Financial Institutions Join Social Media in Purging Political Opponents

 

As commonly predicted, financial institutions are joining social media and server hosts in attempts to punish or exclude Trump supporters. From One America News Network:

Some of the world’s biggest companies said on Sunday they will suspend donations to U.S lawmakers who voted against certifying the election for Joe Biden.

This includes JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, which are two of the biggest U.S. banks. It also includes Marriott, which is the world’s largest hotel company. Additionally, this includes Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which is a federation of 36 independent companies that provide health care insurance. [….]

Other major U.S. companies like Ford and Walmart haven’t paused donations yet, but a Walmart spokesman said they will factor in last week’s events to their review process.

They claim this is about rule of law. So let’s review the law.

Article II of the US Constitution assigns state legislatures (and only the legislatures, not the states generally) the exclusive authority to determine election procedures.

Democrats brought hundreds of lawsuits around the country to force changes to those procedures through the courts, which do not have that authority. Nor do governors.

Citing the pandemic, many appealed to emergency powers. An “emergency” is not merely a dire threat but an imminent one that allows no time for deliberation and debate. States have certainly been capable of resuming the normal legislative process since the summer. There is no emergency. There is no basis for emergency powers that suspend the normal constitutional process of law.

Election procedures were changed without legislative approval in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Those actions violated the US Constitution, not only state constitutions. It was not a local matter for local courts. But the US Supreme Court refused to hear challenges.

The Framers of the US Constitution did not intend for any branch of government to be sovereign over the others. Because the Judiciary shrugged its responsibility to enforce the Constitution, the Legislative branch had cause to explore its own options to respond to those clear violations of Article II.

That is all Ted Cruz and others recommended: a brief delay to explore options and debate. For that, various corporations are now attempting to ostracize and cripple elected representatives.

Those representatives have much more wealth, power, and fame with which to defend than you do. If they can be destroyed, so can you be destroyed.

Tolerance and debate are the way of a free people. If you grant the power to silence your opponents, you grant the power to silence you as well.

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There are 31 comments.

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  1. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    The line to take the loyalty mark begins on the left.

    • #1
  2. Dave of Barsham Member
    Dave of Barsham
    @LesserSonofBarsham

    So, just so I’m clear on it. Companies are now targeting specific politicians because a few Senators wanted to use the existing laws and rules to legally debate issues about the election during a constitutionally prescribed process because they’re a threat to law and order? 

    • #2
  3. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Did they did this to the Representatives that objected to certifying the 2016 election results?

    These “donations” are given in return for . . .?

    • #3
  4. EHerring Coolidge
    EHerring
    @EHerring

    Looks like only Cruz and Hawley are throwbacks to our founders.

    • #4
  5. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Perhaps I have misunderstood what these companies are doing. A friend suggests they are redirecting their own PAC donations, rather than refusing to process donations by others.

    The article claims that Stripes, at least, is refusing to process transactions.

    • #5
  6. Charles Mark Member
    Charles Mark
    @CharlesMark

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge? 

    • #6
  7. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    I don’t think that this is as far off the charts as some things that are going on.  Campaign “donations” (i.e., buying influence) are at the will of the giver.  And we collectively can choose to never stay at a Marriott.

    • #7
  8. DonG (Biden is compromised) Coolidge
    DonG (Biden is compromised)
    @DonG

    I am shocked!  Shocked, that oligarchs are throwing in with the Party of Oligarchs. 

    • #8
  9. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst.  it’s “mete out.”)

    • #9
  10. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Where are all the people calling for Trump’s removal in their high outrage on this? This is far more dangerous to America.

    Crickets

    • #10
  11. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    JoelB (View Comment):

    The line to take the loyalty mark begins on the left.

    You cannot buy or sell, save you have the mark.

    Gosh, that’s familiar. Where have I heard that before?

    • #11
  12. Suspira Member
    Suspira
    @Suspira

    I’ll wait for confirmation from a more trusted news source, but if this report is true, I condemn it. I think Hawley and Cruz were way out of line, but financial institutions making value judgments is a worse move.

    • #12
  13. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    1. Silence the opposition.
    2. Declare unity.

    Brilliant.

