Commercializing the War – An Idea that Works

A European war can only end in the ruin of the vanquished and the scarcely less fatal commercial dislocation and exhaustion of the conquerors.
Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

The Misanthrope has a more genteel idea on Maureen Dowd’s excellent column regarding corporate shilling. Her corporate sponsor idea is too risky for corporate image-makers.

The Misanthrope can visualize the lead-in by broadcasters: “Tonight, the Bank One War on Terror was dealt a serve blow as another car bomb killed several in the American Express Green Zone.” After the headline, the TV cameras zero in on the most sensational images while the newspaper and magazine photographers focus on the geometric framing of bodies strewn around with tattered corporate logos soiled with blood blowing in the wind (just as the government has left the soldiers), it seems a hard sell. Viewing decapitated Geoffrey, the Toys “R” Us giraffe busts, lying broken on the bombed out, crater-filled Baghdad streets, won’t fly for the near bankrupt toy distributor.

Here is a win-win situation for corporate sponsorship for greedy CEOs: recall B2’s commentary on Colgate-Palmolive’s CEO Reuben Mark, who will collect his salary, including stock gains of $148 million? Rather than be compared to Ebenezer Scrooge or Jacob Marley, for announcing layoff notices for 4,400 employees around the holiday season, Mark can donate a mere $48 million toward body or vehicle armor and most likely receive a tax credit for such big-hearted philanthropy. Now this will change the coverage of the story.

The Misanthrope believes the way to finance this war is to have Bush’s donation base – the multimillionaires, who get rich gauging the working poor, donate and underwrite war equipment. Company names and corporate sponsorship will not be allowed, as it appears too crass. Bronze plaques, from the White House, which could be hung in the lobby stating the importance of Acme’s donation will work, but only if there is not a dollar-for-dollar tax deduction for this heartfelt giving.