slogan “Democracy dies in darkness.” But now the Washington Post’s slogan should be, how to let democracy die in broad daylight.
Three days ago, in response to the Washington Post’s op-ed piece, “Post editorial board members step down in wake of endorsement decision,” I wrote this comment:
Dear Mr. Bezos,
***
I’m someone who cancelled my subscription.
The excuses that are being shared don’t hold water with me, but if I give you the benefit of the doubt, this action of non-endorsing a US presidential candidate after 30 plus years, is self-delusional and destructive.
The timing of your decision on the same day as your aerospace company’s executives met with former US President Donald Trump just hours before this non- endorsement edict gives the appearance of a “conflict of interests.” You not giving your editorial board, a heads up about your thinking at an earlier date is suspect.Your action smacks of a major capitulation to the ex-president, a wannabe dictator. It’s anticipatory obedience to a king, and self-censorship. It’s a dereliction of this longstanding prestigious newspaper’s duty to the public, to be a check on power, an exemplar of the free press as in the days of the Viet Nam era and the Watergate scandal. The Washington Post has recently endorsed other candidates for political office.This is when it pays to know your history. Wannabe autocratic leaders have long memories. Whatever your employees told you about any truce with the ex-president has no value. If he should succeed, history tells me that he’ll get even at a time of his choosing, and he’ll savor your discomfort and loss.
The only way to protect yourself from future retribution was to kill the King (in the press). In your gut, somewhere, you know this. Even if you were tempted to join ranks with too many wealthy corporate owners who are vehemently opposed to increased taxes, the formation of labor unions and the imposition of governmental regulations, the price that you and this venerable newspaper will end up paying will not be worth it.
An impressive list of retired CEOs is endorsing via an op-ed piece in Fortune, the democrat Vice President Kamala Harris to be the 47th US president. They wanted to go on the record that many CEOs of the nation’s largest companies are NOT Donald Trump supporters.
For list of retired CEOs supporting VP Harris: We led some of America’s largest companies. Here’s why we are voting for Harris, not Trump/ Fortune
But what’s missing are the endorsements from current CEOs who’ve not been acting like “profiles in courage.”
For me it’s sad to see heroes with little monies having more courage in standing up for US democracy. The poll workers, election officials, voters standing in lines despite fear of confrontation and intimidation by GOP MAGAs are demonstrating greater courage.
See:” Why Major Newspapers Won’t Endorse Kamala Harris/ The Atlantic
There’re business leaders publicly supporting Trump, including Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Tesla CEO and owner of X (Twitter) Elon Musk, CEO Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, CEO Brian Moynihan of Bank of America,” tech billionaire David Sachs who with Elon Musk pushed Trump to pick Sen. JD Vance as his vice president, the crypto billionaire Timothy Mellon, Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, billionaire investors Ken Griffin of Citadel and Paul Singer of Elliott Management, Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus, Woody Johnson, heir to the Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical fortune and co-owner of the New York Jets, Uline shipping and packaging company co-founder Liz Uihlein, casino billionaire and Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson.
According to Forbes, “other wealthy Trump donors include Continental Resources founder Harold Hamm, Energy Transfer pipeline company founder Kelcy Warren, CEO of Marvel Entertainment Isaac Perlmutter, Chairman of TD Ameritrade J. Joe Ricketts, hedge fund billionaire John Paulson, former casino mogul Steve Wynn, Los Angeles real estate magnate Geoffrey Palmer, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment Linda McMahon, casino magnate Phil Ruffin, Texas oil businessman Timothy Dunn.”
Excerpts:
“Some will coolly opt to vote Trump as a calculated risk.”
This last group of voters, which includes many readers of The Economist, may not see Mr Trump as a person they would want to do business with, or any kind of role model for their children. But they probably think that when he was president, he did more good than bad. They may also believe the case against him is wildly overblown. Central to this calculation is the idea that Mr Trump’s worst instincts would be constrained: by his staff, the bureaucracy, Congress and the courts.
“This newspaper sees that argument as recklessly complacent. America may well breeze through four more years of Mr Trump, as it has the presidencies of other flawed men from both parties. The country may even thrive. But voters claiming to be hard-headed are overlooking the tail risk of a Trump presidency. By making Mr Trump leader of the free world, Americans would be gambling with the economy, the rule of law and international peace. We cannot quantify the chance that something will go badly wrong: nobody can. But we believe voters who minimise it are deluding themselves.”
“Today’s version is more extreme. Mr Trump favours a 20% tariff on all imports and has talked of charging over 200% or even 500% on cars from Mexico. He proposes to deport millions of irregular immigrants, many with jobs and American children. He would extend tax cuts even though the budget deficit is at a level usually seen only during war or recession, suggesting a blithe indifference to sound fiscal management.”
“These policies would be inflationary, potentially setting up a conflict with the Federal Reserve. They would risk igniting a trade war that would ultimately impoverish America. The combination of inflation, out-of-control deficits and institutional decay would bring forward the day when foreigners worry about lending the US Treasury unlimited money.”
Gronda Morin 
[…] Source: Some Print Media Are Complicit with Endorsing Autocracy v Backing a Pro-Democracy Candidate – Gron… […]
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Hi!
Thanks a million again for your support and for the reblog. Today is Nov 5th and I’m believing the democrat VP Harris will be the 47th US president and that the US democracy will survive another 4 years despite the press holding different standards for both candidates, the widespread GOP disinformation propaganda machine, and the right-wing billionaires propping up the GOP MAGA ex-president.
Hugs, Gronda
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Hi!
It was great to hear from you this morning. Today is going to be a great day! VP Harris is about to be dragged over the finishing line to victory by very determined women. Thanks for the reblog.
Hugs, Gronda
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[…] Some Print Media Are Complicit with Endorsing Autocracy v Backing a Pro-Democracy Candidate […]
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I hate to say it, Gronda, but nothing you say matters to a MAGAt. And, hopefully, MAGAts don’t matter to this election. What matters is decent Americans getting out to vote. The more that vote, the smaller the chance of Trump winning!
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Hi!
You’re so right. The GOP MAGA ex-president’s supporters on a good day will never exceed at the most 48% of eligible US voters and this isn’t a good day. I’m counting on VP Harris to do much better. We’ll know soon.
Hugs, Gronda
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