This is why I despair at HRC being the candidate

[Kelvin Mace]

"Workers are assets. Investing in them pays off. Higher wages pay off. And training pays off."

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/620603824441458688

Even when pandering to us, she speaks the language of the oligarchs.

I am NOT an "asset". I am a human being.

[uppityperson]

1. Well treated workers are an asset to a business. They are people of course, but also an asset

[Kelvin Mace]

3. "Asset" may refer to people metaphoricaly

but metaphors don't pay the rent.

[uppityperson]

7. Higher wages and training does.

"Investing in them pays off. Higher wages pay off. And training pays off"

[Kelvin Mace]

14. Certainly

"Upgrade" the asset until it reaches the point that the particular asset can be replaced with a cheaper one.

Let's keep humanity out of the discussion. Keep it on a purely business basis.

[uppityperson]

21. Are you really advocating for lower wages, benefits, training?

This is confusing. If a business can't figure out how to treat their employees decently because they are people, maybe they will because it is good business. How is this bad?

[Kelvin Mace]

27. No, I am discussing what happens when you refer to and think of

your employees as "assets" instead of people.

[uppityperson]

30. Here's the transcript of her speech. While there are things to criticize her for, this is not one of

them.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/96791-transcript-of-hillary-clintons-speech-on-the-economic-policy-that-would-define-her-presidency-is-simply

“I’m not talking about charity – I’m talking about clear-eyed capitalism. Many companies have prospered by improving wages and training their workers that then yield higher productivity, better service, and larger profits.

“Now it’s easy to try to cut costs by holding down or decreasing pay and other investments to inflate quarterly stock prices, but I would argue that’s bad for business in the long run.

“And, it’s really bad for our country.

“Workers are assets. Investing in them pays off. Higher wages pay off. And training pays off.

“To help more companies do that, I’ve proposed a new $1,500 apprenticeship tax credit for every worker they train and hire.

[kenfrequed]

57. Apart from the phrasing

Tax credits are probably one of the worst ways to stimulate growth. Most of the businesses that recieve it will find a way to justify it based on existing structures or training environment systems. The very nature of this kind of tax breaks work this way.

The real reason a business hires is as a last resort because they have tried everything else with their existing workforce to attempt to provide for the demand of a product or service. This is the nature of capitalism. If you want a business to change then you have to compel them by law. Attempting to bribe them with tax benefits, particularly ones that are so small, only encourages them to find sneaky ways to gobble up such a benefit.




If you want busineses to pay better the real target is to increase minimum wage. Doing so garauntees more money at the bottom and therefor more demand for products and services which will work that way up the system. A living wage would be the best of all possibilities.

[Scuba]

109. "Tax credits are probably one of the worst ways to stimulate growth."

[kenfrequed]

111. Accelerated depreciation is a tax credit

But yeah, I see your point in terms of probably being more specific. After all, there are many forms of tax credits and it is possible that you could design one that might have more specific targeting that would work.

I think though that we would get more bang for the buck if we just had the federal government hire people to do things that need to be done.

[dreamnightwind]

67. I'm wondering if the tax credit would apply only to U.S. citizens

or if they could import unqualified workers who would work cheaply, and train them with public subsidies? Not saying this is the case, worth finding out though.

I appreciate incentives to train workers. Not sure if giving private corporations public money is the right way to do this, maybe.

When I started working in the very early 80's it was common for corporations to hire and train, using their own money. And they, at that point, were still in the mode of looking at employess as human beings (rather than assets or human resources) with human needs and families, and a corporation would benefit by having long-term employment relationships with their employees, who would repay them with good work and company loyalty. I don't have a huge problem with her use of the term "assets" but it did bother me a little.

We're a long way from the business model I described, and that isn't Hillary's fault. If we can find a way back to it, we'll all be much happier, so any steps in that direction are ones I would welcome.

[PATRICK]

72. This point of view

practiced by presidents Clinton and Obama is now history. there are lessons and they have not been learned by the pragmatists or out of control money powers who have unremittantly and consistently waged total war against them anyway.
Proposing a few new programs for corporations to get back into sane, community and actual business order is way short of facing the beast. Besides we have had a long long diet of starvation incrementalism that has actually murdered countless people as it compromises away more and more power to already corrupt and malicious private sector elements.

