THE QUESTION
Playing the blame game?
Although they now have record amounts of cash on their balance sheets, corporate executives have been reluctant to hire and invest, complaining loudly of a new "anti-business" attitude in Washington. Is this public criticism courageous business leadership or an abdication of personal and corporate responsibility?
Posted by Steve Pearlstein and Raju Narisetti on July 5, 2010 12:49 PM
FROM THE PANEL
The power of uncertainty
Business investors hate uncertainties over which they have no control. Unless the administration can placate business leaders investment will remain weak.
Posted by Slade Gorton, on July 8, 2010 11:32 AM
Responsibility through dissent
When business leaders squawk about government policy, they aren't abdicating responsibility, they are embracing it.
Posted by Tom Monahan, on July 7, 2010 12:40 PM
Stormy Weather
If we cannot as a nation move away from ideologically stimulated tribal warfare and scapegoating, we are in for a very unpleasant future.
Posted by Gen. Monty Meigs (Ret.), on July 6, 2010 12:09 PM
One for one, and all for me
Rather than accept any responsibility for generating our economic crisis or responding to government and taxpayers urgent requests to loosen up purse strings and display some of the optimism they profess to consumers, business leaders respond with complaints about 'anti-business' attitudes.
Posted by Amy Fraher, on July 5, 2010 6:11 PM
He who cast the first stone
The Wall Street financial crisis has brought the economy to its knees and now the corporate sector has the audacity to blame government for the catastrophe?
Posted by Elizabeth Sherman, on July 5, 2010 5:31 PM
Bad refereeing
For big business to now claim that the government is "anti-business" is like the umpire complaining about how badly his game was refereed.
Posted by Kathryn Kolbert, on July 5, 2010 5:27 PM
All about the benjamins
We are living in a period of great uncertainty. When business leaders feel that there is a good chance of a solid economic recovery, they will invest. We have been in business cycles before. This is not the 'end of the world'.
Posted by Marshall Goldsmith, on July 5, 2010 5:21 PM
