Off-Topic-Position Statement: Corporate Sponsorship of the GOP Convention https://plus.google.com/+LaurenWeinstein/posts/g5oQVdjdpJk
Many people have asked me how I feel about corporate sponsorship of the upcoming GOP convention. My thinking on this has evolved along with recent events. First, I do not take pleasure in watching the apparent disintegration of the GOP that is now in progress. A strong two-party system (at the very least two strong parties) is critical to democracy. Nor can we dismiss the obvious fact that the GOP convention will be a legitimate news event of significant import, even if growing "Dump Trump" movements do not reach fruition (and their failure is still the most likely outcome at the moment). On the other hand, it seems increasingly likely that the convention's primary purpose will be to anoint a dangerous, fascist, racist, misogynist serial liar and thuggish bully as its nominee to become president of the United States of America, with everything that this implies for control of our nuclear arsenal and the continued existence of human civilization. Perhaps most telling is the stated withdrawal of senior GOP personages -- including all surviving past GOP presidents -- from attendance or participation at the convention. Even Paul Ryan, who would be running the convention, is now telling delegates to "vote their conscience" -- refusing to recommend that they vote for the almost certain nominee. Taking all of this into account, I am concerned that corporate sponsorship of the GOP convention will be used by Donald Trump and the GOP as endorsements of Trump's nomination, irrespective of any statements that firms may make to the contrary. While I originally felt that corporate sponsorship of the GOP convention was responsible and useful in the name of our democratic process, the continuing barrage of racism, hate, and sociopathic behavior demonstrated by Donald Trump, along with the public withdrawal of so many important GOP figures from support of Trump, has caused me to reverse my position on this matter. I now urge total and complete withdrawal of all corporate sponsorship from the GOP convention. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein ([email protected]): http://www.vortex.com/lauren Founder: - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com Google+: http://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein Twitter: http://twitter.com/laurenweinstein Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com I have consulted to Google, but I am not currently doing so -- my opinions expressed here are mine alone. _______________________________________________ pfir mailing list http://lists.pfir.org/mailman/listinfo/pfir
