Profiling Corporate America's Virtue Signalers

Your Corporate Moral Superiors

Superbowl 51 was by far the best football game in Superbowl history, or at least the best one I saw with my very own eyes.  The triumphant come back, the game going into overtime, and the crowning of Tom Brady as the greatest football player ever, made the game historic.  However, Superbowl 51 was historic in another regard - its commercials.  Specifically, never had Superbowl commercials been so political, so biased to the left, and so sopping full of virtue signaling.

At first, imbuing politics into marketing doesn't seem to be a wise strategy.  Politics (regardless of which side you choose) is going to alienate half your potential market.  Politics has no place in selling lumber, cars, or anything else for that matter.  And it's impolite.  People want to watch a game, a show, or some other form of entertainment and needn't their solace and free time ruined with politics.  But Superbowl 51's commercials were merely the latest example of an increasing trend where corporations have been oddly deciding to force politics into their marketing in an attempt to win over customers.

The question is why.

And my question is "who is doing this?"

The "why" is not only easy to answer, but important, because on top of it being annoying to be lectured by sanctimonious corporations, we need to know what's going on behind the scenes and why, all of the sudden, corporations deem it their position to lecture the American public about politics.  Usually that's the domain of politicians, tyrants, activists, and other people aiming to rule over and parasite off of you.  So when corporations do it the hair on the back of your neck should go up out of simple self respect and self-survival.  But what you'll find out is (thankfully) there is no malicious intent on the part of corporations to rule over you, but rather that they are being headed up by idiots who think virtue signaling in marketing is a good idea.  And these people are nothing more than rank, indoctrinated sheep, following their political programming they received in school, and are too stupid and common to pose any intentional threat.

Why?

Understand the phenomenon of leftist virtue signaling politics being imbued into marketing is the unintentional byproduct of socialist political brainwashing Generation X received from academia during their collegiate years in the 90's, and the millennials continue to receive to this day.  I remember it very clearly because I was there when concepts like "diversity" and "going green" were first being shoved down our throats in about 1994 and by 1997 concepts like "Corporate Social Responsibility" were being floated in the business school.  THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND because previous to 1994 such concepts were not part of academia, let alone business school as (presumably) businesses would not be concerned about people's politics, the environment, virtue signaling, etc., as they would be concerned about real world issues such as profits, accounting, marketing, etc.- things that were vital and required to operate a business.  In other words, concepts like diversity, privilege, CSR, etc., had no demand or call for in the real world and were purely the concoctions and creations of worthless theoretical hacks posing as business professors (and professors at large). 

Normally this would not matter as, in theory, Generation X would enter the real world and the cute pet theories of hack socialist professors would be disregarded as the demands of the real world would prove them to be worthless.  But there were three variables that not only allowed such concepts to survive, but become the philosophical bedrock of Generation X and the millennials...and ultimately the corporations they would go on to infect.

Consistency, universality, and time.

It wasn't as if academia called it quits in 1998 when most corporations were balking at the opportunity to set up unnecessary and expensive CSR departments.  Academia and academics continued to preach leftist politics, environmentalism, and feminism in all facets and disciplines in colleges and universities.  And since nearly ALL Gen X'ers and Millennials were being forced to go to college, and since nearly ALL of them were weak-minded sheeple, academia had the perfect host to install their leftist, virtue signaling theories in them over the next 20 years.  And though in 1998 Gen X were mere entry-level plebs in the world of Corporate America, in 20 years time they would rise to the rank of mid, even executive level management....

which is where we are today.

This has resulted in quasi (albeit unconscious) Manchurian candidates in positions of power in the previously non-leftist-infected world of Corporate America.  And since leftists in academia have been consistent, it also means they have successfully brainwashed a consumer generation - the millennials - in that same leftist, feminist, glass ceiling, virtue signaling philosophy.  This is only made worse for the fate of the country by two facts.

1.  The life philosophy Gen X and the Millennials have is of zero value to themselves and society.  Normally college and education, certainly the real world, would have taught them a skill, a work ethic, production and the importance of producing something of value for society.  This would lead to economic growth, progress, advancement, and increased standards of living.  However, leftist virtue signaling has no value whatsoever.  It is a zero-calorie life philosophy where simply advocating and "signaling" the politically correct and approved positions is deemed enough to replace real purpose and agency in life.  And since it takes absolutely NO EFFORT OR LABOR to do, it is the preferred religion and life ideology of the weak minded.

This is why it's no surprise most Millennials have no meaningful form of employment, no meaningful lives, no real future life plans, and no meaningful people in their lives.  It's also why Gen X is just now finally paying off their student loans, maybe recovering from the housing crisis, are nowhere near where their WWII counterparts were at this age, and are just as good at divorce as their Baby Boomer predecessors.  You have two full generations of wasted crops that are of zero value to society.