At one time, hopefully, government under Bill Clinton seemed to make the middle road produce results in security and economy. Always the wheels veered toward the evil and always was the force of the money powers totally insatiable- beyond any duty to rationality much less humanity. My perspective might sound kind of severe, but it is the kind of visceral reaction it seems many on Du at least feel when a supposedly seasoned contender for the highest office threatens to martyr the nation by attempting a consensus government with Hell. As good and sincere as I am willing to grant she is, this is woefully short for the times and already tested methods.

Also,as a New Yorker and having witnessed her campaign style and office performance, it seems fairer to presume than with Obama, that the weak non-confrontation and outright surrender on every front while offering some sense and good things for the good old sense and sensibility legacy will continue when she is in office as well. No politician gives up the flaws in their personal package when they are elected. If anything they dismayingly increase in horrible ways. There are reasons for that and explains why some of the best surprises come from succession presidents. Stress "some" of course.

Of course upping the talk ante with shrewd calculation appeals to a desperate electorate sometimes. But if a candidate with prior credibility goes where the rest go not and the neglected majority and the most critical issues are there it is way beyond the usual politics. It is a clash between all the votes big can lie cheat and steal for and an actual government of, by and for the people. Tragically a lot of decent well intentioned people want to keep paving the road to the future hand in hand with big money and it has all gone too far downhill to Hell.

The real horror of the real natural world is that even what Sanders could want in his wildest dreams might be too little too late and that we should have legions of his type just to put up the necessary fight to prevent what is coming.

[jwirr]

83. Apprenticeship tax credit for every worker they train and hire. That is exactly what the CETA

program was in the 70s. In addition they were supposed to give you a job in their company when you were trained. But what actually happened is that they hired you, trained you and when the money to hire you stopped they found a reason to get rid of the worker and hired another one with a subsidy. The Over55 program works the same way. No one hired them for long after they were no longer eligible for the write off or pay subsidy.

Workers were also seen as assets in these two programs and were replaced when they were no longer usable. I for one have no use for another program like these two. This is a subsidy to the company and only helps the worker for as long as it takes for the money to disappear.

[kenfrequed]

110. Additionally

The Tax credit is so slight that it isn't even worth trying to collect on. As I have suggested many times, this is a credit businesses will be trying to collect on without changing their behavior one iota. It is a typical shoddy policy that will go nowhere and accomplish nothing.

[jwirr]

112. Correct. I did not work when it was called CETA.

[erronis]

86. And what about the "assets" that don't have jobs?

Most of the WallStreet-oriented politicos seem to think that we can make everything better by giving a little perk to current employees. Tax benefits, exclusions, EITC, move 401K money around, etc.

The lower-income and now the middle-income people don't have much leverage on their income/expenses to take advantage of these grand schemes.

The unemployed and non-reported employed will not get any benefit at all. At $7-8/hour, everyone is looking for some spare cash just to pay rent. How will "tax benefits" help them? Is it still your favorite trickle-down?

[uppityperson]

87. Don't try to put words into my mouth as you will only fail. Do you agree or disagree with

what I wrote? I made 2 simple statements which I believe true. Do you agree or disagree with these : "Well treated workers are an asset to a business. They are people of course, but also an asset."

You ask "what about the "assets" that don't have jobs" which makes no sense since I am talking about people who are working, who have jobs. People without jobs are without jobs.

"Is it still your favorite trickle-down?" Don't try to put words into my mouth or claim I said anything beyond my 2 sentences.

[still_one]

2. The primaries will determine the candidate

[ms liberty]

4. I agree. I am first and foremost a CITIZEN...

Not an asset, not just a taxpayer, or a consumer. I hate the way we the people are described by most politicians.

[JoePhilly]

5. Your boss either sees you as an EXPENSE, or an ASSET.

And they treat you accordingly.

She is saying that a business should see its employees as ASSETS, not EXPENSES.

Its a positive statement.

[uppityperson]

6. I see it that way also. Treat your employees well and they are an asset to the business

[JoePhilly]

11. Exactly ... I know a guy who sees employees as "expenses" to be managed DOWN ...

... which is very different philosophy as compared to seeing your employees as assets that you intend to build and grow.

