Thursday, June 04, 2015

How the crazy works

Capitalism in Bizarro world

Last month I briefly indulged my nasty habit of scanning the AM radio dial. As usual, the cesspit that is KSFO served up a memorable dollop of right-wing nonsense. The old stalwarts are gone now—Lee Rodgers to eternal silence and Melanie Morgan to the scandal-tainted Move America Forward—but Brian Sussman and Katie Green are doing their best to maintain the morning program's standard of irrational extremism.

Sussman, a weather man who thinks himself competent to pretend to be a climatologist, has apparently fixated on Hillary Clinton the way Cato was obsessed with Carthage. Although I suspect he will be disappointed with the eventual outcome, his overreach inspires a kind of head-shaking awe. Making money is usually honored by the KSFO tribe, but Sussman was willing to make an exception for Clinton's success. When Hillary makes money, it's evil and corrupt (two words you'll never hear Sussman use while discussing the excesses of the banking industry).

In this particular instance, Sussman was offended that Clinton commands top dollar for her speaking engagements:
Sussman: Hillary Clinton. Remember when she addressed the eBay summit? And we had asked this question: what did she make for this 20-minute talk? We literally asked the question. And now we find out: 315,000 dollars from eBay! Katie, that's your money and my money—because we use eBay.

Katie Green: Yeah, it is.
Welcome to the new KSFO theory of capitalism. Since Sussman is a customer of eBay, he shares ownership of the company's money. Sorry, Brian. When you patronize a company, your dollars become theirs, to do with as they please. Even if that means bringing in a nationally-known speaker to amp up attendance at one of their conferences. Your permission is not required.

I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for a correction or clarification. That would be fatal.

5 comments:

Steve Watson said...

Sounds like they think eBay is a co-op, or a government service, with the commission being a kind of sales tax. Shouldn't having such a socialist thought make their heads explode?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps they should stop using eBay. That'd show 'em!

-- The Ridger (on a computer where I can't log in)

Kathie said...

Signs of life in Zeno-land!!!

I long for the days when KSFO had Don Sherwood, Al Collins, Jim Lange, Jack Carney, Cal sports with Bud Foster, "The Sounds of the City" a capella station jingle (a veritable work of musical art unto itself), newsreaders Jeff Skov and Aaron Edwards -- and where I first heard bossa nova! Not that I'm homesick, or anything...

Anonymous said...

Ironically since I never use Ebay,it wasn't my money they paid her fee.See it works both ways Sussman.

cpinva said...

ok, to stretch this "logic" forward, whenever KFSO does something any of its listeners doesn't agree with, they are using that "listener's" money to do it, because they may have purchases something from one of the station's advertisers? yes, I know, it sounds ludicrous to me as well, but that's apparently the way capitalism works in their version of reality. I'm going out on a very short limb, and guessing Donald Trump wouldn't agree with them.