But, understand through their eyes it's all OK and all is forgiven because of their effortless and laborless belief in...

choose your flavor of virtue signaling

I'm going green
I recycle
the glass ceiling
I'm for equality
I'm for the poor
I'm for the old
I'm for the children
I'm against white males
I have white guilt
I acknowledge my privilege
Diversity
etc. etc. etc.


2.  Bar the Baby Boomer generation and what remnants of the WWII generation remain, the entire country is thoroughly steeped and indoctrinated in this new and worthless religion.  The academic left has successfully convinced a majority of the population that their mere, pathetic, and ultimately worthless political beliefs are a substitute for genuine work, accomplishment, achievement, sacrifice, agency, purpose, and love for their fellow man.  It is a religion so thorough, and so universal, that likes, political positions, and political posturing are more important than having a job, having a family, and having respect for yourself.  And so, now that real purpose and reason in life has been replaced with a leftist religion, and most of these people literally have nothing else in life, it makes pandering and virtue signaling to leftists the perfect marketing tool for Corporate America.

In short, it is no different than the US interstate system.  The academic left has (I still believe unintentionally) laid down a system, a philosophical/religious infrastructure of which now the majority of the population subscribes to and drives on.  And no matter how worthless, wrong or damaging, there is an economies of scale efficiency to take advantage of it, and Corporate America, now headed up by true believers itself, is fully intending to do so.  Ergo it doesn't matter that politics does NOT belong in advertising.  It does not matter that socialist policies are antithetical to corporate profits.  It doesn't matter that you'll risk alienating whites, males, or legal citizens, or even the sovereignty of the country itself.  It's a religion believed from the heads of CSR and marketing departments, all the way down to the 6 year old getting his or her first dose of leftist political indoctrination by his politically correct teachers about global warming.

Who?

So who are these people now heading up corporations, fully intending to avail themselves of the leftist indoctrination highway infrastructure?  Are they evil masterminds?  Are they the next generations of George Soroses?  Are they cutting edge visionaries who have insights into the minds of the American public nobody else has?

Unfortunately, no.  It's quite the opposite actually.  There's very little individuality, intelligence, and visionary thinking going on.  It's nothing but a bunch of mindless conformists who have the same worthless marketing and diversity degrees, spewing the same bland "pro-diversity" "you go girl" pablum they've been programmed to since the 90's.  There's nothing new, there's nothing unique, and it's damning proof corporate America, especially under Gen Xer's leadership, are plumb fresh out of ideas, innovation, or intelligence. 

Ergo we can reliably predict the boring demographic profile of this herd of sheep.  They're predominantly Gen X.  They're predominantly in worthless soft fields such as marketing, general business management, (or blatantly political and worse), CSR, or "diversity."  Very few if none will be actual producers (engineers, accountants, doctors, etc.).  And if there's any availability of their politics, you'll find them to have the politically correct and approved leftist political beliefs their indoctrinators told them to have in the 1990's.  Alas, when we compile a list of marketing, CSR, HR, and (heaven help you if your wasting the shareholder's money on this) "diversity" heads of companies that are the most ardent of corporate virtue signalers, you will clearly see the trend and understand why corporations have decided to lecture you about politics.

Salesforce.com

If you don't know about Salesforce.com, that's alright, it's an unprofitable firm that has never turned a profit.  However, Salesforce.com did make news when it's CEO, Marc Benioff, announced it would create a CEO position.  Not a "Chief Executive Officer" position, but a "Chief EQUALITY Officer" position.  Here, the new "CEO" is not the actual virtue signaling culprit (he's actually quite an accomplished gentleman from Microsoft), but Marc Benioff himself.  If you look at his background, again, Gen X, general business degree, a sales and marketing background, and his resume speaks more about changing society than...well...turning a bleeping profit.  Again, his politics of virtue signaling is more important than reality, a triumphant accomplishment of the left.

Lumber 84

Though on the cusp of Gen X/Young Baby Boomer, Maggie Hardy Magerko - now CEO of Lumber 84 - is the one responsible for the blatantly pro-illegal alien, anti-US sovereignty ad that (I personally hope) bankrupts Lumber 84.  Though she claims she is pro-Trump and didn't think the commercial would be controversial, again she fits the profile.  A milquetoast degree in "business administration," an older Gen X'er, and the luxury of not having to live in the real world because she inherited the company from her father.

Target

Who can forget Target and their "can-see-it-from-a-million-miles-away" virtue signaling when it came to transgendered bathrooms?  There was no problem to solve.  Transgendered people had been using bathrooms just fine for years with no major complaints or problems.  But that's not enough for Target's corporate virtue signaling culture.  They needed to do something, and damn the shareholders' profits if we have to!


