Good morning. American competitiveness has long been a triumph of the moderate, won by those who could find common ground with policymakers to get things done. Some taxes but not too much. Clear rules that protect without stifling innovation. Knowing when to speak up or shut up, appealing to common values among multiple stakeholders. I’m at the Aspen Ideas Festival this week, where there’s a lot of debate about how business can help create that common ground.
Right now, silence from CEOs on business issues is making it easier for politicians to present a vision that’s more black and white. I tried to get New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to speak at a CEO dinner earlier this year, but one of his advisors told me that visibly engaging with CEOs wasn’t a priority at that point. For a Democratic Socialist who’s critical of capitalism and proving to be a kingmaker at the national level, it might even be a bad look. (Mamdani has since met with CEOs like JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon behind closed doors.) And pressure from the far right, most notably in Washington, has made CEOs reluctant to speak out on issues like climate change, diversity, ethics, immigration and mission-critical issues that might put a target on their backs.
