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There are MANY interesting stories circulating right now about this relationship. I haven't seen this talked about enough on here and I would be very interesting in hearing various opinions, fact and perspective....
What I have read so far has left me with many questions and curiousity about this relationship.
I hope people will not attack me for raising this topic, but instead will present their thoughts in a mature and respectful manner:
Many were rightfully concerned about the relationship of the Bush-Cheney administration to the oil industry and defense contractors but curiously they have remained silent about the GE-Obama relationship.
Many of Obama's major policies coincidentally present major financial opportunities for GE. The conspiracy theorist in me would say that payback for the media support is on the way...
Imagine if Halliburton owned TV stations and "news" outlets and were able to present as news their choice of stories and perspective....
The cozy relationship of such a powerful company which gets government contracts and received a federal bailout to the President should make Americans more than uncomfortable. General Electric as a corporation was convicted of attempting to defraud the government and now appears to be actively involved in influencing government once again for its own benefit.
The Obama administration is planning put in place regulations for new “Cap and Trade” laws regarding carbon emissions would could potentially bring in revenues approaching $700 billion to GE.
Up until about 2006, GE was contributing about equal amounts of cash to Democrats and Republicans. But all that changed when CEO Jeffrey Immelt decided in 2008 to give an all out effort for Barack Obama by doubling the millions contributed to the Democratic party. Not just lobbying expenditures and corporate donations were increased, but also contributions from individual employees of GE were dramatically increased allowing GE to also became a double Santa Claus for the Democrats elected officials, PACs, and allied causes. Almost every Congressional Committee itself is specifically targeted for donations by individual employees and PAC s supported by GE. Twenty-five of Washington’s most elite lobbying firms which are on the GE payroll have nearly instant and unrivaled access to the White House or Democratic Congressional leaders.
Literally 24 hours a day GE commentators like Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann unabashedly and self admittedly promote the Obama agenda on MSNBC which is owned by GE as is NBC and the CNBC business channel. Although the low ratings and financials for the broadcasting arm may not be self-sufficient, the federal bail-out and government contracts of the parent company, GE, allows salaries in excess of 5 million dollars per year plus bonuses to be paid to their broadcasting commentators. Recently the New York Post reported that CEO Jeffrey Immelt and NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker were critical of CNBC commentator, Rick Santelli, for “Obama” bashing which many have said confirms the official corporate policy of unwavering unconditional Presidential support.
Obama has introduced a plan to computerize all health records within five years. Independent studies from Harvard, Rand Corp. and the Commonwealth Fund have estimated that such a plan could cost at least $75 billion to $100 billion over the next 10 years. Healthymagination is readying just such a technology, claiming that they will seek to "increase the use and capability of electronic medical record (EMR) technology and other information technology." With Mr. Obama's ally Mr. Daschle on board, Healthymagination is sure to have more than a leg up on its competition when it comes time to dole out these massive contracts.
Under the cloak of corporate responsibility, General Electric seeks to benefit to the tune of billions from the passage of Mr. Obama's health care reform.
On its corporate Web site, Healthymagination admits it will use every tool at its disposal to achieve its goals, including NBC Universal, the parent company of MSNBC which offers nearly uncritical coverage of Mr. Obama and his policies.
In effect, NBC Universal would become the propaganda arm of the administrations drive for the nationalization of health care, pushing its passage in its print and television properties.
Healthymagination states its target dates for the completion of its various initiatives as 2015, well into a second Obama term. This means GE will have a deep financial interest in Mr. Obama's re-election; a fact that will no doubt be reflected in its media divisions.
This is silly, textbook propaganda. If you post stuff like this people will attack not only the stuff but you too, for being so gullible.
Should have brought this up like a decade ago when GE was pretty happy with blowing up the Middle East and using their media outlet to push a ****ty war.
This is silly, textbook propaganda. If you post stuff like this people will attack not only the stuff but you too, for being so gullible.
And yet you folks cried outrageously because the white house sent Fox talking points. Imagine if Murdock was on Bush's economic advisory team. Imagine if the owner of the biggest search engine in America straight up told you they were in the tank for Bush. Imagine knowing they control what pops up on the top of the list.