The truth is Target has always been on the forefront of corporate virtue signaling.  If you shop there you'll be reminded constantly that they donate 5% of pre-tax profits to the community.  You'll also be reminded of diversity as nearly all of their models are not white (even in the whitest parts of Minnesota), their CSR department looks like a 1990's Burger King Kids Club rainbow coalition special, and though not personally responsible for Target's unrivaled track record in virtue signaling, their "Executive Vice President and Chief External Engagement Officer" - Laysha Ward - is the epitome of what this article is talking about.  Journalism degree, "Masters in in Social Work," and a resume of touchy feel good non-profit "work" that hasn't done a single thing to genuinely help minorities or women.  Then again, Target is not interested in genuinely helping minorities and women.  They are interested, however, in virtue signal marketing to the equally brainwashed, suburbanite sheeple Gen X soccer moms so as to get them to buy an indulgence from "Diversity Rich Target" to forgive them of their white guilt.

Coca Cola

Coke, like Target, has been an early adapter corporate virtue signaler.  Though not explicitly political in their ads, their ads always had the leftist kumbaya, hipster, hippie, ski-bum-parasite, globalist feel to it.  So one cannot personally blame Coke's new marketing director - Melanie Clark - for their historical track record.  But Ms. Clark's background again precisely fits the profile.  Gen X, worthless BA in business administration, a masters in "marketing," and the obligatory conferred (and many) "women's awards" in any modern day woman's CV.  She may not have come up with Coke's "America the Beautiful" Super Bowl ad, but I'm sure she'll come up with something similar next year.

Audi

Now sit down, because I don't want to shock you, but have you ever heard of this before?  This "glass ceiling?"

Have you heard of it?

There's also this thing called "the wage gap."

I know!  Crazy stuff!  Who's EVER heard of these things before???

But just incase you HAVEN'T heard of these things before...constantly....repeatedly...for the past 20 years, don't worry!  Loren Angelo of Audi is here to remind you.

In charge of Audi's American marketing I surmise he is ultimately responsible for reminding Americans (again) of just how oppressed and bad women have it here in the US.  He's also here to remind you men that you are personally responsible for this oppression because you oppress American women everyday. And if you didn't know that, don't worry, Audi's latest Super Bowl commercial will remind you.  He may have gotten help from Christine Gaspar, Audi America's HR/Diversity head (replete with liberal arts degree), but the point is moot.  Both fit the profile previously established.

Worthless degrees (marketing, psychology).
No real production (sales, non-profits, soft sciences, no calculus)
Gen X

and (given the dislike ratio on Audi's Super Bowl commercial)

a preference for their prescribed politics from the 90's over reality, profits, and courtesy not to lecture people about politics.

Lyft

And finally there's Logan Green.  I don't want to incriminate the innocent hard working men and women of Lyft when this epitome of Corporate Virtue Signaling is such a virtue signaler he needs a cape, but Logan Green is everything this article is about. 

A worthless degree in economics, a background in public sector transportation work, he simply got lucky with the technology allowing him to form the second largest, and not profitable, ridesharing company.  But what angers me is the intellectually dishonest shenanigans Lyft played on Uber when Uber made a tweet that surge pricing was turned off during a taxi cab strike at an airport so its clients would know they could still get to the airport.  You want to talk about lack of innovation, creativity, or just plan inability to come up with a superior service, and then substituting a virtue signaling arms race in its stead?  I give you the poster child of Corporate American Virtue Signaling - Logan Green. 

Follow the Corporate CSR Virtue Signaling Road

We could go on, and there will certainly be no shortage of future corporate virtue signaling in the future, but if you want to understand why corporations find it their right to moralize and lecture you about politics, merely trace who is in charge of their marketing, HR, CSR, or diversity departments.  Chances are you will see robotic, Gen X, Manchurian candidates forcing their politics into the operations of the firm because they literally do not know any better.  I don't care what degrees they have from whatever "prestigious" business school, they are automatons who lack the ability to think, and because of this default to the programming they received by socialist social engineers in the 90's.  Instead of coming up with genuinely creative marketing campaigns, or (here's a crazy thought) coming up with products people will willingly pay for, they unimaginatively resort to relying on the leftist-virtue-signaling-infrastructure that has been laid down for the past 20 years.  The only REAL way to get these moralizing crusaders and proselytizers to stop is to stop buying their products, boycott them, and do it en mass enough that the executives have to choose between their 90's political-religion or bankruptcy.

Of course that would require independent thought...
And of course, self-respect...
And a spine to inconvenience yourself not to buy a Starbucks coffee...
Which most non-leftist people don't have...
And most of the population is brainwashed into the religion of Virtue Signaling...
And the schools are still mass producing these virtue signaling sheep...

So never mind.  Expect Super Bowl LII's ads to be just as insulting, degrading, and moralizing as Super Bowl LI.  And for the rest of you who do have the slightest modicum of independent thought and self-respect, Enjoy the Decline!
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Don't Act White

Mercy god almighty in heaven above.  Don't act white.

How to Recon Denver

A client of mine wanted to know if he had only 2 weeks to do his Reconnaissance where should he go and what should he do.  Because of his personal tastes and preferences we came up with a general game plan on how to tackle the US (in pieces), but I compiled a very specific itinerary that I thought would be of use and benefit to any young man or woman out there curious about the Denver area and PRECISELY how to get the most out of exploring the area in 2 weeks.