Two very different ways to do business. Only one of which benefits the workers.

[leftynyc]

9. Bernie supporters

will take any comment made by Hillary and give it the most nefarious interpretation they can. It's sickening.

[JoePhilly]

12. Some of them start with a conclusion, and then work backwards.

And I get the sense that some of them have never managed anything more complex than a lemonade stand.

[leftynyc]

20. True enough

They're making this board unbearable.

[musicblind]

99. I've honestly just stopped coming to the board.

Been a member since 2008, but I've been coming here less and less because the environment is turning into 2008 environment where the hardcore progressives bash the moderate progressives for not liking their candidate best. It's better to just give them the board until the election is over. Funny thing is, I consider myself a hardcore progressive, but they don't feel that way if I happen to like Hillary. If I like Hillary then I'm not welcome here, or so it seems. That is why I have stopped coming around to read up on what folks are saying these days.

[leftynyc]

108. I'm very stubborn

and refuse to let them think all Democrats feel the same way they do. I wont let them live in their little bubble of fantasy without some pushback. Their opinion means nothing to me and frankly, I'm not convinced that most of them aren't trolls trying to sow discord.

[Cal33]

80. I think it's more important to look at her record and see what she has stood and fought for

in the past. In my estimation there are both positives and negatives. She did try to get
Universal Healthcare through. That was a big plus in her record. As for her Wall Street
connections, well we all know about them.

You may or may not consider me a "Hillary basher", but I would vote for her, should she
win the Democratic nomination. However, I'll be voting for Bernie in the Primaries.

[leftynyc]

85. I don't see anything in this

post that would make me think you're a Hillary basher. I've also never seen a person claim she was the perfect candidate.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. Having been a boss

I never saw an employee as an "asset". Are we discussing humanity or accounting?

[JoePhilly]

16. You were a "boss"??

First ... Hillary was discussing ECONOMICS, for those paying attention.

So if you want to discuss improving the economic situation for workers, you need to understand a few very basic economic realities.

If you see employees as expenses, that leads to one set of behaviors.

If you see employees as assets, that leads to an entirely different set of behaviors.

The latter takes into account "humanity", the former does not.

The fact you used the term "Boss" really surprises me ... I've been a "manager" many times during my career ... always saw my employees as assets to be nurtured and grown ... and never at anytime did I think of myself, or called myself ... "boss".

Interesting.

[uppityperson]

22. You call yourself a "boss" yet have trouble discussing economics and assets, the humanity of it?

[Kelvin Mace]

26. Yes, I do.

Just not the kind of "boss" who sees his employees as "things" like "assets" rather than people. I am the kind of boss who doesn't think the world starts and ends with "the bottom line" and that all interactions with employees must have profit potential.

[jwirr]

84. I do not dare say what I am thinking about the use of assets because I will get targeted. But

lets take the word back to 1862.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

36. I owned my own business and was a Director Sales and Marketing before that...

I was folks manager but not their "boss".


We were a a team...

[Kelvin Mace]

71. Again,

as to the word, I was responding to the a post where the writer used the word "boss", so I responded using his own word.

[Scootaloo]

79. Question.

Could the other members of your team fire you?

Could you fire them?

it wasn't a team, and you were a boss. Jargon doesn't change the dynamic there, friend.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

88. I was in the position to hire and fire for about five years.

I fired one man because he goofed off and made lewd comments that made some of the female salespeople uncomfortable.

[MADem]

82. I have--and if you use the term in a fitrep or evaluation, it can get your "assets"

promoted.

It is a positive term--get out your dictionary, and look it up.

Now, if you call a worker a liability, they're probably not going to be employed for much longer.

[jeff47]

32. Which is why someone else needs to counterbalance that view.

Hence the problem with government taking the same perspective. Because the sick, elderly and impoverished are not assets to the boss.

Unless you are claiming that we are supposed to only be defined by our boss.

[JaneyVee]

8. You're looking for nuance on a site that only allows 140 characters?

The context of that tweet was a snippet of her economic speech. And she's right, workers are assets and should be valued by their companies.