    • #13
  14. Bill Nelson Inactive
    Bill Nelson
    @BillNelson

    Misleading. No, deliberate fabrication.

    Article II

    Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct

    The legislature can establish laws, which they do, and they also usually establish election boards and much is pushed to the counties. State courts adjudicate issues. But the constitution does not direct those state legislatures on how the electors are chosen.

    And in none of the courts had the Trump campaign provided evidence supporting their case. And the cases brought never came close to reflecting the rhetoric being used.

    You have been lied to and you are repeating the lie.

    • #14
  15. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Percival (View Comment):

    1. Silence the opposition.
    2. Declare unity.

    Brilliant.

    That’s a really laughable, tone deaf choice of a “theme,” especially in view of some of his recent comments.

    • #15
  16. Bill Nelson Inactive
    Bill Nelson
    @BillNelson

    Suspira (View Comment):

    I’ll wait for confirmation from a more trusted news source, but if this report is true, I condemn it. I think Hawley and Cruz were way out of line, but financial institutions making value judgments is a worse move.

    People making value judgements to determine who they donate to? Stunning. The end of our liberty.

    • #16
  17. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Bill Nelson (View Comment):

     

    The legislature can establish laws, which they do, and they also usually establish election boards and much is pushed to the counties. State courts adjudicate issues. But the constitution does not direct those state legislatures on how the electors are chosen.

     

    This is equally misleading as it is the courts that often determine the procedures. In the case of federal judiciary, they are unelected, appointed for life, and little more than tyrants.

    • #17
  18. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Bill Nelson (View Comment):
    The legislature can establish laws, which they do, and they also usually establish election boards and much is pushed to the counties. State courts adjudicate issues.

    Pennsylvania state courts do not have the authority to violate the Pennsylvania state constitution, sidestepping amendment procedures. Congressman Mike Kelly et al petitioned the US Supreme Court on those grounds.

    • #18
  19. Suspira Member
    Suspira
    @Suspira

    Bill Nelson (View Comment):

    Suspira (View Comment):

    I’ll wait for confirmation from a more trusted news source, but if this report is true, I condemn it. I think Hawley and Cruz were way out of line, but financial institutions making value judgments is a worse move.

    People making value judgements to determine who they donate to? Stunning. The end of our liberty.

    I was referring to the accusation that banks would not allow donations through their institution.

    • #19
  20. Charles Mark Member
    Charles Mark
    @CharlesMark

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear! 

    • #20
  21. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear!

    I guess that’s possible.  Although autocorrect should certainly know that “mete” is correct.  The problem more people run into is using “till” which passes spell-check, when the correct form is ’til, a contraction of until.  But if you don’t put in the ‘ you might get “corrected” to “till.”

    • #21
  22. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear!

    I guess that’s possible. Although autocorrect should certainly know that “mete” is correct. The problem more people run into is using “till” which passes spell-check, when the correct form is ’til, a contraction of until. But if you don’t put in the ‘ you might get “corrected” to “till.”

    “they could meet out the same treatment”  Possibly.  But if the “treatment” is lunch then perhaps it should have auto-corrected to “meat”.

    • #22
  23. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear!

    I guess that’s possible. Although autocorrect should certainly know that “mete” is correct. The problem more people run into is using “till” which passes spell-check, when the correct form is ’til, a contraction of until. But if you don’t put in the ‘ you might get “corrected” to “till.”

    “they could meet out the same treatment” Possibly. But if the “treatment” is lunch then perhaps it should have auto-corrected to “meat”.

    Unless they’re serving SPAM, which many people insist is not meat.

     

    • #23
  24. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    I spoke with someone in the oil industry whose company relies on Amazon servers. Leftists hate oil. Will that oil company trust the contract or rebuild its own server farm before Amazon suddenly pulls the rug from under it? CEOs tend to lean left, so I’d bet on the former.

    • #24
  25. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Aaron Miller (View Comment):

    I spoke with someone in the oil industry whose company relies on Amazon servers. Leftists hate oil. Will that oil company trust the contract or rebuild its own server farm before Amazon suddenly pulls the rug from under it? CEOs tend to lean left, so I’d bet on the former.

    The oil companies should pull the plug on amazon, literally:  Amazon must get a lot of its power from oil and natural gas power plants.