Admittedly the schedule is aggressive (cough cough - unless you're me - cough cough) and you're not stopping to look and smell the roses, but it is the most efficient and optimal way to see South Dakota, Wyoming, parts of Utah, and Colorado if you are interested in HQ-ing out of Denver and seeing all that is within a 2 week road trip.

Regardless, if you are a young person and you don't know what you want to do for a living or what to major in, I cannot recommend exploring this country FIRST and finding out where you belong BEFORE committing yourself to a 4, 6 or 8 year educational commitment.   It's why I wrote the book Reconnaissance Man so you don't waste your lives like we older folk did.  Trust me, it's worth every penny, and if you're lazy and don't like reading it's available in audible so you can listen to it while you explore the country.

Day One

Land in Denver in the morning.  Hi-tail it to Wall, SD.  If you get there in time to do the Badlands National park north rim and the sun is out DO IT.  It will save you a day.  ALSO BUY THE NATIONAL PARKS PASS.  It’ll cost $100, but will be cheaper given the number of parks you’ll be going to.

Day Two

Do the Badlands National Park Rim if you haven’t already.  Then head to Keystone via Rapid City.  Just outside of Keystone is Mount Rushmore.  Your national park pass should work there as well, but don’t dither.  Just look at the guys, say hi, and move on.  They don’t put on a show.  You will then backtrack back down the mountain towards Keystone and hang a right on 16A going to Iron Mountain look out.  This is some of the best curvy road driving in the country.   Keep an eye open for the South PlayHouse Road.  Hang a right there and if you get lost you are aiming for the Black Hills Playhouse which is a shitty theater in the forest.  Then hang a right on hwy 87.  This will take you through the back door to the Cathedral Spires, the Needles, and past Lake Sylvan where the trailhead to Harney’s peak (the highest peak in the Black hills) is.  If you want to hike Harneys peak I’d recommend it, but you may have to postpone your travels for a day.  Regardless, BECAUSE YOU WENT IN THE BACK DOOR TO THIS STATE PARK YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE PASS TO BE THERE.  SO IF YOU WANT TO HIKE HARNEY”S PEAK YOU NEED TO DRIVE PAST SYLVAN LAKE TO THE RANGER STATION, PULL A U-y, GET A PASS, AND PARK BY SYLVAN LAKE.  However if you don’t have the time or inclination, just drive through and IF you get stopped (you won’t) save you were told in Keystone by a bartender to take the “16A” route to Sylvan lake and “you didn’t know there was a fee” because “you’re just two dumbasses from New York.”

Regarldess, continue to take 87 all the way down to 385 which you will take all the way up to Deadwood.  Park, pay the meter, and walk around downtown and gamble a bit if you want.  There is the ONLY cigar lounge in that area in Deadwood.  But after a couple games of black jack and some marginal food you’ll want to move on. 
Here you’ll have the option to go to Sturgis if your dad really wants to see it.  It’s nothing exciting, so don’t dilly dally.  But regardless of whether you go to Sturgis or not, you will have to head back the way you came to dead wood to Lead, staying on Alt 14/85 to a crossroads called Cheyenne Crossing.  Hang a right here on 14A/ “Spearfish Canyon Rd” and drive that ALLLL the way down to the town of Spearfish.  Here, you’ll hook up back to the interstate and drive to Buffalo where I recommend you stay at the Occidental Hotel, but one of the cheaper ones will suffice.  “Dave” is the older gentleman who runs the place.  Tell him “Aaron the dance instructor” sent you guys and pony up to the bar you won’t find another like it. 

Day Three

Here, you will need to check weather and road conditions in Wyoming.  Specifically if BEAR TOOTH PASS is open.  If it isn’t, your goal will be to go Yellowstone national park and Grand teton’s national park via 14.  If not, then I’d recommend spending time in the Big Horn mountains specifically Crazy Woman Canyon, Ten Sleep Canyon, and going up to Sheridan.  Still, “ideally” you’ll wake up early and be prepared because you’ll have about 16 hours of traveling ahead of you.

Out of Buffalo, go over the Big Horn mountains to Tensleep.  You will go through Ten Sleep Canyon.  It is worth it.  Go north out of Worland to Greybull hang a left on 14 and take that to Cody.  You will go north on 120, but your goal is to go via Chief Joseph’s Highway (Dead Indian Hill road) to Bear Tooth Pass Highway (also 212).  Go right on 212 to a town called Red Lodge, Montana.  The pass down will probably be the coolest thing you see on this entire trip until Moab.  So pray the pass is open.
Fuel up in Red Lodge, turn around, go back up the pass, back to Cody, right/west on 14 again into Yellowstone Park.  Drive around, take some pictures of buffalo and hot springs, but don’t take too long or the sun will set and you won’t see the Grand Tetons.  Regardless, take 14 to 191 south into Grand Teton’s National park and Jackson, where I recommend you stay. 

