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Woke Corporatism’s Bad Summer

Posted on Monday, September 16, 2024
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by Aaron Flanigan
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28 Comments
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While all eyes are on the battle for the White House, conservatives are quietly gaining ground in another crucially important—but oft-underdiscussed—battle against corporate wokeism and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Among the most prominent leaders in the conservative movement’s grassroots anti-woke crusade is Robby Starbuck, a Tennessee-based activist and former candidate for U.S. Congress who has now become a force in exposing and ultimately defeating the left’s DEI regime.

Starbuck made headlines this summer when several classic American brands, including Tractor Supply Company, John Deere, and Harley Davidson, abandoned their DEI policies following significant pushback generated by Starbuck.

In a lengthy post on X in early June, Starbuck took aim at Tractor Supply Company, noting that, even despite its status as “one of the most beloved brands” in the nation, the company’s policies stand in stark contrast to the values of most of its loyal customers. “[W]hat do they REALLY stand for under CEO [Hall Lawton’s] leadership?” he asked.

Starbuck then listed a catalogue of left-wing policies enforced by the company, including “LGBTQIA+ training” for employees, funding for “pride” and drag events, the establishment of a DEI council, funding for sex changes, activism on behalf of “climate change,” “pride month” decorations in office spaces, and other promotion of far-left ideology.

“I take no pleasure in bringing this all to light. I’m a Tennessean who loves to support TN companies but as a proud Tennessean I know these woke priorities don’t align with our state or [Tractor Supply’s] customer base,” Starbuck wrote.

“We must make our voices heard. Hal Lawton needs to understand that we don’t want our hard earned money spent on these woke priorities. If he supports this stuff then he should spend some of his $11M salary or tens of millions in stock on it instead of using the money we spend at Tractor Supply.”

Starbuck then encouraged his followers to contact Tractor Supply’s corporate offices and begin purchasing goods from other places “until Tractor Supply makes REAL changes and shows that they respect the majority of their customers enough to not spend the money we give them on causes we’re deeply opposed to.”

Just weeks later, Tractor Supply issued an extraordinary and unprecedented statement announcing their cancellation of the policies brought to light by Starbuck.

“We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them. We have taken this feedback to heart,” the statement said, before announcing that Tractor Supply would cut ties with leftist groups, “stop sponsoring non business activities like pride festivals and voting campaigns,” eliminate DEI roles and “retire” the company’s current DEI mandates, and withdraw its “carbon emission” goals.

Tractor Supply’s retreat from left-wing activism signaled not only a massive win for conservatives and Tractor Supply patrons, but also a shifting cultural and corporate landscape.

But Tractor Supply was just the beginning.

Almost immediately after his public awareness campaign forced Tractor Supply to retreat from its DEI agenda, Starbuck turned his attention to John Deere. In a post on X, Starbuck called out the company for its allegiance to far-left causes—most notably seen with its funding for a “pride” event for kids as young as three, asking its employees to list “preferred pronouns” on company communications, acknowledging left-wing “equity” programs, and an official commitment to DEI policies.

“To put it mildly, John Deere seems to have forgotten who their customers are,” Starbuck wrote. “Having a farm myself, I’m disgusted that a once great American brand is now taking this turn to seemingly embrace leftist policies that are diametrically opposed to the values of most farmers.”

Sure enough, days later, John Deere pledged to “no longer participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events” and audit all company-mandated training materials and policies “to ensure the absence of socially motivated messages”—a striking success for John Deere customers and conservatives everywhere.

Starbuck then targeted Harley-Davidson, which, as he noted on X, openly supports the radical “Equality Act,” funded an all-ages “pride” event, and held trainings on “how to become LGBTQ+ allies,” among other acts of far-left subservience. Shortly thereafter, the company announced that although it was “saddened by the negativity” surrounding the company, it has ended its DEI “function,” and will now be “absent of socially motivated content.”

In the aftermath of Starbuck’s anti-woke activism, several other companies, including Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel’s parent company), Lowe’s, and Ford Motor Company, backed away from some of their left-wing initiatives, likely out of fear that they could be next on Starbuck’s list.

“Companies are starting to realize the whole DEI thing has been a house of cards,” Starbuck said in a recent interview with the New York Post. “Somebody just had to press the cards. The majority of CEOs in America are very happy to have an excuse to get rid of this stuff.”

Of course, the developments wrought by Starbuck’s efforts in recent months by no means indicate that corporate wokeism is dead. Many corporations continue to aggressively promote policies, lifestyles, and worldviews that contradict those of most ordinary Americans.

Robby Starbuck’s anti-woke crusade, however, suggests that the relationship between big business and militant progressivism may be in peril.