    • #25
  26. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Via The Blaze

    According to Matze, Parler can no longer process payments with Stripe or American Express, has had its Scylla Enterprise database taken offline, and has even had its employees and volunteers kicked off Slack, preventing them from communicating with each other. 

    Other corporate actions of recent days are mentioned at The Federalist

    One of the Trump campaign’s email service providers suspended the campaign’s account, according to Financial Times reporter Dave Lee. Shopify also banned Trump’s official stores from the platform.

    The purge wasn’t at all limited to Trump himself. It’s also pursuing his supporters. YouTube banned all videos discussing voter fraud. Reddit shut down its Donald Trump subreddit. On Jan. 8, Facebook shut down the Walkaway campaign that shared the stories of people who left the Democratic Party to vote for Trump, and banned every one of the group’s owners from using Facebook.

    The National Association of Realtors instituted a new rule against “hate speech and harrassing speech” which “applies to association members 24/7, covering all communication, private and professional, written and spoken, online and off. Punishment could top out at a maximum fine of $15,000 and expulsion from the organization.” You are probably familiar with how ludicrously leftists commonly define hate and harrassment (like addressing a man by male pronouns). 

    Also

    Former major league pitcher Curt Schilling — an outspoken conservative and supporter of President Donald Trump — on Tuesday claimed that AIG canceled his insurance due to his “social media profile.”

    Forbes management is apparently divided on the concept of tolerance. 

    We will see what next week brings.

    • #26
  27. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Maybe it would help if a few dozen-million people started cancelling those companies?

    • #27
  28. Charles Mark Member
    Charles Mark
    @CharlesMark

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear!

    I guess that’s possible. Although autocorrect should certainly know that “mete” is correct. The problem more people run into is using “till” which passes spell-check, when the correct form is ’til, a contraction of until. But if you don’t put in the ‘ you might get “corrected” to “till.”

    “they could meet out the same treatment” Possibly. But if the “treatment” is lunch then perhaps it should have auto-corrected to “meat”.

    I have a better than 90% winning rate in Scrabble, but sometimes I struggle with keyboards!

    • #28
  29. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear!

    I guess that’s possible. Although autocorrect should certainly know that “mete” is correct. The problem more people run into is using “till” which passes spell-check, when the correct form is ’til, a contraction of until. But if you don’t put in the ‘ you might get “corrected” to “till.”

    “they could meet out the same treatment” Possibly. But if the “treatment” is lunch then perhaps it should have auto-corrected to “meat”.

    I have a better than 90% winning rate in Scrabble, but sometimes I struggle with keyboards!

    Oh, I didn’t comment on the typo, and didn’t mean any ridicule.  I as just making fun of the incompetent autocomplete.

    • #29
  30. Charles Mark Member
    Charles Mark
    @CharlesMark

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear!

    I guess that’s possible. Although autocorrect should certainly know that “mete” is correct. The problem more people run into is using “till” which passes spell-check, when the correct form is ’til, a contraction of until. But if you don’t put in the ‘ you might get “corrected” to “till.”

    “they could meet out the same treatment” Possibly. But if the “treatment” is lunch then perhaps it should have auto-corrected to “meat”.

    I have a better than 90% winning rate in Scrabble, but sometimes I struggle with keyboards!

    Oh, I didn’t comment on the typo, and didn’t mean any ridicule. I as just making fun of the incompetent autocomplete.

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Charles Mark (View Comment):

    So maybe they could meet out the same treatment to anyone who ever took a Court challenge against an election count- or supported such a challenge?

    (psst. it’s “mete out.”)

    Auto-correct, I swear!

    I guess that’s possible. Although autocorrect should certainly know that “mete” is correct. The problem more people run into is using “till” which passes spell-check, when the correct form is ’til, a contraction of until. But if you don’t put in the ‘ you might get “corrected” to “till.”

    “they could meet out the same treatment” Possibly. But if the “treatment” is lunch then perhaps it should have auto-corrected to “meat”.

    I have a better than 90% winning rate in Scrabble, but sometimes I struggle with keyboards!

    Oh, I didn’t comment on the typo, and didn’t mean any ridicule. I as just making fun of the incompetent autocomplete.

    No problem, we’er cule 

    • #30
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