Host Neal Asbury opened his nationally syndicated “Neal Asbury’s Made in America” show on Radio America (now on 72 stations) by expressing his continued alarm at the rise in cronyism in the U.S. and its impact on the country. From green energy to unions, cronyism has enriched politicians. But nowhere is this more visible than in the revelations about the abuses displayed by the Clinton Foundation.
Co-host Dr. Rich Roffman suggested that the Clintons have redefined cronyism and could serve as a template for other politicians trying to corrupt the American Dream.
In keeping with the cronyism theme the first guest on Made in America was Peter Schweizer, author of the explosive new book: “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich.”
Schweizer outlines how the Clinton’s have earned over $130 million, much of which was raised when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State and in a positon to reward countries and companies that supported the Clintons with donations.
“Media outlets throughout the country are onto this story and it will be impossible for the Clintons –particularly Hillary — to stuff the allegations about influence peddling “back in the box.” There has been tremendous fallout, demanding an investigation by someone with subpoena power,” maintained Schweizer.
He suggested that the nation is at a critical point when politics and money come together. In particular, while laws are clear about foreign governments influencing the American government, the Clintons have found a way to circumvent these laws, setting a possible precedent for other politicians to emulate the Clinton Foundation’s questionable operations.
As an example, the Clintons helped a Canadian uranium concern close a $145,000,000 deal that will allow Russians to dominate the uranium market. The Clinton Foundation received a large donation for helping it close the deal, even as then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who should have vetoed the deal, instead allowed the deal to go through, putting America at a competitive and security disadvantage.
In another case, a Swedish firm under scrutiny by the U.S. government for illegal business practices, suddenly found the suit dropped by the Hillary-controlled State Department after they gave Bill Clinton $750,000 to make a speech in Sweden.
“There is a pattern of bad behavior and lying by the Clintons. Money and favors were granted while Hillary was Secretary of State. She has always advocated against foreign influence of U.S. policies but she allowed it to happen under her watch. You just can’t trust the Clintons. And if you look into their dealings they will try and intimidate you. But how we handle this will tell a lot about where this country is headed and the standards we should be setting,” proposed Schweizer.
Made in America welcomed return guest, Congressman Kevin Brady, who represents Texas’ eighth district and is a small business owner and proponent of free trade.
“The Trans Pacific Partnership is about economic freedom that allows the U.S. to compete with foreign markets on a level playing field. It’s a way to do business without government interference. Free trade agreements are a real benefit to the U.S. For example, the free trade agreements with Panama, South Korea and Colombia have created 7 million American jobs,” noted Congressman Brady.
Congressman Brady added that free trade agreements not only export goods and services, but also our values, which help create worker rights, environmental stewardship and also address corruption. When we negotiate a free trade agreement with other countries, we increase trade by 12 percent,” proposed Congressman Brady.
The final guest on Made in America was Jared Meyer, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, whose recent byline “Union Bosses Use Fast-Food Workers For Personal Gain,” suggested that major unions are advocating $15 hourly wages for fast food workers because they desperately need to stem sharply declining membership while extending their reach by attracting workers in the high-turnover fast food industry.
Neal noted that unions are stuck in the 1950s and are trying to conduct business the same way they did then when 50 percent of workers joined a union. Today only 7 percent of workers belong to unions.
“By encouraging more workers to unionize in fast food restaurants unions want to tap into the high-turnover rates because they can keep collecting new initiation fees even as they take money out of the newly minted union member’s wages. They need the money to press their issues on Capitol Hill because while they can’t compete in the marketplace, they can compete on Capitol Hill by influencing elections,” noted Meyer.
McDonald’s is the major target for unions, but Neal noted that if McDonald’s is forced to pay $15 per hour, the price of a meal at McDonald’s could rise to $20.00 and managers will be forced to trim workers.
“McDonald’s will never agree to unionization unless the NLRB steps in and forces them, concluded Meyer.
In his recurring cronyism report, co-host Dr. Rich Roffman couldn’t resist returning to the Clintons.
“There were 180 corporations and foreign countries that donated to the Clinton Foundation while Hillary was in office. So while Hillary contends that she’s one of the “common folk,” a recent survey found that her election will be marked by the largest pool of millionaire donors. It’s ironic that her young supporters are buying into the myth that Hillary is one of the masses, when she’s the antithesis of what her supporters advocate,” proposed Dr. Roffman.
Each week Neal Asbury’ Made in America provides Neal’s insights into the week’s top news stories and their impact on the worlds of entrepreneurship, small business ownership and the overall economy. Neal’s analysis, together with co-host Dr. Richard Roffman, a veteran 30-year publisher with extensive domestic and international experience, takes a non-biased approach based on real life experience in business as an American manufacturer and exporter. Made in America airs nationally each Saturday from 7-8:00 PM on Radio America. Link to Made in America at http://www.nealasburysmadeinamerica.com.
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