Day Four

If you haven’t seen the Grand Tetons, go back north on 191, look at them, say “wow” and get your asses back in the car going south.  You will drive to Grand Junction, Colorado, taking 191 south through Rock Springs and Vernal Utah (use your GPS/phone).  This route is more scenic and you have the option to stop at Dinosaur National Monument which is optional, but pretty cool.  You will want to stay in Grand Junction because it’s going to be a HELL of a lot cheaper where you’re going next – Moab, Utah.  Still, if there’s daylight, I’d recommend driving through Colorado National Monument (national park pass should pay for itself by now) and getting a hotel in Grand Junction for the evening.

Day Five

You will drive to Moab Utah, but you will NOT go the most direct route.  You ABSOLUTELY MUST take the alternative back road called 128.  You will not regret this drive.  It will bring you to Moab, and you should have plenty of time to drive through Arches National Park as well as my favorite park, Canyonlands National Park.  Unless you and your dad TOTALLY PREPARED for some major hiking, just drive through and look at the parks.  There’s not much else to do.  You absolutely must drive to the end of Grand Point view road AND if you are courageous enough, drive the switchbacks down on Schafer Canyon Road.  Drop the money and spend the night in Moab even though it will be pricey.

Day Six

There are three parts to Canyonlands National Park.  The first one being up north by Moab.  Another one located to the south where the entreance to the park is on 191 and 211.  It’s worth driving there and doing a little hiking if you feel like it, but your next stop after exploring this area a little bit will be Cortez, Colorado.  Cortez isn’t that far away so if you want to recoup or just explore Moab some more, go ahead.  But if you get to Cortez and there’s enough sun out, you must hike at least a little bit of “Canyon of the Ancients”  The trailhead is several miles west of Cortez on Road “G.”  Keep driving, there’s a big sign on the north side of the road that marks it.  Hike up those trails and you’ll see scores of ancient Ute Indian adobe dwellings from the 1100’s.  You can see the same thing for $25 and a 2 hour round trip, with a MANDATORY PAIN IN THE ASS PARK RANGER CHAPERONE at Mesa Verde National Park to the east of Cortez which is a royal pain in the ass and not that impressive.  Ergo, I strongly recommend Canyon of the Ancients over Mesa Verde

Day Seven

Drive from Cortez to Durango, then north to Ouray.  More majestic mountains, AGAIN CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE PASS IS CLEAR.  From Ouray, your goal will be to hit Black Canyon National Park.  You can’t really hike it because they are 1,000 foot sheer cliffs, but they’re amazing to look at.  After an hour or so there, drive to Colorado Spring OR if you want to just sit and chill in a mountain/white water rafting/microbrew/pothead town crash in Salida. 

Day Eight

Pikes Peak.  Just outside Colorado Springs.  Again, make sure it’s open, pay the $10 and drive to the top.  I would also maybe check your oil and brake pads before driving up it.  After that I’d head back to Denver where you will HQ for the rest of the trip.

Day Nine

Rocky Mountain National Park.  To be truthful, you will have seen much nicer mountain ranges than what Rocky Mountain National Park offers, but you got that park pass so you might as well use.  Additionally, Hallett Peak is a “doable” peak assuming you get there early enough and your dad and you don’t die from altitude sickness.

Days 10-14

After that, that is the MAJORITY (though not all) of the major sites to see out in Colorado, Wyoming, parts of Utah, and South Dakota.  Obviously if you rush it you will do it in about 9 days, but you’ll obviously want to rest up or just explore some areas more than what the mad dash schedule recommends.  Since you’d likely be looking for work in Denver, I’d spend a little more time in the town just to get to know it even though it may not be as exciting.  Regardless, here are some day time trips to consider:

Hanging Lake hike
Black Hawk (casinos, small town)
Cigars on 6^th (Denver)
Golden (nice town, they have the Colorado School of mines, worth considering for career option)
Rocky Mountain National Park
Fort Collins downtown

And a billion miles of hiking trails off of the Rockies. 

Are Millennial Women Salvageable?

Some are.  Most aren't.  Plan accordingly and prepare to enjoy the decline.

Do Tomorrow's Online Shopping TODAY

because you are not a procrastinator.  Do you Amazon shopping through Cappy's Amazon Affiliate program.

Curse Free Episode with Special Guest Host Mitch Berg

Mitch Berg sits in for the Captain today on this CURSE FREE EPISODE.  It's curse free because Mitch is old and is of higher moral caliber than Cappy.  Mitch also is a real radio show host at AM 1280 The Patriot and author of the book "Tru LBRT" which Cappy highly endorses.

Regardless, tune into The Clarey Podcast where Mitch discusses Mitch-like things and consider buying Mitch's book.

Trump Meeting Reagan Poster

Apparently this is selling off the shelves.

The Future of the US Economy

I was interviewed by Rocking Mr. E on his Philosochat podcast where we discussed the post Obama economy and what we though the future economy of the US looks like:

Revolutionizing Retirement

Was on Kerry Lutz's show wherein I offer a taste of my upcoming book/essay that aims to revolutionize retirement.  Most of my readers will NOT need this book if you've already incorporated the importance of your fellow man in your life.  But if you are looking for a new way to retire and still spend more than you'd like you may want to tune in and buy the book when it comes out.