And yet you folks cried outrageously because the white house sent Fox talking points. Imagine if Murdock was on Bush's economic advisory team. Imagine if the owner of the biggest search engine in America straight up told you they were in the tank for Bush. Imagine knowing they control what pops up on the top of the list.
Double standards... gotta love em.
? The key word in your post is is "imagine".
Away from the internet, can you tell the difference between real things and imagined things?
See, the Bush WH DID send Faux talking points (and post-Bush Faux was caught still using Republican press handouts as news as recently as this February). All that did happen. That was real. That part it's okay to believe.
But it's NOT happening with GE and the current WH. That part is NOT real. It's just wishful thinking, on the part of some writer filling in space a blog, to get you easily-led Volk all wound up.
wishful thinking vs. reality... I guess it's a struggle when you want to believe sooooo badly.
GE, the parent company of MSNBC (Y'know, the Chris Matthews tingley leg thing) is headed by Jeffrey Immelt. In the 8 years that he's been in charge, their stock has dropped an astounding 75%, yet not only is his job not in jeopardy, despite doing business with Iran (Y'know the guys that were smuggling weapons into Iraq and killing our soldiers) he's been tagged to be one of Obama's economic advisers. Oh, yeah, GE Capital took bailout money from B.O., so we the tax payers are footing part of Olberman, Brian Williams and Rachael Maddows salaries. How is there not a conflict of interest when a supposed legit news source is indirectly taking money from the guy who they're suppose to be reporting on objectively.
One more case of the same old same old. Nice change.
What am I missing? GE got bailout money from Bush... GE owns MSNBC... that's true. And now you're saying Obama is... what again? Huh?
Stay in your bubble world then, fine by me. But when you come out into the sunlight insisting to rational people that the sky is actually Tartan plaid and no one realizes it but you, you have to be prepared for some ridicule.
GE plans new health care initiative - Yahoo! Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/GE-plans-new-health-care-apf-15151891.html?.v=1 - broken link)
Quote:
GE is hoping to capitalize on government plans to increase spending on health care IT. The Obama administration recently included incentives for medical systems to adopt the digitized patient records as part of the $787 billion economic stimulus package.
Speaking at GE's annual shareholder meeting in Orlando, Fla., following what has been a punishing year for the conglomerate, CEO Jeff Immelt said the downturn was the worst since the Great Depression, and that it would ultimately lead to changes such as greater government involvement in business and a restructuring of the financial services sector that was a root of the crisis.
"We are living through history, and I don't mean that in a positive sense," said Immelt, who heads one of the world's largest companies that makes products like jet engines and refrigerators but also has a big financial unit.
Immelt told investors "2008 was tough and 2009 is also going to be tough." He added that it was hard to predict "how bad this will be and how long" the recession will last.
He tried to assure shareholders that GE has positioned itself for an economic recovery, with a new focus on products that could capture some of what GE estimates is $2 trillion worth of government stimulus spending worldwide. That includes windmills and other clean energy equipment and new health care technology to better diagnose illnesses like Alzheimer's disease.
Quote:
GE Chief Financial Officer Keith Sherin was conciliatory when discussing GE's decision to cut its dividend by 67 percent in March, the first reduction in the quarterly payment since 1938. GE has said the move was needed to save $9 billion per year in cash.
I know let's put him on the economic team at the White House.
It's not my bubble but yours.
Go to any finance page, E-Trade, Yahoo, Google.. etc and look through the news articles. You can make of it what you will. It's hard to ignore government and industry working hand and hand. In the 30's this was treason when JP Morgan tried it... Is that the excuse the torture folks are using, back then it was torture. Are we just trading hypocritical stances with each other because they fit our agenda?
Stay in your bubble world then, fine by me. But when you come out into the sunlight insisting to rational people that the sky is actually Tartan plaid and no one realizes it but you, you have to be prepared for some ridicule.
Rational...lol...
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Imagine if the owner of the biggest search engine in America straight up told you they were in the tank for Bush. Imagine knowing they control what pops up on the top of the list.
sure...
