There is still a First Amendment and the people at the Daily Kos should respect that.
Tue Mar 04, 2014 at 02:08 PM PST
Apple Tells Limbaugh and His Ilk to Stick Their Money Where the Sun Don't Shine
Think global warming is a left wing hoax? Apple would like you to kindly f&%# off.
In an annual stockholders meeting last Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook
blew his stack when a member of the National Center for Public Policy
Research requested that the company stop worrying about global warming
since it's not profitable.
The NCPPR is a conservative think tank that--like most of them--believes it's working to save the country from the libruls:
Justin Danhof,
General Counsel for the National Center for Public Policy Research,
rose during the Q and A portion of Apple's shareholders meeting to
antagonize Cook over Apple's efforts toward environmental responsibility.
Those efforts include 3/4 of its facilities (including the Cupertino
headquarters) running on renewable energy sources and Cook's hiring the
former head of the EPA to direct the company's sustainability efforts.
Danhof and the NCPPR spoke up against Apple's environmental stewardship in a prepared statement, claiming the company's approach did not "[promote] shareholder value":
As anyone who listens to the Rush Limbaugh Show on a regular basis knows, Limbaugh spends an inordinate amount of time on his show gushing over Apple products, so much so that there is speculation that Apple may be a secret advertiser on his show.
Limbaugh routinely gives away Apple devices to listeners that are inscribed with his name
But the right wing radio host is also a diehard climate change denier, telling his listeners on a regular basis that anyone who believes in God "cannot believe in man-made global warming":
Or is he nothing more than an unprincipled gasbag who doesn't believe anything that comes out of his own mouth?
Only time will tell.
The NCPPR is a conservative think tank that--like most of them--believes it's working to save the country from the libruls:
Its chairman and president are these two party animals:
The National Center for Public Policy Research is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today's public policy problems. We believe that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Our Proposal highlights an area of concern to all shareholders: Company affiliations that may primarily advance social or environmental causes rather than promoting shareholder value.Those in attendance said that Cook was visibly angry with Danhof:
We are asking the Company to be transparent about its membership in, and payments to, trade groups and outside organizations that are actively promoting top-down environmentalism rather than working to advance shareholder value.
[...]
As shareholders, we object to increased government control over Company products and operations, and likewise mandatory environmental standards. This is something the Company should be actively fighting, not preparing surrender.
Apple should feel free to invest in sustainability where it is doing so with a business rationale – and staying one step ahead of federal regulators falls far short of this duty.
What ensued was the only time I can recall seeing Tim Cook angry, and he categorically rejected the worldview behind the NCPPR's advocacy. He said that there are many things Apple does because they are right and just, and that a return on investment (ROI) was not the primary consideration on such issues.Cook continued
"When we work on making our devices accessible by the blind," he said, "I don't consider the bloody ROI." He said that the same thing about environmental issues, worker safety, and other areas where Apple is a leader.
As evidenced by the use of "bloody" in his response—the closest thing to public profanity I've ever seen from Mr. Cook–it was clear that he was quite angry. His body language changed, his face contracted, and he spoke in rapid fire sentences compared to the usual metered and controlled way he speaks.
He didn't stop there, however, as he looked directly at the NCPPR representative and said, "If you want me to do things only for ROI reasons, you should get out of this stock."
"We do a lot of things for reasons besides profit motive. We want to leave the world better than we found it."After slinking away with its tail between its legs, NCPPR posted a press release entitled "Tim Cook to Apple Investors: Drop Dead." It read, in part
"After today's meeting, investors can be certain that Apple is wasting untold amounts of shareholder money to combat so-called climate change. The only remaining question is: how much?"The public tiff presents a unique quandry for Apple's #1 Right Wing Fanboy Rush Limbaugh.
As anyone who listens to the Rush Limbaugh Show on a regular basis knows, Limbaugh spends an inordinate amount of time on his show gushing over Apple products, so much so that there is speculation that Apple may be a secret advertiser on his show.
Limbaugh routinely gives away Apple devices to listeners that are inscribed with his name
"They're [liberals] perpetrating a hoax. They are relying on their total dominance of the media to lie to you each and every day about climate change and global warming."So will Limbaugh take a hint and quit plugging Apple every chance he gets?
Or is he nothing more than an unprincipled gasbag who doesn't believe anything that comes out of his own mouth?
Only time will tell.
Note: this diary was posted on the Apple story last week.
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Want to do something hold Limbaugh accountable?
Join StopRush! We can use your help in the following ways:
Join: The Flush Rush Facebook community
Visit: The StopRush sponsor database
Tweet: #stoprush Twitter campaign
Fact Check: Limbaugh Lie Debunking Site
Install: ThinkContext StopRush browser extension--notifies you as you browse which companies advertise on Rush
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