Opinion | America's last best hope: Leadership of the U.S. business community

By Augustus K. Yeung

Introduction

Towards the end of World War II, America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, which forced the Asian aggressor to hurriedly surrender.

Now, decades later, a former American president inspired or instigated his followers to violently storm the US congressional Capitol, a sacred place that symbolizes law and order and the seat of the American Constitution, sending shock waves across the "beautiful country" as the Chinese put it, and forcing the nation's intellectuals to come up with ways to save the American democracy.

But how? And who's coming to America's rescue?

Thomas L. Friedman May Have a Way

"On Christmas morning, I woke up early and flipped on CNN, where I found the newscaster toggling among three news stories—two really depressing ones and an amazingly uplifting one."

"The first depressing story was the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. The other was the looming anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Both the threat from the virus and the distorted beliefs about the attack on the Capitol were being fueled by crackpot conspiracy theories circulated by Facebook, Fox News and Republican politicians, writes Thomas L. Friedman. ("To save America, don't dismantle the police or the Constitution". The New York Times. Thursday, January 6, 2022.)

But then there it was—sandwiched between these two disturbing tales—a remarkable story of U.S. and global collaboration to reach a new scientific frontier.

It was the launch at 7:20 a.m. Christmas Day of the James Webb Space Telescope. According to NASA, "thousands of scientists, engineers and technicians"—from 306 universities, national labs and companies, primarily in the U.S., Canada and Europe—contributed "to design, build, test, integrate, launch and operate Webb."

Thank you, Santa! What a gift to remind us that a level of trust to do big, hard things together is still alive on planet Earth. By operating from deep in space, Smithsonian magazine notes, "Webb will help scientists understand how early galaxies formed and grew, detect possible signatures of life on other planets, watch the birth of stars, study black holes from a different angle and likely discover unexpected truths."

"I love that phrase—unexpected truths. We have launched a space telescope that can peer far into the universe to discover—with joy—unexpected truths," writes Friedman.

Watch out for Those Who Worship Alternative Facts

"Alas, though, my joy is tempered by those two other stories, by the fact that here on Earth, in America, one of the two national parties and its media allies have chosen instead to celebrate and propagate alternative facts.

"This struggle between those seeking unexpected truths—which is what made us great as a nation—and those worshipping alternative facts—which will destroy us as a nation—is THE story on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurgency, and for the coming year. Many people, particularly in the American business community, are vastly underestimating the danger to the constitutional order if this struggle ends badly.

If the majority of G.O.P. lawmakers continue to bow to the most politically pernicious "alternative facts"—that the 2020 election was a fraud that justified empowering Republican legislatures to override the will of voters and remove Republic and Democratic election supervisors who helped save the democracy last time by calling the election fairly—then America isn't just in trouble. It is headed for what scientists call "an extinction-level event."

It will be an unraveling from the ground up, as the country, for the first time, is unable to carry out a peaceful transfer of power to a legitimately elected president. Because if Donald Trump and his flock are able in 2024 to execute a procedural coup like they attempted on Jan. 6, 2021, Democrats will not just say,"Ah shucks, we'll try harder next time." They will take to the streets. Who will save us?

The U.S. Business Community, America's Last Best Hope

I think our last best hope is the leadership of the U.S. business community, specifically the Business Roundtable, led by General Motors C.E.O. Mary Barra, and the Business Council, led by Microsoft C.E.O. Satya Nadella. Together those two groups represent the roughly 200 most powerful companies in America, with 20 million employees. Although formally nonpartisan, they lean center-right—but the old center-right, the one that believed in the rule of law, free markets, majority rule, science and sanctity of the nation's elections and constitutional processes.

Collectively, they are the only responsible force left with real leverage on Trump and the Republican lawmakers doing his bidding. They need to persuade their members—now—not to donate a penny more to any local, state or national candidate who has voted to dismantle the police or dismantle the Constitution.

Yes, that's false equivalency. Nothing is as big as the Trump cult's threat to the constitutional order. But it's still relevant. For a lot of Americans, watching a smash-and-grab ransack their local mall and violent crime jump—and then seeing the far-left trying to delegitimize, defund or dismantle their police—is just as frightening as those trying to dismantle their Constitution on the Capitol mall.

I believe many Americans in the center-left and center-right vigorously oppose both, and they think it's a disgrace when progressives tell them not to worry about the first or when Trumpers tell them not to worry about the second.

When you take both seriously, many more people will listen to you on both. Individually, in their hometowns—like mine, Minneapolis—business leaders have effectively pushed back on dismantling the police. Now it is time for America's business leaders to just as forcefully push back on the Trump Republicans trying to dismantle the Constitution.

Why should they risk alienating pro-Trump lawmakers who soon may control both the House and the Senate? Besides love of country?

"Let me put it crassly: Civil wars are not good for business. I live inside one in Lebanon for four years. Corporate America shouldn't be lulled by 2021's profits, because once a country's institutions, laws, norms and unstated redlines are breached—and there is no more truth, only versions, and no more trust, only polarization—getting them back is almost impossible."

Can't happen in America? It sure can. ("To save America, don't dismantle the police or the Constitution." The New York Times. Thursday, January 6, 2022.)

Conclusion

The storming of the U.S. Capitol was more than a civil protest; it was a case of less of or no respect for the Constitution. Something totally unthink of in a country that prided itself on democracy, which has been imposing its brand of democracy on other countries after World War II.

Friedman's suggestion of tapping the business community as a last resource may sound weird. Yet, it may work wonders as the people in this social category wield financial power and resources which the politicians depend on for launching their political campaigns.

However, America's ultimate best bet may turn out to be reconciliation with China, which has been courting America for a stable and long-lasting friendship, freeing the U.S. from the present rivalry so it can strategically focus on the burning issue of national unity at home.

 

The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.

Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:

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