[Kelvin Mace]

10. Yes, and just like other "assets" they can be bought and sold

or simply discarded when they become to troublesome.

Words matter with politicians.

[JaneyVee]

19. Nothing can stop employers from firing employees if...

That's what your suggesting. No job is guaranteed permanent.

[JoePhilly]

25. Notice that in a reponse to me ...

... the OP who is complaining about Hillary using the term ASSET, explained to me that he had been a BOSS ...

What does it say when you refer to yourself as the "boss".

Imagine if Hillary used that term.

[Kelvin Mace]

31. Um, now I know you are being utterly disingenious

since my use of the word "boss" was in response to your post which began:

"Your boss either sees you as an EXPENSE, or an ASSET."

I use your terminology in response to your post and you damn me for it and cast aspersions on my character.

[JoePhilly]

37. So you mean that we shouldn't base this discussion on just one word?

I agree.

And yes, to a certain degree I set you up. Got you to use a word (in reference to yourself) that many would be concerned with ... probably even more so than with the word "assets".

Hillary is contrasting two very different approaches to running a business. One is good for workers, one is not.

The use of the term ASSET, in that larger context is perfectly fine.

Unless we see all business as evil. Which I don't think we do.

Not only that, her use of assets here actually sets the GOP up ... what can they do, call workers "expenses"? I doubt they want to do that.

From a business perspective, employees can either be viewed as expenses to be managed down, or as assets to be invested in, grown, and protected. And Hillary is simply arguing that its good for both business and also good for workers, when employees are treated as assets.

And its disingenuous to pretend otherwise (especially if one has been a "boss" or a manager).

[AgingAmerican]

39. Brilliant!

[JoePhilly]

55. To be fair ...

I set him up ... although he applied the word to himself, I did not do that.

But anyway ... this is just another manufactured outrage.

[bvf]

15. I'm old enough to remember

when "human resources" supplanted "personnel" in common usage.

Same shit, different generation. Still stinks.

[MineralMan]

17. Only smart business owners see employees as assets.

If they see them that way, they value their contributions to the business. Many business owners and managers see employees as only liabilities that cost the company money. Such business owners and managers are the ones who scrimp on wages and benefits and fail to benefit from their employees work.

I write about small business as part of my job. Treating employees as people who make doing business possible and who contribute materially to success is always the best practice. Hiring and keeping employees who are true assets to the business is how successful businesses operate. Those who do not do that are in serious trouble over the long term.

Asset is a word with multiple meanings, actually.

[antiquie]

38. Yes, asset has several meanings.

Viewing employees as assets may be a good thing; calling them business assets is different. Business assets are usually depreciated until worthless.

[MineralMan]

43. What you say is true, of course.

When I write about employees as assets, I'm always talking about their high value to the business. Businesses that look at employees that way are always better places to work and have more success in general. The rise in importance of HR departments, run by people who have no real idea of what a particular business actually does, has played a large role in companies looking at employees as interchangeable "assets."

I also write frequently about HR issues for mid-sized businesses, and sometimes despair about recent trends I see in Human Resources management. HR professionals often think employee management is a science that can be reduced to formulas and computerized calculations. It's no wonder, then, that so many companies are staffed at management levels by people who haven't a clue, and at lower level positions with people who are selected almost at random.

I recently worked on a website content contract proposal for a company. They had recently dismissed their top three salespeople because they were "earning too much in commissions." The owner of the company bragged about that during a meeting. I advised the web designer I work with to reject the contract and explained that any business owner that stupid wouldn't recognize the value of our work, either. We turned down the job. That business owner could not see that he was paying commissions to three people who were generating massive amounts of sales for him. The more they earned in commissions, the better his business was doing. He is an idiot. I don't like working for idiots.

[awake]

18. That is why large companies have a "Human Reassures Department"

Yes of corse employes are assets but it would have been helpful if Hillary had been more aware of how her speech would sound out side of a corporate board room, I am not saying this to "slam" her but in hopes that close advisers of hers who may read this give her feedback, after all primaries are where our candidates lean to improve their delivery.

[loveallserveall]

23. Feel The Bern !

Thanks Kelvin...Bernie's our candidate..no BS !

