218 Comments
User's avatar
Tina Mouse's avatar

37% Thank W

Yes! This is excellent.

Expand full comment
DemoCat's avatar

But a nice Republican told me that capitalism is good and limits on it make Jesus cry. And I know for a fact that Elon Musk wants to put frozen yogurt machines in his factory. So there. It’s like the old saying goes, “the wealth gap is filled with frozen yogurt.”

Expand full comment
Secret Agent Super Dragon's avatar

Most of these CEOs of huge corporations don’t do a whole lot more than public relations and inspiring speeches. It’s not like Tim Apple is burning the midnight oil coding or making sure the factories are working at peak efficiency.

Expand full comment
Cthulhu's avatar

Nuke 'em till they glow, economically. Eat the Rich.

Expand full comment
Edgar Allen Shmoe's avatar

It’s a good idea, but hopefully they don’t let republicans water it down and build in a bunch of loopholes, like in 1993 when congress tried to make executive salaries over $1 million non deductible. (That’s when stock options started to become popular, not coincidentally.)

Expand full comment
DemoCat's avatar

Yep. My “salary” is a dollar. (Wink wink). But I’m also given a signing bonus, year-end bonus, stock options, benefits, perks, profit sharing and a pension. But my taxable salary is only a buck. I’m a man of the people.

Expand full comment
Alpaca Suitcase's avatar

But they have to pay CEOs enough that they feel like they live in a different world from the employees. Otherwise they might start caring about them.

Expand full comment
Ill-Advised's avatar

Maybe not. Isn't psychopathy a prerequisite for executive jobs?

Expand full comment
Permanently Confused@68's avatar

I think sociopathy is.

Expand full comment
DemoCat's avatar

I have a degree in sociopathy.

Expand full comment
Tina Mouse's avatar

Well I have a doctorate in misanthropology -- the study of why people are so damn stupid.

Expand full comment
Michael A Alexander's avatar

The trickling down is actually *out* to shareholders in the form of stock buybacks. Today, on an economy-wide basis, ALL profits and sent into the stock market either had buybacks or dividends (though some cash-flow rich companies still invest profits, others borrow for buybacks so this is true in aggregate). This phenomenon is the cause of the capitalist crisis we have been in since around 2006, which is a repeat of the on we were in after the Panic of 1907 until WW II.

https://mikealexander.substack.com/p/the-capitalist-crisis

Expand full comment
Michael A Alexander's avatar

A more comprehensive approach to this argument is given here:

https://mikealexander.substack.com/p/how-economic-culture-evolves

And how it came to pass that the system we had under Eisenhower evolved into the one we have today:

https://mikealexander.substack.com/p/how-the-new-deal-order-fell

Expand full comment
Zyxomma's avatar

Ta, Robyn.

Expand full comment
Jim Parker's avatar

Gee, the CEO Act is introduced and the new Speaker of the House then introduces a bill, rolled into funding for a middle east war, that will inhibit the IRS's ability to collect taxes from said CEO's and others in the extra-wealthy category. Prolly just a mere coincidence.

Expand full comment
Revenant's avatar

One taunt the right-wing "intellectuals" like to throw at us is that, under Democracy, we have-nots can always gang up on the haves and vote ourselves unearned wealth. Aside from the fact that this hypothetical situation has never in human history been carried through to its logical conclusion, nobody who is not willfully blind can deny that the exact opposite distortion has been perpetrated on our socio-political order by the rich- they buy governments and judges, so rigging the system that they, and only they, can win, and we are supposed to be grateful for crumbs. After having through centuries of strife achieved some imperfect balance during the 1940s and 1950s, we are all over the world sliding back into the immemorial cruelty of hereditary classes, monarchy and aristocracy, here and there with a morbid tinge of theocracy to make it all even more stupid and indefensible.

Expand full comment
carovee's avatar

LOL watch those conglomerates break up hella fast if they ever have to start paying 1% of their profits every year CEO pay exceeds the ratio.

Expand full comment
Up Here in the Clouds's avatar

When that last massive corporate tax cut went through, one of the ways it was pitched to TFG's followers was their lord and savior was giving the tax cut to the employers with the "understanding" the savings would be invested in the hourly whining little brat workers. I remember that part because my corporate overlord was straight up with how all the tax saving was going to help make the pretty people in corporate even more pretty. First up, a total gutting and remodel of HQ! I was not shocked, but my MAGA co-workers felt betrayed because the guy they voted for said the tax saving was supposed to trickle down to them! And it didn't!

Expand full comment
Permanently Confused@68's avatar

Life sucks when you're clueless, I guess.

Expand full comment
Delmarva Peninsula's avatar

Well this starts my weekend on an upbeat note!

Expand full comment
Khavrinen's avatar

"(One percent would add up quickly for these massive companies; one percent of Apple’s nearly $400 billion in gross receipts would be … some money!)"

“A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money!"

Expand full comment
Satanic Pancake's avatar

But it's going to start trickling down any day now!

Expand full comment
Secret Agent Super Dragon's avatar

“Sure, it’s never worked in fifty yearsbut I’m sure it will next tine!”

Expand full comment
Zap's avatar

Trickle down is just GOP code for "Amazon River Up".

Expand full comment
Satanic Pancake's avatar

Candiru for everyone!

Expand full comment
Khavrinen's avatar

Ewwww.

I don't want to be the one cleaning up what they'll allow to trickle down.

Expand full comment