My wild side features: wild things blog

4-21-08: PERMALINK

Corporate cheerleader from hell: CNBC's Erin Burnett

REFERENCES INCLUDED BELOW

CNBC's Erin Burnett appears to be one of the most appalling female newscasters to ever hit the airwaves, regularly talking up markets while dismissing news of corruption or scandal or stock plunges as virtually insignificant. But she often ventures beyond even that, to openly express admiration for business practices which (among other crimes) poison their customers-- as in the quote below:

"A lot of people like to say, uh, scaremonger about China, right? A lot of politicians, and I know you talk about that issue all the time. I think people should be careful what they wish for on China. Ya know, if China were to revalue it's currency or China is to start making say, toys that don't have lead in them or food that isn't poisonous, their costs of production are going to go up and that means prices at Wal-Mart here in the United States are going to go up too. So, I would say China is our greatest friend right now, they're keeping prices low and they're keeping the prices for mortgages low, too."¹

Based on comments like that, she must see the cigarette companies as great guys too. And slave labor as a good thing. Heck: if you're all for poisoning children in the name of profits, just where would you draw the line?

Yes, Erin Burnett is physically attractive: that was obviously a major reason CNBC hired her. And she's quick-witted at parrying the frequently awful business news of the day with quips to dispel investor concerns, and thereby keep them handing their money over to her corporate patrons. Both these qualities make her a top notch cheerleader for the corporate state-- but not much else. Given enough corporate cheerleaders like Erin Burnett, American wealth and freedoms could easily go the way of the Dodo bird².

Oops! They already are.³.

Footnotes:

In her own words:

-- CNBC's Erin Burnett: We Need China's Toxic Food And Lead Coated Toys To Keep Economy Strong By: Logan Murphy on Sunday, August 12th, 2007

Extinction

-- Dodo (wikipedia)

Cheering all the way to the end

-- Weak dollar costs U.S. economy its world No. 1 spot Reuters; 3-14-08

-- Economy Hammered by Toxic Blend of Ailments By VIKAS BAJAJ; March 14, 2008

-- The Rise of American Incompetence Americans used to be the world's most skillful entrepreneurs and managers. Now we're laughingstocks. What happened? By Daniel Gross; March 15, 2008

"President Bush quietly has claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant."

-- Bush says feds can open mail without warrant By James Gordon Meek; January 4, 2007

-- New Hope for the Rich; March 13, 2008

"...it is somewhat surprising that there is not already rioting in the streets, given the gigantic fraud perpetrated by the financial elite at the expense of ordinary Americans."

-- America was conned - who will pay? by Larry Elliott; March 17 2008

-- Trading on Testosterone By DAN MITCHELL; April 19, 2008

"The effect, however, may also explain why people get carried away with market "bubbles", as rising levels of the hormone feed risk-taking that can become irrational."

"...if testosterone reaches physiological limits, as it might during a market bubble, it can turn risk-taking into a form of addiction..."

-- Hormones affect stock market Mark Henderson | April 15, 2008

"Guess what gives the markets a boost? Testosterone, according to a study. The male hormone is known to boost confidence levels and also increase appetite for risk—but too much of it can prompt irrational behaviour, the study found. "

-- It's testosterone that pushes stock markets up 16 Apr, 2008

-- When positive thinking leads to financial irresponsibility like compulsive gambling 21-Apr-2008; Contact: Suzanne Wu swu@press.uchicago.edu 209-608-2038 University of Chicago Press Journals

-- Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo: Bullish investors are "delusional"; 4-16-08

My wild side features: wild things blog

3-22-08: PERMALINK