[cherokeeprogressive]

24. This doesn't seem to square with "you didn't build that".

Seems to be saying the owner of my company DID "make that happen" by managing his "assets" correctly.

[Man from Pickens]

28. she's not even technically correct from the business/accounting point of view

Workers are an expense to a business.

Except in one case, where workers are genuinely assets - and that case is slavery.

If she thought training paid off, why has she consistently over the course of her political career and up to this very day, support H1-B visas, which is the alternative to training Americans to do skilled labor? As NY Senator she got the moniker "Senator from Tata International" (single biggest H1-B farm in existence).

Her whole history is one huge F-U to labor. No way she gets a pass now.

[Sancho]

49. HILLARY CLINTON: FIGHTING FOR AMERICA’S WORKERS...just a few excepts..

http://correctrecord.org/hillary-clinton-fighting-for-americas-workers/

Opposing outsourcing. Hillary Clinton called for eliminating “any tax break that promotes or rewards outsourcing,” and she suggested a plan to close those loopholes in the U.S. tax code. She also proposed a new tax credit called the Insourcing Markets Tax Credit to boost investment in communities across America hurt by international trade and technology. Hillary voted in support of legislation that discouraged outsourcing in the private sector, and she also voted to restrict federal agencies from outsourcing work.

Standing against unfair Chinese trade practices. Hillary Clinton voted in support of authorizing action on Chinese imports if the Chinese government did not reform its currency practices. She also urged the U.S. International Trade Commission to crack down on Chinese metals sold in the U.S. at unfairly low prices, noting that if industrial companies “do not receive appropriate relief from the impact of unfair foreign trade practices, the situations for these companies, and for working men and women, will only grow worse.”

Expanding job training opportunities for workers. Hillary Clinton has praised the idea of a “national skills corporation” to focus American efforts on job training, and in 2007 she called for doubling the funding for job training programs for workers displaced by international competition. Hillary also introduced bills to create “Regional Skills Alliances” to bring together local businesses, governments educational institutions and labor organizations to collaborate on new programs to train workers for modern technology jobs.

[Fumesucker]

74. Hillary at the ribbon cutting on the 22nd Tata outsourcing office opened in the USA

[Gman]

29. Sorry but that is how you must speak to business

to say workers need better pay and training. After all it IS in the worker's interest to slso be sure the company does well so they can continue to have a job. So speaking to business in this manner is perfectly appropriate. Do you work?

[Man from Pickens]

33. and her business experience is...?

Why in the world would any business take the advice of someone with zero actual experience running a business - and who turned her only executive position - Secretary of State - into a complete disaster with incalculable consequences that are still mounting years after she is gone?

Any CEO who followed her suggestion would be fired, with cause.

[Sancho]

46. Excerpt from National First Ladies Library

http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=43

A year after her marriage, Hillary Clinton, retaining her maiden name for work, joined the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas.

President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978. That same year, Bill Clinton was elected to the first of five terms as Governor of Arkansas.

The following year she became a full partner at the Rose Law Firm. She was twice named to the list of “The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.”

She also represented and later served on the board of Arkansas businesses including TCBY ("The Country's Best Yoghurt&quot , and Wal-Mart.

As First Lady of Arkansas for twelve years, she chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, Legal Services, and the Children's Defense Fund. Mrs. Clinton wrote a weekly newspaper column entitled "Talking It Over."

[Man from Pickens]

52. There you go

That's a resume completely void of any actual business expertise. Every last one of those positions is the direct result of being a Governor's wife, then a President's wife. Her entire life's work experience is 100% political, save only the work as a line lawyer, and that experience is 4 decades old.

Your average gas station owner has immeasurably more real-world business experience than she does. Hell, even a typical hourly-wage contractor has more real business experience.

By the logic that says HRC has business experience, she's also in line to become a top NASCAR driver because she drove a car in the 1970s rather than being chauffeured everywhere as she has been for the past quarter century.

[Sunlei]

48. first I've read that type of spew. How did the SOS turn the position into a disaster?

[Man from Pickens]

53. Check out Libya lately?

How did that go again?

How did her "reset" with Russia go?

How did her supplying weapons to Syrian rebels go?

How did her policy in Honduras go?

etc.

Let's look at the record. Oh! She deleted them! How... convenient.