Cappy On PhilosoChat Today!

250PM Central Standard Time with Rockin Mr. E!

Day Without Women March, Just Like the Oscars

Didn't know it was happening till it was over.

And didn't these broads already have a March like last month?

Why Taxing Robots is Stupid

Much like Ben Carson delved into a world he didn't know what he was talking about where he claimed slaves were immigrants, Bill Gates, like many IT moguls, decided to stupidly wander into a world he knows nothing about - economics.  In a video Gates advocated "taxing robots" as a means to assuage people over their irrational concern that robots are going to replace them and steal their jobs.  This tax would be used to finance charitable, social work, and other humane type jobs, such as helping the elderly, the poor, and the children, and would create the jobs needed to replace the ones lost to the robots.  But while the idea seems nice and there are some elements that could work, the idea is childlike, naive, and ignorant as (like most idealistic leftist poppycock) it ignores real world economics.

First, how would you tax the robots?  Would it be a sales tax on robots purchased?  Would it be on their production?  Would there be a stamp tax?  I certainly don't put it past the governments (state, federal and local) to choose the worst (or all) of these means by which to tax robots, but if you thought about it there's already a tax in existence to tax robots.

The corporate income tax.

If a robot replaces human labor for a fraction of the cost, then the labor expense of corporations would go away.  These DRAMATICALLY increased profits would be taxed at the 40% statutory rate in the US, resulting in a boon to state and federal corporate tax revenues.  In other words, the tax to tax robots already exists.

But there are two subset problems arising from this fact.

1.  Since the robot tax is already in place, that means NOTHING has to be done. Normally, a logical person would say, "Great!  The problem will solve itself!  No work required on our end.  Corporate income tax revenue just goes up for the government and they take those proceeds and create some make work jobs with them!"  But politicians and aging virtue signalers (like Mr. Gates) need to "do something" to show they care, they're good people, and to win votes.  Why, they just can't let a problem solve itself!  They need da feelz and da gimmedatz.  So I'm afraid an increase in the corporate tax rate or (worse) and additional tax (resulting in additional costs and burden to the system) on robots would be unnecessarily implemented.

2.  I don't know if you noticed this, but (especially) leftist corporations like Google and Apple like to ship their taxes overseas using corporate inversions and other tax loopholes while hypocritically claiming to be good "corporate socially responsible citizens."  And I'm sure if I looked into Mr. Gates personal taxes and Microsoft's, they're actively engaged in hiring tax accountants and lawyers to lower their tax bills as well.  Unless you were to effectively close these loopholes to ensure increased corporate profits due to the elimination of labor costs could be taxed, these virtue signaling lefty corps (as the rest of them) will merely squirrel away their profits offshore resulting in no funds to create new-make-work-warm-fuzzy-jobs according to Gate's plan.

A second simple question I have is "what if China doesn't implement a robot tax?"  This question is preciously moot because the robot argument is being precisely paralleled in China in terms of our, oops, sorry their manufacturing and labor force, but humor me anyway.

What if China decides not to tax their robots?

Assuming the US adds an ADDITIONAL robot tax beyond letting the corporate tax rate capture increased profits OR they increase corporate taxes for virtue signaling reasons, corporations will simply do what they've been doing since Clinton.  They'll ship their manufacturing facilities and robots overseas where they'll not only be able to keep more profits, but enjoy lower production costs as well.  The trade balance will worsen (for the US anyway) and no free happy warm fuzzy wuzzy money for make-work-touchy-feely-jobs will exist for Americans.

The point is any country willing not to tax their corporations or robots will have a HUGE manufacturing edge over the United States.  But, as I eluded to before, this argument is moot because nothing is physically produced in the US anyway.

And finally, BGI or "basic guaranteed income."

I do like Bill Gate's (or whoever really came up with it) idea because there is a seed of truth to it.  Robots would free up American labor to pursue easier, loftier, and more noble professions.  The only problem with this is that this runs right into the face of human nature.  Humans don't want to work with the elderly, help with the children, or do whatever charity work.  They don't want to work period.  This is why the left is arguing for a BGI or basic guaranteed income and NOT work programs.

If you haven't noticed this in the past 60 years, then you truly do have your head in the sand.  Humans, and especially Americans, do not want to work.  It is their nature, it is in their genetics, the majority of humans prefer to be lazy and collect a check.  Ever since the Great Society multiple generations and millions of people have chosen to sit on their asses collecting a government check when they could have easily gone out and volunteered at a hospital, donated time to a school, or offered their idle labor to some other such noble cause.  And while Bill Gates dreams of chocolate rivers, lollipop trees, and an army of people recently-laid-off-by-robots working non-profit jobs to help out society, the truth is these people would rather sit on their asses and play XBox and watch Cowboy Bebop.

