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thomhartmann

(3,979 posts)
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 11:44 AM Dec 2020

Mitch McConnell wants to let corporations kill you without consequence

Hey, DU friends, here's today's rant...

Probably the most under-reported story of the year has been how Mitch McConnell is holding Americans hostage in exchange for letting big corporations kill Americans without any consequence.

Mitch took you and me hostage back in May, when the House of Representatives passed the HEROES act that would have funded state and local governments and provided unemployed workers with an ongoing weekly payment.

Mitch refused to even allow the Senate to discuss the HEROES Act until or unless the legislation also legalized corporations killing their workers and customers. To this day, he refuses to let it even be discussed in the Senate.

We’ve seen companies fire people for refusing to take their lives in their hands, executives organize betting pools on which employees are going to die first, and companies lying openly to their workers and customers about the dangers of COVID-19.

Mitch McConnell wants to protect them all. Even worse, his immunity can extend well beyond COVID and sets up a process that could put corporations above the law permanently, across every community in America, in ways that state and local governments can never defy.

While Republicans have fought against raising the minimum wage or letting workers unionize for over 100 years, what McConnell is doing now is giving corporations the ultimate right: the right to kill their employees and customers with impunity.

And McConnell’s holding your local police and fire departments, public schools and state healthcare programs hostage in exchange for his corporate immunity.

This is beyond immoral. This is ghastly, and should have been at the top of every news story in America for the past six months. But many of the corporations that are looking forward to complete supremacy over their workers include the giant corporations that own our media.

America has suffered for over 40 years under Reaganism’s neoliberal mantra, picked up from Milton Friedman, that when corporations focus exclusively on profit an “invisible hand“ will guide them to do what’s best for people and communities. It’s a lie.

This is an assault on workers’ rights, but, even greater, it’s a corporate assault on human rights. McConnell is saying that a corporation’s right to kill its workers and customers is more important than the lives of human beings.

As unemployment benefits are running out, evictions loom, small businesses are dying left and right, millions of families have been thrown into crisis and more than 10 million Americans have lost their health insurance, McConnell continues to hold us all hostage.

It’s time to fight back. If corporate media continues to refuse to discuss McConnell’s blackmail, we must individually speak up among friends and communities, and also let our lawmakers know what we think. It’s time to raise some hell.

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Mitch McConnell wants to let corporations kill you without consequence (Original Post) thomhartmann Dec 2020 OP
No crisis is big enough to impede breaking the unions. Hugin Dec 2020 #1
That greedy, soulless, power-hungry ghoul is as much a monster as Trump. dalton99a Dec 2020 #2
Yes. The headline is correct (at least in regards to COVID). Laelth Dec 2020 #3
Tom I don't disagree with anything you have said. However, we are looking at the wholesale Demsrule86 Dec 2020 #4
I have one more filing of one more week on UI. Then I guess I am being kicked off. Not sleeping LizBeth Dec 2020 #6
Oh LizBeth...praying we reach a deal. Demsrule86 Dec 2020 #9
Thinks are looking good today... Demsrule86 Dec 2020 #16
Ya. Now I have to find people in the know to find out what happens when I run out after next week. LizBeth Dec 2020 #17
And thank you for the conversations over the last weeks. LizBeth Dec 2020 #18
The donor class wants this. theaocp Dec 2020 #5
Corporations will not be doing anything different than what they have been, and in the mean time, LizBeth Dec 2020 #7
I would like to read more about the corporate employee murder betting pools fescuerescue Dec 2020 #8
It has been in the news...they were reportedly fired. Demsrule86 Dec 2020 #10
Which auto? Takket Dec 2020 #12
From what I hear all of them. Although you have a different story maybe it is a plant thing... Demsrule86 Dec 2020 #14
Where son works they ignore it...he says they don't even clean. Demsrule86 Dec 2020 #15
K & R musette_sf Dec 2020 #11
Wonder how many life insurance policies those corporations took out on same MerryBlooms Dec 2020 #13

Hugin

(33,164 posts)
1. No crisis is big enough to impede breaking the unions.
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 11:47 AM
Dec 2020

Liability wavers were a bad idea when they were granted to the gun manufacturers and it is an even worse idea now. It's irresponsible and deadly legislation.

dalton99a

(81,516 posts)
2. That greedy, soulless, power-hungry ghoul is as much a monster as Trump.
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 11:55 AM
Dec 2020

Cruel, insidious, destructive, shameless, ruthless

It is a shame that the media rarely gives him the exposure he deserves


Laelth

(32,017 posts)
3. Yes. The headline is correct (at least in regards to COVID).
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 11:58 AM
Dec 2020

That’s exactly what the Republicans want—no liability for employers, no matter how reckless they are about exposing their employees to COVID.

-Laelth

Demsrule86

(68,586 posts)
4. Tom I don't disagree with anything you have said. However, we are looking at the wholesale
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 12:00 PM
Dec 2020

starvation of millions of Americans...and death by cold as well in the northern states. We simply must continue UI...and the GOP as usual doesn't care about Americans...no skin in the game. If we lose Georgia, we will get no unemployment help... we simply can't wait. If we win, we can fix whatever shortcoming that are in this bill ...it is a temporary liability protection. My union son works for autos...there is no protection now...none. We must send help to the Americans who face starvation. I live in Cleveland and the situation is dire. Nice to hear from you again. I enjoy you show.

LizBeth

(9,952 posts)
6. I have one more filing of one more week on UI. Then I guess I am being kicked off. Not sleeping
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 12:06 PM
Dec 2020

last night until early in the morning I wondered if even when/if they pass the UI extension if I will already be kicked off. This is not simply theoretical for so many of us. Thank you for constantly having our back.

LizBeth

(9,952 posts)
17. Ya. Now I have to find people in the know to find out what happens when I run out after next week.
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 09:54 PM
Dec 2020

We get 13 weeks OR to Dec 26. I use up the 13 weeks next week. I am wondering if I skip a week if that will keep my file open, or if it kicks me off. Because I am going to be kicked off after I file next week, I think.....

I have never used this before. So ya .... and no.

LizBeth

(9,952 posts)
7. Corporations will not be doing anything different than what they have been, and in the mean time,
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 12:08 PM
Dec 2020

millions are being kicked off UI and are going to sink. That is the reality we sit in right here and now.

fescuerescue

(4,448 posts)
8. I would like to read more about the corporate employee murder betting pools
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 12:09 PM
Dec 2020

We need to get that on the news.

Demsrule86

(68,586 posts)
10. It has been in the news...they were reportedly fired.
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 12:12 PM
Dec 2020

My union son works for autos...and they don't give a damn about him and covid.

Takket

(21,578 posts)
12. Which auto?
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 12:38 PM
Dec 2020

I work for one and they have undertaken huge effort and expense to keep us all safe. We’ve been at work since May and had about half a dozen cases but no spread within the building.

Demsrule86

(68,586 posts)
14. From what I hear all of them. Although you have a different story maybe it is a plant thing...
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 09:47 PM
Dec 2020

although I did hear Ford will offer free vaccines soon.

Demsrule86

(68,586 posts)
15. Where son works they ignore it...he says they don't even clean.
Tue Dec 15, 2020, 09:48 PM
Dec 2020

I can't say which one...or he could lose his job.

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