We could spend the whole campaign merely trying to piece together just how much damage she did in that one position.

Is there ANYTHING she did as SoS that went well?

[Sunlei]

62. lol, ok I see you blame that wicked woman for all global problems.

[Man from Pickens]

66. Nope

I blame her only for what she personally had a hand in.

I notice you didn't even attempt to list an actual positive outcome of her tenure. Six years in high office and there's not one good thing even her supporters can name - what sense would it make to use that as a basis for giving her four or eight years in an even higher office?

[Sunlei]

70. How about you first list the actual detail of what that wicked woman did.

[Man from Pickens]

73. Orchestrating the overthrow of the Libyan government

Hundreds of thousands dead, casualties of the chaos left behind still mounting today, a fractured nation largely in control of Al-Qaeda groups which she intentionally armed, and a refugee crisis for Europe - by all accounts, a war that would not have happened but for HRC's persistent, dogged pursuit of it.

Let's see what she has to say about it:

Have you ever seen a prouder look on her face?



or we can talk about the horrors she ushered into Honduras if you prefer

or we can even talk about a single accomplishment of her six-year tenure as Secretary of State - if you can name one.

[uppityperson]

60. Any CEO who made sure workers got better pay and training would be fired, with cause?

Seriously?

[Man from Pickens]

68. Under today's laws? Yes!

As long as that H1-B system is pumping out work visas en masse in these numbers, any CEO who trains American workers puts his company at a competitive disadvantage to those who exploit the foreign indentured labor.

And you can thank HRC for her unfailing championship of H1-Bs throughout her entire political career. She is directly responsible for the outcome that she is now telling you you should vote for her to reverse.

But don't take it from me, after all I'm just an unappeasable critic.

[musicblind]

100. She was an exceptional Secretary of State and bashing her time as SOS is a right wing meme.

I do not think right wing memes, especially baseless ones, are appropriate on DU.

[Man from Pickens]

106. What exactly was exceptional about her tenure?

Don't feel bad about not being able to answer the question, none of her other supporters have been able to do so, and she herself couldn't either.

[jeff47]

34. You're the government. You don't need to say "Mother, may I?".

Deference to the almighty corporation is the source of many of our problems. We should stop doing that, and think of people as people instead of "Do you work?".

[JI7]

35. that has nothing to do with oligarchs

[udbcrzy2]

40. If the Corp gets a huge tax break

Well then, sure could be a huge asset.

I'm voting for Bernie Sanders!

[Sancho]

41. Wow...Bernie is the one who has spouted economics for 30 years - NOT social justice!

If there's any candidate who has worked (including often out-of-office) for social justice including children, women, immigrants, education, and labor it has been Hillary...

Check out this link - and really look at the record:

http://correctrecord.org/the-record/

You are taking the statement incorrectly of course.

[London Lover Man]

47. I don't read Hillary's PAC propaganda..

Correct the Record is propaganda.

And we know it's 99.9% pure unadulterated triangulation to make her look 'progressive'.

[Sancho]

50. You can always look at the links yourself...

and decide if the bill was "really" introduced in Congress or whatever. Either the record is there or it's not.

If you don't like the facts, then you are an uninformed voter.

[London Lover Man]

51. Right now, there are serious faults with Clinton

starting with her vote on Patriot Act then the IWR.

Both unforgivable votes. She hasn't apologized for the IWR vote, and her mistake continues the sectarian violence in Iraq.

She used her Secretary of State to push people on Keystone and oil agreements. Nothing for the people, just corporations.

[Kelvin Mace]

69. She voted for a war

A needless war based on lies.

War is never good for social justice, women, children, immigrants, education or labor.

Now, you could argue that she was "deceived" by Bush's dazzling performance, in which case she is so gullible that she is automatically disqualified from the job. So, why vote for a needless war that cost a trillion dollars and has maimed and killed hundreds of thousands?

She voted FOR the "Patriot Act".

I can go on, but am sure you don't care.

[London Lover Man]

42. Not good. If she considers us proles "assets" then she's in the wrong mindset.

She just outed herself, and badly.