Now the argument can and will be made that these new jobs would be JOBS.  They would be financed by new government monies arising from the Robot Tax, and if you wanted the money you would have to apply and work.  And in a normal, evil racist sexist Ward Cleaver 1950's world of American logic, yes, that would be true.

But understand the people's wishes trump logic, reality, and reason.  And the left is not arguing for make work jobs.  They're arguing for BASIC GUARANTEED INCOME, which is indeed a gubmit check to sit on their asses.  And to appease these people in order to get their votes, leftist politicians will NOT require people actually work to get these monies and so the elderly will continue to rot in nursing homes, the children remain un-mentored, and the poor untrained and untended. 

This, sadly, is the main reason why Bill Gate's cute little dream will not work.  It's not the taxation problems.  It's not the international competition from foreign countries problem.  It's the fact Americans are lazy and would rather let their neighbor WWII vet starve and collect a BGI check, because working for a "Robot Tax Public Works Touchy Feely Jobs Program" check would be...well...work.

Alas, if you want to work in this upcoming brave new world, I suggest you take a lesson from the Simpsons:

"The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots"

Enjoy the decline.
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Vital Advice Before Men Turn 30

Trust the ole Captain when he tells you this, I don't care which one you buy, but just buy one.  You're going to save a lot of time and agony and pain and tears yanking out nose hairs while driving down interstate.

No no!!!  TRUST YOUR ELDERS!  And if you don't believe me, I guarantee you every older man who bought one of these will vouch for them in the comments section.

Help me, help you!!!  Seriously, a degree in chemical engineering won't even come close to providing the ROI that a good pair of nose trimmers does.

Episode #190 Special Guest Host Oshay Jackson

Oshay Jackson sits in for the Captain while he focuses on writing. Oshay talks about personal finances, avoiding becoming a wage slave, education, advice for black men, and more from his bachelor pad in Poland.

Visit Oshay's site - www.youtube.com/channel/UCueWAuV35HS-pkoKt0rmhbA

Direct MP3 link.

RSS feed here.

"Gen Z" Will Not Save the US

It was twenty years ago and I remember very clearly my realtor friend having hope.

What was this hope, you ask?

Well it was hope that the-then upcoming generation of youngsters were showing signs of conservatism.  That based on some study or another, or perhaps a poll he read, these young men and women would turn back and undo all the leftist poppycock our generation enacted in our young adulthood.  It was only due to Newt Gingrich that we defeated Hillarycare (look it up, it was a thing), and thankfully, right around the corner, was this generation chock full of Reaganauts ready to bring us back to the glorious 40's and 50's.

That generation he spoke of was the millennials.

Fast forward twenty years to today and a similar conversation is being held amongst hopeful and naive conservatives.

Why, did you hear!!??  This "Gen Z" is the most conservative generation since the WWII generation!  They don't have tattoos and they don't like abortion!  They don't even like sex!  By gum!  We're going to see those glorious Eisenhower-Leave It to Beaver-Nuclear Family days again!  And look!  Here!  Here's a study!  A STUDY!!!  See that!  It says Gen Z is conservative so it must be true!

And so, it seems high time for the Ole Captain to dust off the "Bat of Reality" and start beating people over the head with it.

First, realize it was just ONE STUDY.  And we all know just how reliable studies are.  Be it the fact 2/3rds of psychological studies were not able to be repeated, or the more recent exposure that even scientific studies can't be repeated, one study does not mean every conservative should pin their hopes in a generation of children overly-optimistically just as they have Donald Trump.  It's just one study, it doesn't mean anything, and as it just so happens, it's a study done on Gen Z while they're still kids.

This leads to the second point why Gen Z will not save you.  They're kids.

I'm sure there was a seed of truth to my buddy's claim 20 years ago that the Millennials were "the most conservative generation since Hoover!"  I'm sure there was a study, a poll, or something.  But it was done when the millennials were children.  And academia and the school system is NOOOOOOWHERE near done brainwashing your kid's by then.  Matter of fact, the Educational Left saves their most potent indoctrination and brainwashing for college.  And while Little Susie is sent off to college as a good, studious, conservative, even church-going girl, by the time her first summer break rolls around she's a pansexual, white-apologist, liberal arts major whose been on three Slut Walks, 2 pussy hat protests, who hates you because you didn't tell her about the wonders of Karl Marx like her professors did.  So just because they're conservative now, don't think you did a decent-enough job parenting them to inoculate them against the addictive temptation of other people's money socialism.

Related is parenting.

Terribly sorry.  But the quality and caliber of parents who are raising Gen Z are no better than the laughable bunch that raised the millennials.  Younger Baby Boomers are the ones demographics squarely blames for this atrociously parasitic and worthless generation.  But bad as a Baby Boomer Parent-Millennial Child combination is, who do you think is raising Gen Z?

Ward Cleaver?
John Wayne?
Healthcliff Huxtable?

