A Black Agenda Radio commentary by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
President Obama, like his Republican colleagues, says the word “jobs” when he really means “corporate tax cuts.” He lectured in the same Corp-Speak in Chattanooga, where he told low-wage workers how wonderful their bosses are, and what economic miracles could be accomplished by lavishing corporations with “incentives” to do the right thing.
Obama and GOP Speak Same Language: Corp Tax Cuts = Jobs
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
“There is no jobs creation plan, only a series of corporate tax giveaway programs.”
President Obama went to a low wage warehouse in Chattanooga huge tax breaks Wal-Mart business model
The Obamas have a special place in their hearts for corporations of all kinds, as long as they’re big. The president told the Amazon warehouse workers, whose jobs are not very good, that he wants to create good jobs in other industries through renewable energy and electric cars and cheap natural gas – that is, “fracking.” Of course, by that he means providing additional government subsidies and tax breaks to corporations. Good jobs, presumably, will trickle down. Obama urged Congress to pass his Fix-It-First program to rebuild bridges and other public infrastructure, while blaming the Republicans for gutting government through “sequester” of spending. But it was Obama who proposed the sequestration disaster in the first place
“Good jobs, presumably, will trickle down.”
Obama used the Chattanooga visit to re-pitch much of his last
He also thinks workers should be appreciative of the Free Trade deals whose proliferation has coincided with the destruction of the U.S. manufacturing base and the loss of millions of jobs that really were “good.” Obama promised to call a meeting of the CEOs of the same corporations that sent the jobs overseas, to ask them to do more for the country – as if they haven’t done enough, already. He’s got another program, called Select USA Chinese companies
For workers, there’s the minimum wage, now set at $7.25 an hour. Obama promised, once again, in Chattanooga, to try to raise that to $9.00. But, back in 2008, candidate Obama vowed to fight for $9.50. I guess, somewhere along the way, he lost his incentive. For Black Agenda Radio, I’m Glen Ford. On the web, go to BlackAgendaReport.com.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com .
This week’s featured author is Nick Nesbitt. Nesbitt is Professor of French and Italian at Princeton University. His book is The Price of Slavery: Capitalism and Revolution in the Caribbean.
The failure of the U.S. to respect the sovereignty of nations in the region and its decision to exclude states from the Summit disqualifies it from being a credible host. The Black Alliance for Peace…
Farming is a stressful occupation. Black farmers face the additional burdens of racism, debt, and displacement.
The judge presiding over the trial of an accused killer of Haitian president Jovenel Moise granted the DOJ request to classify certain evidence. The action points to a possible US connection with…
The city of Berlin, Germany banned pro-Palestinian protests on May 15, Nakba Day. But solidarity with Palestine could not be stopped.