[Sunlei]

59. excuse me, what is a proles?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

105. prole is short for proletariat. nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

44. Is that like being just another number?

[Kelvin Mace]

64. It is to me

[Sunlei]

45. People were ok when Henry Ford said similar, and raised his workers wages.

[HooptieWagon]

54. Slaves were considered assets...

Is that what she's suggesting, a return to slavery? I understand many corporations would like that...

[JoePhilly]

56. And the Nazis called themselves Socialists.

Guess we need to drop Socialist too.

[Number23]

89. Are you serious? I mean, really. Are you serious?

[HooptieWagon]

91. Wall Street was founded as a slave market.

It might come as a shock to you, but slaves were considered property, prior to the EP. Property is an asset.

[Number23]

94. "It might come as a shock to you" That someone is equating Hillary's comment with slavery??!

No, I've come to expect that kind of shit around here. And know exactly where to expect it from too.

[musicblind]

102. Just watch.

Three days from now the meme will probably become "Hillary Clinton Supports Slavery" and we'll just be sitting in the back of the room shaking our heads at these children.

[Number23]

104. "we'll just be sitting in the back of the room shaking our heads at these children."

WAAAAAAAAYYYYY ahead of you on that.

[Kablooie]

58. So the only reason for higher pay is to reap higher profits.

That's the end all be all for America in her mind. Higher profits.
Where do people's lives fit in to this?

This is "don't vote for me" talk.

[virtualobserver]

61. "Workers are assets" actually shows WHO she is talking to......She is talking TO the oligarchs.....

She is trying to convince them to be nicer to us by explaining how it will help their "bottom line"

She will be our ambassador to our billionaire owners!

[Kelvin Mace]

63. The oligarchs are suddenly going to see reason?

We have been talking to them for over a century and the only thing they understand is regulation and taxation. They haven't been persuaded it is in their best interest in the past and it is a waste of breath to try and convince then now.

If HRC doesn't understand that she is the wrong person for the job.

[kath]

65. Wow. really telling as to what she thinks about us proles.

Gross.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

75. That's it?

That's all you have for her? That you despair about?

[Kelvin Mace]

76. Oh, would you like the long list?

She makes a big deal about a national policy speech and then refers to people as "assets".

Certainly re-affirms my view that she is totally in the thrall of Wall Street.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

78. I just didn't realize that "asset" was a four-letter word

If my boss calls me an "asset" to my organization, have I just been insulted or dehumanized or something?

[BlueJazz]

77. I've been called an "Ass" but I disagree with the term.

[MADem]

81. ASSET is a positive concept and construct, and it can refer to humans.

as·set
ˈaset/Submit
noun
a useful or valuable thing, person, or quality.
"quick reflexes were his chief asset"
synonyms: benefit, advantage, blessing, good point, strong point, selling point, strength, forte, virtue, recommendation, attraction, resource, boon, merit, bonus, plus, pro
"he sees his age as an asset"
property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.
"growth in net assets"
synonyms: property, resources, estate, holdings, possessions, effects, goods, valuables, belongings, chattels
"the seizure of all their assets"
military equipment, such as planes, ships, communications and radar installations, employed or targeted in military operations.

https://www.google.com/search?q=asset&oq=asset&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.1313j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8


A person can be a liability, as well. I think it's a real stretch to critique her for using that word, frankly. Nitpicky...!

[HooptieWagon]

92. Or property.

[MADem]

97. Yes. Person, or thing. As the definition I provided describes.

Lots of words can be used in more than one way. The take-away, though, is that ASSET is a POSITIVE word and the context of the comments was that people should be treated with dignity, respect, and the positive contributors to the growth of companies that they are.

[DCBob]

93. Good grief.. its like saying your spouse is an asset.

Its meant to be complimentary.

[ronnykmarshall]

96. ....

[url=https://flic.kr/p/vVHQVf][img][/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/vVHQVf]thats nice honey[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/131813008@N02/]Ronny Marshall-Selby[/url], on Flickr

[MADem]

98. ...............

Thank you for my laugh of the day!!! A+!!!!!

[tazkcmo]

103. I love her! n/t

[HFRN]

101. I feel bad for any 'Asset' that she feels 'lacks utility' to her

cant imagine that they fare very well

[Capn Sunshine]

107. Hey, how neat. A human being. in Despair

that's a little histrionic but parsing Hillary's words into Play Doh that can be shaped into all kinds of exiting negative shapes seems to be a specialty around here these days.