It's Gen X.  The generation that's so stupid that even though they suffered mightily at the alter of divorce, they learned NOTHING from the experience and have the exact same performance, perhaps even worse, than their baby boomer parents.  They're the generation the swallowed whole the going green, organic, OWS, save the whales, fat acceptance, participation trophy BS that millennials have now taken to a whole new level, making it their virtue-signaling-as-a-religion.  If the baby boomers begat the nookie-sucking-as-an-adult, Winona-Ryder-worshipping, Generation X, just what pathetically hopeless filth do you expect Gen X to begat?  Well we will find out with Gen Z, but something tells me they're not going to be landing anybody on Mars any time soon.

Fourth, we don't have to wait to see if the first Gen Z'er to graduate from MIT actually gets us to Mars.  You can see it empirically just watching them.  Just like the millennials, nobody in Gen Z works.  They're all glued to their phones and video games.  And they're declaring majors in the exact same worthless, liberal arts BS that their slightly older millennial brothers and sisters just majored in.  In other words, there is no clear delineation between Millennials and Gen Z'ers, not only because of demographics, but their behaviors haven't changed.  The boys are wimps, the girls are masculine.  They're more doped up on Ritalin and lithium than even the millennials, yet somehow you guys think this generation, made from the EXACT SAME INGREDIENTS is going to turn out any different than the millennials.  You'll be lucky if they don't turn out worse.

And finally racial composition.

The younger you go the higher the percentage of the population that is a minority.  And minorities, no matter what age, tend to vote for more socialism than less.  However, don't think this is largely a minority affair.  White millennials have been shown to be perfectly susceptible to brainwashing and indoctrination to such an extent they are trained to hate themselves and feel guilty for things they haven't done.  But be it minorities that are sociologically predispositioned to vote left, or white kids who are sociologically predispositioned to self-hatred, BOTH are NOT the "independent minded mega-minds" they all claim to be.  Just like Gen X, just like the millennials, they are nothing but sheep.  They will swallow whole the leftist brainwashing just like their predecessors, and you just have to tip your hat to the Educational Left for convincing them that they're "independent minded" students too boot (that truly is a master stroke what you socialists have done there).  Regardless, the success of the left to get kids to view everything in terms of race, and to get white kids to feel guilt for things they're never done, is not only proof to the incredible job the left has done brainwashing these kids, but just what utterly obedient, conformist sheep these kids are.

You add this all up, and I don't care what one poll says, and I don't care that Donald Trump is in the office.  The democrats and the left in this country have laid the seeds for the destruction of the US long ago through its children via the educational system.  And the republicans as still too busy dislodging one anothers' heads from each others' asses to realize they must do the same or at least de-politicize schools to let the US even have a shot as surviving.  Gen Z will prove to be another wasted crop, just like the millennials and just like the Gen X'ers.  And having such futile hope in now 14 year old kids to magically have the wisdom of Milton Freidman or Thomas Sowell is laughable.

Enjoy the decline kids.  Enjoy that freaking decline.
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The Female Sheep Will Do Anything the Media Tells Them

And sadly, I do believe this latest "free the nipple" crusade of the feminists will be the cause d' jour of 2017.  And before you think this is a "good thing" remember only fat, ugly feminists are going to walk topless in public.  Not the hot chick you'd like to see. 

It will be no different than architecture. 

Talentless, lazy, inferior leftists forcing their worthless abominations they'll laughingly call "art" and "beauty" on the rest of society.

You have been warned and oh, by the way, enjoy the decline!

Defeating Weaponized Empathy

Leftists are only parasitic more than they are cowards.  But cowardice being their second most defining trait, you must understand it to understand when they are attacking you.  They mask it in fake kindness while also cowardly hiding behind noble and politically correct purposes, so that when you accuse them of laziness, parasitism, and just plain thievery they can quickly hide behind their noble cause and call you names.

This post delves into this phenomenon more than the above, but reading it would do a lot to advance conservative and libertarian aims to defeat the left than merely, and chicken-shittily say, "No no no!!!  I'm not racist!!!"

Support the Captain This Weekend!

By doing all your online shopping via his Amazon Affiliate program!  Costs you nothing extra, but any purchase you make Cappy gets a 7% commission from Amazon!

So don't touch any icky, gross, "donate" button. This isn't charity!  IT'S CAPITALISM!  Make sure to always use Cappy's Amazon Affiliate program when doing your online shopping!

"When We Rise" Falls

Hmmmm....anti-white, anti-straight, anti-male propaganda fails.

Who knew!

How Governments Made Living So Expensive

and you idiots voted it in.

Why Cappy Will Inevitably Ditch Sound Cloud

Mark Baxter explains, better than I can, why the ole Captain will inevitably be ditching SoundCloud for another podcasting host.  I guess it's just too hard for some companies to keep the lights on.

"Never Date Wiccan Girls" Road Trip Podcast Special

Interstate 25 is closed, which forces Cappy to detour south through Nebraska, forcing him to drive all the way home in one shot.  He decides to do a podcast about driving ferrari's, dating wiccan girls, and long distance road tripping.