Call for employee “freedom of conscience”

The National Center for Public Policy Research reveals that it has uncovered evidence that some corporations discipline employees who, on their own time and with their own resources, contribute to causes that their owners disagree with.

A noteworthy incident occurred when, according to the National Center, the CEO of Mozilla was forced from his position because he contributed $1,000 to a 2008 California referendum defining marriage.

The National Center has been engaging in a battle with COSTCO, America’s second largest retailer, to guarantee freedom of conscience to its employees. The company has reportedly refused, on the grounds that they do not engage in inappropriate treatment of its staff.

A number of companies, such as Coca-Cola, have promised that employees would not be dismissed or treated adversely for exercising their right to engage in legal political or civic activities of their choosing on their own time. Unfortunately, according to the National Center, this protection is not universal throughout corporate America, and employees may be subjected to dismissal, demotion, or denied pay raises and promotion due to taking personal positions contrary to that espoused by management, even if the issues have nothing to do with work.

The National Center has called on all corporations to enact voluntary “conscience protection policies” to protect workers from undue pressure.

Quick Analysis

Mayor Wu Latest Example of CCP Influence

Numerous important studies reveal the devastatingly effective attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to deeply influence the United States from within. The recent links between the CCP and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu have reopened interest. The volume, intensity and consistency of the ties between the Biden family, significant members of the California Democratic Party, Governor Tim Walz, as well as the recent revelations about Boston Mayor Wu highlight the threat. While the Trump Administration has initiated renewed examination, the depth and intensity of Beijing’s infiltration makes the effort exceptionally difficult. Over the past year, a number of Congressional members have called for action. In a hearing last June entitled “Defending America from the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Warfare, Part II.” It was noted that the “Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has successfully waged an influence and infiltration campaign that jeopardizes critical U.S. industries, including America’s military readiness, technology sector, financial markets, agriculture industry, intellectual property, and education systems. The Committee’s government-wide investigation into CCP political warfare has revealed federal agencies have failed to combat China’s dangerous tactics, and too much of the Washington bureaucracy appears unwilling to address the ongoing threat. Members stressed that the lives and security of all Americans are affected, and the Committee has a responsibility to ensure the federal government is taking every action necessary to protect Americans from the CCP’s political and economic warfare while equipping Americans for a secure and prosperous future.” Key Takeaways: from the hearing included: Erik Bethel, Former U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank: “I have witnessed firsthand the nuanced and strategic efforts that China has employed to enhance its presence. They extend beyond mere representation to shaping global development, rules, regulations, and standards. China’s involvement in the International Telecommunication Union, for instance, impacts global telecommunications standards, with significant ramifications for technology and innovation worldwide.” James E. Fanell, CAPT USN (Ret.): “The U.S. is now in a new Cold War. Over three decades, the U.S. had ample time to prevent the PRC’s rise and to retard its growth, even to support the overthrow of the CCP, but it did not. Those strategic choices must be explained—why did the U.S. assist, not prevent, the rise of its peer challenger? Was it entirely the result of a masterful, protracted Political Warfare campaign by the masters of deception, the CCP?” Mary Kissel, Former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State: “Xi Jinping has accelerated China’s influence operations via expansion and empowerment of the United Front Work Department and other party-state apparatus. Often, these operations seem like innocuous and even friendly exchanges. Xi Jinping’s regime regularly conducts influence operations within our borders, because we, as a democratic society, allow Party officials freedom of movement and speech that no ordinary Chinese citizen enjoys at home. Educating Americans on grey zone Chinese influence operations is also deeply important for our business community. I serve as a director of two publicly traded companies. Few American executives and directors are aware that they, like our diplomats, are prime targets of Chinese influence operations, which aim to identify prominent Americans who may now, or in the future, be convinced to aid Beijing in some form or fashion.” Federal agencies have succumbed to CCP influence methods and the House Oversight Committee has demanded answers from agencies that do not – or will not – address the CCP’s political warfare head-on. Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.): “Americans outside of Washington have no difficulty identifying the CCP for what it is: an authoritarian, communist regime enslaving its own people, and seeking to destroy America, which the CCP calls its ‘chief enemy.’ The American people know that the CCP represents the greatest foreign threat to the American way of life. Despite the fact that CCP political warfare targets and threatens all Americans—why do many federal agencies fail to speak honestly to the American people about the CCP? Too many federal officials do not realize that they have fallen for CCP influence tactics—in ways that cause some officials to reflexively dismiss the truth about this communist regime. Worse, some federal officials go so far as to actually excuse the CCP’s actions.” The article concludes tomorrow Illustration: Pixabay