The Unholiest Alliances

  

	Big Tech donations to 2020 campaigns of House antitrust subcommittee members
		Google	Facebook	Amazon	Apple	Microsoft
	David Cicilline (D-RI), chair
	Joe Neguse (D-CO), vice chair	$6,570
	James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), ranking member
	Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Judiciary Committee chair	$8,705	$16,705			$7,515
	Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
	Ken Buck (R-CO)	$5,000
	W. Gregory Steube (R-FL)	$1,000		$2,500		$2,000
	Jim Jordan (R-OH)	$10,000				$2,855
	Kelly Armstrong (R-ND)					$12,300
	Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)					$24,366
	Val Demings (D-FL)		$3,800	$6,000		$2,550
	Jamie Raskin (D-MD)			$4,510	$2,800
	Hank Johnson (D-GA)	$2,500		$1,000		$3,000
	Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA)	$2,101
	Lucy McBath (D-GA)		$12,683
	TOTALS	$35,876	$33,188	$14,010	$2,800	$54,586

Source:  Federal Election Commission Data Released

Even as the House Antitrust Committee took careful aim at the CEOs of the Big Tech companies above in a hearing at the end of July, the links between those asking the questions and the companies under review were uncomfortable to say the least. This contribution chart (from FastCompnay.com) shows how these elected representatives are beholden to the very contributors they seek to question. 

The CEO’s in question, not used to being challenged within the power they have within their own companies and generally in dealing with the world, were pressed into a short five-minute-questioning from each committee members. Applying new-politic-101 – don’t answer any question you don’t want, flatter the person asking the question (e.g., Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s repeatedly saying “what a good” or “interesting” question) and then shift to a rambling distracted alternative statement – most of the CEOs sought to run their time out with uninterrupted diatribes. 

Instead, slamming from the left and the right, the committee members pressed to get simple “yes” or “no” responses. Hamstrung by archaic antitrust laws that seem to protect both organic bigness and a nasty proclivity of these behemoths to use coercion to buyout nascent competitive threats, the fed’s primary antitrust enforcement arm, the Federal Trade Commission has rather dramatically abrogated its responsibility by rubber-stamping virtually every acquisition these mega-corporations made. 

The Democrats were focused on the rather unhidden restraints on trade and the unnatural power that these disproportionately huge corporations wielded in the marketplace, usually to the detriment of true competition and the interests of consumers. They focused on internal memos showing intentions to crush potential competitors. There was a Democrat wind adrift to repair the loose ends of outdated antitrust laws and regulations. 

Republicans, who on the other hand seem to stand in quiet admiration of the huge success of these over-large companies, seemed to embrace the long-discredited Trump-promoted belief that these mega-gatekeepers to media and social media were dedicated to silencing conservative voices. Apparently, fact-checking was not what the GOP wanted to see, and they clearly did not want the release of the fundamental proof of Russia’s continued attempted use of these platforms to influence the election. 

Trump sycophant and seeming idiot non-savant, Ohio House Republican Jim Jordan, loved being the spinner of conspiracy theories and hearing disruptor-in-chief. “When the House Judiciary’s antitrust subcommittee hosted the big tech CEOs earlier this week, the hearing veered off into chaos several times. Each time it was caused by the hysterics of the GOP’s resident attack dog, Jim Jordan of Ohio. 

“Jordan had no obvious understanding of, or interest in, tech antitrust issues, but used his time to harangue the CEOs about their companies’ alleged censorship of conservative viewpoints (an old saw that shows up every time Congress talks to tech)—particularly Google. 

“While questioning Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Jordan accused Google of siding with the World Health Organization over the American people, of backing Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, and generally stifling conservatives’ access to information online. 

“It was a surprising stance from the Congressman, given that Google gave $10,000 to the man’s reelection campaign in 2020, and has been funding him every cycle going back to 2012, according to Federal Election Commission filings. In this hearing, the attack dog truly bit the hand that was feeding him. 

“Despite this, Jordan demanded a commitment from Pichai that Google would not ‘configure its search engine’ to back Joe Biden in the election, and that Google would not use its search engine to silence conservatives. 

“The real fireworks started when Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) who spoke just after Jordan, said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to redirect your attention to antitrust law rather than fringe conspiracy theories.’ Then Jordan exploded, demanding to address the jab from his colleague. He yelled, he waved his arms, he refused to put his mask back on and be quiet. (Google, by the way, contributed just $2,000 to Scanlon’s reelection campaign.) 

“Google’s contributions to Jordan’s reelection campaign are also noteworthy because of recent news about the Congressman. Jordan has been accused of turning a blind eye to the sexual abuse of student wrestlers during his time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The allegations have earned Jordan his oft-used ‘Gym Jordan’ moniker on social media.” Mark Sullivan, writing for the August 1st FastCompany.com. 

The fierce exchange suggests what would happen if both houses of Congress and the presidency shifted to Democratic control. If that should occur, it will most certainly be the result of inane hysterics from representatives like Jim Jordan, blindly backing a failing president who still clings to fabrication, blame and conspiracy theories to support his candidacy. It appears that the electorate is finally tiring of empty rhetoric in the face of a materially declining set of national emergencies, the politicizing of everything, the politics of fostering division, the proclivity to blame without providing substantive solutions, the focus on “self” vs the public good and the chanting of obviously false “facts” hoping that by severe repetition they will become true.

 I’m Peter Dekom, and it’s going to take a combination of dealing with the facts as they actually are, clear and decisively leadership and an unwavering commitment to do what’s best for most… not just our elites … even to have a shot to right this sinking ship we call America.