I await your futher despair and disparagement.

[NCTraveler]

113. Where is the language of the "oligarchs?"

This is what you call fishing. You clearly don't understand what an asset is.

[DanTex]

114. This is why I despair at Bernie being the candidate.

[Kelvin Mace]

115. He has a much greater chance of winning with HRC as the nominee

Especially given her scorn for the left wing of the party and coziness with Wall Street. She is now on record opposing restoring Glass-Stegall.

[DanTex]

116. You realize that people who don't post on DU get to vote in the election too, right?

Most of the far left will vote for her anyway, unless Bernie decides to pull a Nader. But Bernie, self-described socialist, is not going to get many votes from non-Democrats. He might even lose some moderate democrats to the GOP. He wins a few northeastern states, maybe some on the west coast, but overall nominating Bernie is a recipe for 4-8 years of GOP presidency.

[Kelvin Mace]

117. Thus we will have a center right

president beholden to Wall Street, the oil companies and the war hawks, or an outright fascist.

Either way we lose, it is just a matter of how fast.

[leveymg]

118. That would make other workers "liabilities." Liabilities are liquidated.

Mass Liquidation Sale.

[All Tuckered Out]

119. Really? THIS is why you despair?

Seems a bit unimaginative as a reason to despair.

As someone that was an HR director for many years, I have witnessed many folks using that word in cover letters and during interviews. It was often used in a phrase such as, "I feel I would be an asset to your company". I certainly was not hiring oligarchs nor was the non-profit organization where I was employed full of oligarchs, even in top positions.

[Kelvin Mace]

120. This is just the latest

in a long line of reasons her being president will be bad news for the country. I could recap prior posts if you wish.

So, you worked in HR? "HR" means "Human Resources", which is a nice bit of doublespeak for the department that, in most companies (I am sure not yours), treats people inhumanely. (Seriously, not a dig at you, but an observation of HR departments of the various companies I have had dealings with in my life).

HRC didn't say "Workers are assets to your company", she said "Workers are assets".

It's the little things that say so much. The really devious bit of this statement is that each side sees what they wish. HRC defenders see her complimenting workers, the 1%ers see her reassuring them that workers are property.

Genius.

[All Tuckered Out]

122. You are an odd

person that knows nothing about me, where I worked, or who I'm supporting. Let me fill you in on some things. I worked for a wonderful non- profit organization as the HR Director for many years. My department certainly didn't treat people 'inhumanely' and positions within the organization were highly sought. It was often hard to tell if a prospective employee was more interested in working for the organization due to the unique working environment or the work the organization did and what we stood for. The HR Department knew are workers were assets, the backbone of the organization, so they were treated that way.

It is very sad that the various companies you had dealings with in your life seem to be the horrible type ran by the oligarchs you so despise. It says a lot about you and your employment history.

You are quibbling over the use of one word and the hyperbole is ridiculous. Whether someone says "an employee is an asset"or "workers are assets" is such a small thing I find it funny that it causes you to despair. That is such a strong emotion for something so minute. As you stated you have a long list of reasons why HRC would be bad for our country. Stick to the meaningful things instead of whipping out the hyperbole. Doing that makes your side look bad. As a Sanders supporter it is an embarrassment.

[Kelvin Mace]

123. I specifically

excluded you from the observation and specifically stated that it was based on my own personal experiences.

These were not just companies I worked for, but companies others worked for. One of my jobs in the past was computer repair and the company I worked with had a number of HR departments as clients, so I got to see a lot of the BS they pulled.

I have been accused of hyperbole many times: When I said that the Patriot Act would be used to violate our rights and psy on us. When I said that the Bush administration was lying about Iraq's involvement in 9/11. When I said our military was going to wind up committing war crimes. When I said we would torture people. When I said that police misconduct was the rule rather than the exception, especially as it involved the poor and minorities.

Every time I was told I was being "hyperbolic", or worse.

[LWolf]

121. "Even when pandering to us, she speaks the language of the oligarchs."

That she does, and it's painful to listen to.