If Switzerland Can Crack Down on CEOs, Why Not the US?

[freefalldolphin 0]

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Does anyone seriously doubt that, if America had the same national referendum system that Switzerland does, voters in the United States would vote just as aggressively as the Swiss have to curb CEO abuses?

Actually, the 68 percent support for Sunday’s Swiss referendum that gives shareholders broad new powers to curb excessive pay for bankers and corporate executives might well be shy of the mark that the US could hit.

Polls of American voters have regularly shown that over 70 percent favor restrictions on executive compensation, with even self-identified conservatives registering majority support for clamping down on CEOs.

And rightly so. It is not jealousy that motivates concerns about CEO pay. As the AFL-CIO’s Executive Paywatch campaign notes, when CEO pay rises so too does income inequality. In 2010, as the United States emerged from the depths of the Bush recession, a study by University of California economist Emmanuel Saez found that the top 1 percent of Americans captured 93 percent of the growth in income.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/03/04-6

[rushmc 18]

dreamdancer

the answer is because we are not Switzerland
We have the Constitution
The us is less socialist

Come on dreamy
You think anyone does not know it is you?

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[freefalldolphin 0]

Referendums of the People are Socialist? Ok.

[FUDZC 0]

Because America believes in freedom, and if you allow the government to set how much people can earn, then you are not free.

It's a matter for the shareholders to address, if someone is over-paid and under-performing.

Why do some people hate the rich so much?

- Fud

[ryoder 1,381]

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Because America believes in freedom, and if you allow the government to set how much people can earn, then you are not free.

It's a matter for the shareholders to address, if someone is over-paid and under-performing.

- Fud

Uh...read the article;
The law *is* about shareholders controlling the pay, not the government.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[FUDZC 0]

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Uh...read the article;
The law *is* about shareholders controlling the pay, not the government.

I'm confused. If America already has the power to do what the Swiss are passing, then why is he asking why we can't do what the Swiss are doing? If we already are, then the question in nonsensical.

-Fud

[DougH 270]

We crack down on the John Rich sock puppets. Where is the even treatment.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[piisfish 135]

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Because America believes in freedom, and if you allow the government to set how much people can earn, then you are not free.

It's a matter for the shareholders to address, if someone is over-paid and under-performing.

Why do some people hate the rich so much?

- Fud

well we did have our share of "too big to fail" companies who DID fail, wree saved by goverment money (which is basically MY tax money), and then have a distribution of bonuses, golden handshakes etc whch are equal or superior to government help.
So fuck them. If they fail, they don't deserve bonuses and shit from people who struggle to live honestly.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Gravitymaster 0]

The people of the World could learn a lot from Iceland.

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No news from Iceland… why?
How come we hear everything that happens in Egypt but no news about what’s happening in Iceland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xt4Z3rm4r-4#!

In Iceland, the people has made the government resign, the primary banks have been nationalized, it was decided to not pay the debt that these created with Great Britain and Holland due to their bad financial politics and a public assembly has been created to rewrite the constitution.
And all of this in a peaceful way.
A whole revolution against the powers that have created the current crisis. This is why there hasn’t been any publicity during the last two years: What would happen if the rest of the EU citizens took this as an example? What would happen if the US citizens took this as an example.

This is a summary of the facts:
2008. The main bank of the country is nationalized.
The Krona, the currency of Iceland devaluates and the stock market stops.
The country is in bankruptcy

2008. The citizens protest in front of parliament and manage to get new elections that make the resignation of the prime minister and his whole government.
The country is in bad economic situation.
A law proposes paying back the debt to Great Britain and Holland through the payment of 3,500 million euros, which will be paid by the people of Iceland monthly during the next 15 years, with a 5.5% interest.

2010. The people go out in the streets and demand a referendum. In January 2010 the president denies the approval and announces a popular meeting.
In March the referendum and the denial of payment is voted in by 93%. Meanwhile the government has initiated an investigation to bring to justice those responsible for the crisis, and many high level executives and bankers are arrested. The Interpol dictates an order that make all the implicated parties leave the country.

In this crisis an assembly is elected to rewrite a new Constitution which can include the lessons learned from this, and which will substitute the current one (a copy of the Danish Constitution).
25 citizens are chosen, with no political affiliation, out of the 522 candidates. For candidacy all that was needed was to be an adult and have the support of 30 people. The constitutional assembly starts in February of 2011 to present the ‘carta magna’ from the recommendations given by the different assemblies happening throughout the country. It must be approved by the current Parliament and by the one constituted through the next legislative elections.

So in summary of the Icelandic revolution:
-resignation of the whole government
-nationalization of the bank.
-referendum so that the people can decide over the economic decisions.
-incarcerating the responsible parties
-rewriting of the constitution by its people

Have we been informed of this through the media?
Has any political program in radio or TV commented on this?
No!
The Icelandic people have been able to show that there is a way to beat the system and has given a democracy lesson to the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xt4Z3rm4r-4

[lawrocket 3]

Serious question.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[sfzombie 3]

wow.
that would be a great thing here. but, too much special interest to allow it. i'll bet if you put these things to a vote after televising the whole thing, you would get a lot higher turnout than any previous elections.
i would vote for it.

http://kitswv.com

[Gravitymaster 0]

Proof once again that the people get the kind of government they deserve and are willing to work towards.

[sfzombie 3]

how could you suggest even starting to work toward a solution such as that? apparently, the mainstream media made it real hard to find, i hadn't heard even a hint of this before. and trying to get even half the people to work together for anything, the way everyone is kept in a constant state of division by the powerful? i'd like to hear of a few suggestions, i'd take any that made sense, i posted the link to all my friends, but ya gotta be careful. should the govt decide you're up to no good, you can disappear.

http://kitswv.com