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In last week’s blog I discussed the responsibility of elected representatives in protecting the people who elected them. I also discussed the responsibility of the electorate in keeping elected representatives honest. The opportunity to rid ourselves of politicians who don’t do our bidding only occurs every 2 , 4, or 6 years. (Our track record in this regard has proven to be just short of abysmal). The opportunity to keep corporate CEOs in check is easier. We have a day to day opportunity to let them know what we want, think, and like.

Corporate CEOs, and their Boards of Directors, appear to have caught the same ‘yellow fever’ as their political brethren. I’m not referring to the physical ailment. One of the symptoms in both cases is a pain in the back. Where the disease is concerned, the cause of that pain is a virus. The pain in the back in the corporate world comes from a seeming inability to stiffen ones spine. Corporate leaders have a fiduciary responsibility to advance the interests of employees, customers, and other stakeholders, At AB they chose instead to bow to a tiny minority of obnoxious rabble-rousers who are most likely, none of the above. They slavishly scramble to do whatever is necessary to achieve a high score on a ridiculous Corporate Equality Index. A high score protects them from being ridiculed by the high and mighty Human Rights Council (HRC). The HRC is funded largely by George Soros and is the most powerful advocate of the LGBTQ+ community in the country. It is the next iteration of shakedown artists, replacing the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

I will take a deep dive into the most recent example of what happens when corporate leader’s fear of a shakedown causes them to forget their stakeholders. That being the recent idiotic decision made by Anheuser Busch (AB) to highlight the image of a high profile transwoman on cans of its Bud Light brand of beer. It was pure marketing madness! Ms. Alissa Heinerscheid, one of the marketing geniuses behind the decision, explained it. She said her plan was to update the company’s “fratty” image and reboot its “out of touch” humor with a push for inclusivity. Speaking of being out of touch. She thought it was a good idea to risk millions of loyal AB customers, “fratty” or otherwise, to lure an incalculably small number of confused transsexuals. AB appears to have made a terrible hire in its marketing department. To fire her would be to risk losing points on the Corporate Equality Index. We will find out which they treasure more, loyal customers, or equality index points. I hope AB customers will stop using AB products until they decide.

Of the stakeholders mentioned above, customers are the only ones who were basically unharmed by ABs decision. Retail outlets and the people who buy beer from them, are left with a multitude of other beers to sell, or for their customers to drink, should they decide to stop buying Bud Lite. Not so for the innocent people who sell and deliver AB beer to retailers. One such man was quoted as saying his orders for Bud Light beer had never been smaller. He said he depends on AB beer sales to earn the paycheck that provides for his family. Tough luck say the leaders at AB. The well being of your family is less important to us than our being able to check off a box that improves our standing in the LGBTQ community.

Since their cowardly decision to bow to phony victims last week, AB stock has lost something in the area of $5 billion in market value. A lot of investors have lost money. You might ask, why don’t investors just sell the stock? (Obviously a lot of investors have. That is why the stock has gone down so much). That is only a solution for those who own the individual stock. It won’t solve the problem if their AB stock is owned in mutual funds, or in their pension plans. The AB decision, thus far, has been a costly mistake for all of their stakeholders.

The AB fiasco is just the latest in a series of corporate leaders sticking their thumbs in the eyes of the American people. In doing so, they ignore their main responsibility. That is to provide income for employees, franchisees, and to improve the net worth of investors. They, and other frightened CEOs, are threatening the future of the majority of Americans in a pathetic attempt to appease a loud, obnoxious, minority.

It is time for Americans to say no more! We aren’t going to to take it any longer. If you are a consumer of AB products you have the opportunity to make a statement. Many of you already have. But don’t stop there. Coerce you friends to change brands with you until AB apologizes and fires those who had a hand in the decision. You are beginning to have an effect. Don’t stop now.

If you think Disney is wrong to be pushing for the sexualization of our 8 year old, and younger, children we must continue to cancel the Disney channel and avoid attending their movies and theme parks. We have already forced real changes there. Let’s keep it up. If you think it is wrong for Nike to to call America racist while producing shoes and apparel in China where people are enslaved to produce products for corporations, stop buying their products. We have the power to “encourage” corporations to stick to producing products and stay out of social issues.

I understand that, in a semi-free country, AB has the right to put whatever images it wants on its products. In that they operate in the public square, we have a right to push back against images we find distasteful, or that go against our values. The examples listed above are part of an orchestrated attack on traditional American values. If we remain silent we can expect more of the same from an ever larger number of cowardly corporations. There are many other corporations that I could have listed. But you get the idea. We outnumber the self proclaimed victims by hundreds of millions of people. It is time to flex our collective muscles.

I hope you found my latest post interesting, informative, and perhaps even motivational. If so please tell your friends. Thank you, Bob