[Firstumemo] Memo: The Marie Antoinette Moment . . .

Tue May 9 12:50:19 CDT 2006

M I N I S T E R’ S    M E M O

“The Marie Antoinette Moment . . .”

An Open Letter to the CEO of Exxon-Mobile Corporation.

Dear Mr. Tillerson:

I am astonished to discover that at this moment in time I actually feel
sorry for your wealthy and powerful multi-national corporation. In April of
this year, the institution you serve sailed into the “perfect storm.” In the
one month when prices at the gas pumps in the United States increased by
30%, the public is informed that the retirement package of your retiring
CEO, Lee Raymond, is $400 million. You then revealed record profits of 49%
in the first quarter. As the American public was reeling from a staggering
hit on the family budget from higher gas prices, you announce a salary
package so excessive that even the wealthy are shocked. The princely sum of
$400 million has had an even more profound effect on the poor and the middle
class. It wakes us up.
The only historical moment that seems comparable is in 1740 when Rosseau, in
his “Confessions,” wrote the remark of a “princess.” In reply to the
complaint that the citizenry of France were starving and had no money for
bread, the reply was, “Let them eat cake.” Later (incorrectly) attributed to
Mare Antoinette, this was much more than bad publicity for the monarchy. It
was a flash point. A rallying cry. The people of France realized that
nothing short of a revolutionary change could make their lives bearable.
The callousness of the French monarchy could not have been contained by
“spin,” a better public relations campaign, or experts in the field of
professional reputation. Once the citizenry had been awakened to the long
term and substantive issues, to the profound injustice of an uncaring
leadership, there was no turning back.
The American consumer has been asleep for a long time. We have ignored the
steady and unremitting increased disparity between the rich and the poor, in
our own country and around the world. We have heard the statistics that
20,000-30,000 children die every day from starvation and malnutrition, and
we have (proverbially) turned back over in our beds. We have watched as
industrialized nations make windfall profits in the developing world, and
used those monies to benefit investment bankers back home. It was a deep
sleep. We were even succeeding in ignoring how our consumption of energy was
contributing to global warming.
In our former hazy, dream-like state, we went to our local gas station and
filled up our automobiles with relatively cheap gas. Very few of us thought
about the long-term consequences for our environment, our government, or our
world.
But then on May 3rd you went on national TV, (NBC Today) to announce that
70% of your profits don’t even come from the United States markets. Did you
genuinely expect people to be relieved that you are mostly taking great
amounts of cash out of poorer countries? Do you think that the American
public is so naïve that we accept your statistic that only 8% profit is
taken in every dollar spent on gasoline? (We now know that you produce oil
at $20 a barrel and sell it for $70.) Did the “oil men” lobbyists convince
you that the American public was so stupid or so greedy to be placated with
a hundred dollar pay-off?
Does the argument even convince you that any employee of any corporation
ought to be paid a $400 million parachute? No matter what the governing
board of your corporation agreed to, no matter what the stockholders
approved, if this is what corporate executives now “need” in order to feel
important and successful, perhaps you might consider investing a few dollars
in some therapy for those individuals. Once your former CEO discovers that
his inherent worth and dignity does not originate from his salary, perhaps
he would settle for a $5 million bonus. (He obviously does not need the
money, and $5 million would buy him plenty of nice toys.) The other $395
million could be donated to a worthy charity. Perhaps to the Sudan to stop
the genocide, the rape and the starvation. Perhaps to Unicef to feed hungry
children. Perhaps in research to stop global warming.
I am currently receiving almost daily emails asking me to boycott
Exxon-Mobil in order to force your company  into drastically reducing gas
prices. I don’t believe in boycotts. They are a bullying tactic which leaves
the boycotters arrogant, and often shuts down problem solving, and
discussion of the underlying causes.
Right now the worst thing imaginable is that the price of gasoline would
suddenly drop to $2.25 a gallon. The American consumer would declare
victory, and would swiftly drop back into unconsciousness.
You have woken us up. Perhaps this is the moment when we might look at those
ethical and moral and spiritual dimensions of the global economy which
results in exploitation and great human suffering. Perhaps the connection
between the global climate and the American use of energy can be seriously
addressed.
What I do know is that many of us do not want to go back to “business as
usual.” My prayer is that you will use the considerable intelligence,
leadership and power of Exxon-Mobile to bring about necessary change.

                  Sincerely,

                        The Rev. Dr. Barbara Merritt

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