Aaron Flanigan is the pen name of a writer in Washington, D.C.

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Howard
Howard
17 days ago

God bless you, Robby! Keep doing what you are doing! We wholly support you! We need more like you to cut out this “woke” cancer. It’’s killing the country!

Debby
Debby
17 days ago

I am thankful that someone is finally standing up to these woke bullies. We CAN change things with where we spend our hard-earned dollars. Forcing their employees to take DEI ‘sensitivity training’ only angers people and causes a toxic work environment.Why does a company feel the need to support gay pride and drag queen events for little children?! Businesses should stay away from social and political issues and stick to BUSINESS!

Joe
Joe
17 days ago

God bless Robby Starbuck and his work!!! These three companies would seem to be the last to go woke, but just like Bud Light, they ignored their customer base and gave in to the ESG agenda. Go woke, go broke!!!
DEI= Didn’t Earn It

Steve
Steve
17 days ago

AMAC you should hire “Robby Starbuck ” and let him track all the nutjob companies. Then like the nutjobs do call for everyone to boycott. Only one I know that was effective was the beer company that almost went broke from all the bar flies not touching a drop of their product a job well done!

Leslie
Leslie
17 days ago

Good for him! More people would likely pay attention if the “man bun” disappeared. I’m from Oregon and that is the WORST thing men have come up with in a long time. Sorry, old person here.

mark
mark
17 days ago

Congratulations and MEGA KUDOS to you Mr. Starbuck. Now, take a well deserved breather, but then PLEASE continue to go after other whacked-out Socialist companies, run by spineless pervs, whose left-wing radical agendas exist solely to undermine, and ideally destroy Traditional American Family Values, religions, and simple Common Sense. This perverted insanity must be purged from societies.
Thankfully, people and companies are WAKING UP, and wanting nothing more to do with the deadly ‘WOKE cancer’ that is destroying our nation – Left-wing/Socialist/Commie/Woke radicalism.
And thank you Mr. Starbuck for your extremely important work.

Bruce
Bruce
17 days ago

Just like in sports, businesses need to stay out of politics and people’s personal issues. Just juggle the balls clown.

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
17 days ago

You think this is bad, go sit in on military training sometime! I retired in 2007 but even then there was “DEI” before there was DEI! I bet today’s is even worse…

Jerry
Jerry
17 days ago

God bless Robby Starbuck.

Thomas F. Olszewski
Thomas F. Olszewski
17 days ago

Thank God DEI is going to Die…..

anna hubert
anna hubert
17 days ago

He, not the empty headed Taylor Swift, who is she really, should be on every front page and TV For he really has something to say unlike many politicians who babble on.

Pat R
Pat R
17 days ago

The last sentence – “Robby Starbuck’s anti-woke crusade, however, suggests that the relationship between big business and militant progressivism may be in peril.” Keep it up Mr. Starbuck. I, for one of likely many, applaud your crusade and thank you.

Edward
Edward
17 days ago

It’s nice to see some of our young people like Robbie standing up to the radical folks and you have my support. I guess you can fix stupid sometimes.

sue
sue
16 days ago

Thank God for someone like Robby. Pray that we all continue to support God’s plan for us and may He contiue to bless us with people like Robby. May we have the courage to stand firm in the Lord and His agenda!

MikeL
MikeL
16 days ago

Congrats to Robby you are a wonderful man with the courage of your convictions keep up the good fight! The real issue that needs more exposure is the undue influence BlackRock and the other oversized investment firms have on the C level executives of these corporations. Because they have so much voting power, Larry Fink, and his cronies are pushing these companies into the woke joke. Maybe Robby has the right idea, start from the ground up an hit them in the pocketbook. That usually gets their attention, unless the company has gone too far with their woke nonsense, (hello Disney). Disney actually has doubled up their slavish adherence to the woke mind virus and does nothing as their stock and livelihood swirl the drain and deservedly so. Boycott all things Disney.

PHILIP NESTOR USN/RET
PHILIP NESTOR USN/RET
17 days ago

I hope he goes after USAA insurance, they survive on military members that have no idea how much dei crap goes on there.

Fred
Fred
5 days ago

Fantastic! Robby is making a real difference! It is perplexing, why businesses abandon their customers and America’s core values to follow leftist political idiots, and for what reason? It is heartwarming when those companies then suffer huge losses of sales and profit. Bring back what America used to be, Great! Trump 2024!

FJB
FJB
16 days ago

This is all great but we are about to get our first DEI hire President. Clinched by millions of illegal aliens votes.

It’s Fine
It’s Fine
17 days ago

Who’s the pedophile wearing the flannel shirt? lol

jack smith and his memo ; trump
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