Populism is on the rise across the world as President Donald Trump works to enact America-first policies, the British craft a formal exit strategy from the European Union, and two non-establishment party presidential candidates go head to head in France. But that isn't scaring corporate dealmakers in the U.S. who say more M&A opportunities are on the horizon and global politics isn't impacting their strategies.
With the U.S. seeing the second highest first-quarter deal activity in a decade (up 22% to $366 billion from last year), nearly 80% of U.S. executives say they plan to actively pursue mergers and acquisitions over the next year. That's well above the long-term average of 47%, according to new data from EY's bi-annual Global Capital Confidence Barometer, which surveys 2,300 corporate executives.
Source: Fox News
(Score: 4, Funny) by Uncle_Al on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:01AM (7 children)
Seriously?
(Score: 2) by n1 on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:53AM (1 child)
The same story was run by CNBC http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/24/nearly-80-percent-of-executives-want-to-make-a-deal-despite-dc-uncertainty.html [cnbc.com]
But they're both reporting on a survey by EY, one of the four largest accounting/professional services firms in the world.
(Score: 2) by nethead on Wednesday April 26 2017, @01:52AM
Not just the US, the 120 year old French company that I work for is getting absorbed by a young 93 year old French company that is 14% owned by the French government.
Soon, I too, will be an agent of a foreign government!
How did my SN UID end up over 3 times my /. UID?
(Score: 2) by its_gonna_be_yuge! on Wednesday April 26 2017, @01:10AM
HaHaHaHa! That was my first reaction too.
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @02:36AM (3 children)
You'd trust the libtards in the rest of the MSM to cover business?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @05:59AM (2 children)
> You'd trust the libtards in the rest of the MSM to cover business?
I remember when I taught you the word 'libtard' — you were so ignorant you thought it was a slight against libertarians.
Now its your favorite word, you wail on it every chance you get, like boy who just started puberty and realized his dick does more than just piss.
But you are still just as ignorant.
The 'MSM' is all about business, they are all big businesses themselves, most of them part of even bigger conglomerates.
The idea that any mainstream news reporting is anti-business in any way is an alt-fact.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @10:30AM (1 child)
Sorry, you don't get to claim that. That particularly useful bit of language was introduced to me by a shit-posting porn actress.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:08PM
Your fantasies about me are disgusting, but unsurprising.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:04AM
You may want to read about Plutonomy [wikipedia.org], it could explain the issue. Us minions matter less and less, as the puppets keep ruling according to the real bosses' interests.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:09AM (15 children)
No, it's pseudopopulism.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by digitalaudiorock on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:47AM (2 children)
Exactly. Bernie Sanders is a populist in the true sense and tradition of the word. Trump and others like him in elections around the world have hijacked the term when they're real ideology is more like "nationalist bigotry".
(Score: 5, Informative) by butthurt on Wednesday April 26 2017, @01:18AM
The term populism can designate either democratic or authoritarian movements.
-- https://www.britannica.com/topic/populism [britannica.com]
(Score: 1) by idetuxs on Wednesday April 26 2017, @03:36AM
populism doesn't exclude "nationalist bigotry"
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @02:37AM (10 children)
No such thing. You either have the backing of the people or you don't. Trump does. That's reality. Learn to recognize it.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @02:42AM (5 children)
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @03:05AM (4 children)
Yes, we're all very sorry that your feels got hurt by losing, Hillary. Don't you have money you should be busy laundering or contracts to take out on your enemies? I mean, really, posting on SN?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @06:20AM (3 children)
Apparently math is not for the birds.
Winning an election with 3 million less votes than the other guy just means you won the election, you sure didn't win the backing of the people.
That fact is reflected in trumps inability to accomplish anything.
He's been excellent at letting important stuff go to pot through neglect. The guy can't even come up with nominees for his own cabinet. He hasn't signed a single substantive piece of legislation because his own party is riven by that lack of backing from the people.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @10:28AM (2 children)
Tell me more about how badly it burns to see him in office. It's music to my soul.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:04PM (1 child)
Tell me more about how badly it burns to see him in office. It's music to my soul.
That's obviously a lie.
A goebbels-wanna-be like you has no soul.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:54PM
I absolutely do so. I use it to prop up the back left leg of my desk so it doesn't wobble.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @08:01AM (3 children)
So now uzzard is pro trump after saying so many times that he wasn't. Liar, hypocrite, douchebag. You are many shades of terrible, but at least you got downmodded for it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @09:32AM
Everybody could see right through the guy's denials/
If you are racist, you like trump.
The mighty racist is mighty racist, his love for trump was pre-ordained.
(Score: 1, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @10:24AM (1 child)
Nope, I just like rubbing it in your face that you lost.
To Cheeto Jesus.
That was how badly everyone hated your candidate.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday April 26 2017, @06:13PM
Shit, I hated Hillary too, but unlike you, I have the maturity to understand that this isn't some fucking football game. Western civilization itself is in danger for the next 20-30 years because of this.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @05:05AM
Oh so it's no true populism!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Hartree on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:17AM (1 child)
America First?
Really?
I've heard a lot of rhetoric and then seen quieter reversals on most of that. And some of them not so quiet.
Yet another president is running into the limits of presidential power when confronted with both the realities of the world and the massive inertia in a government system as big as ours.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday April 27 2017, @11:48AM
FTFY.
Between the executive orders, the un-war "military engagements", the mass surveillance and other shredding of our constitution...they've all been stretching those limits pretty damn thin. They aren't running into the limits, they just keep moving the damn things...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by linkdude64 on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:39AM (5 children)
I haven't heard anything about TPP or whatever its next incarnation is meant to be. I know that with Mexico we have the upper hand in negotiations by far, and that the same goes for Canada.
Companies cannot change strategies on legislation which has not been passed, or on trade agreements which have not been negotiated yet, so this is a complete non-story.
Trump's election in and of itself prevented many under-handed deals from happening - search Wikileaks for Clinton's "Pay to Play" with regards to Federal appointments in exchange for donations from private industry.
This is just more anti-Trump clickbait. Yes, Fox News does it too.
TRUMP WON'T RUN
TRUMP WON'T BE THE NOMINEE
TRUMP WON'T BE THE PRESIDENT
TRUMP WON'T CANCEL THE TPP
TRUMP WON'T STAND UP TO RUSSIA
TRUMP WON'T INCREASE BORDER SECURITY
***YOU ARE HERE***
TRUMP WON'T RENEGOTIATE TRADE DEALS
TRUMP WON'T BUILD THE WALL (prototypes being built)
etc., etc.
(Score: 2, Informative) by its_gonna_be_yuge! on Wednesday April 26 2017, @01:20AM (3 children)
"I know that with Mexico we have the upper hand in negotiations by far, and that the same goes for Canada."
You do realize that many readers here are not Americans, right? And as far as "we have the upper hand" goes, that may be fine for your own wanking but you won't get the better of us in Canada by trying to ram unfair anti-Nafta tariffs down our Mackinaws. And BTW - we can play well with others - without throwing tantrums and shouting "it's a disaster" or "it's a huge mistake" or "it's a pussy - grab it".
So there.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Wednesday April 26 2017, @02:21AM (2 children)
You do realize that many readers here are not Americans, right?
I was referring to myself and my country, not "our" site SoylentNews, or its readers.
(Score: 2) by its_gonna_be_yuge! on Wednesday April 26 2017, @02:34AM (1 child)
"I was referring to myself and my country, not "our" site SoylentNews, or its readers."
Your post assumes the audience is American, and that you Americans can get the better of Canadians and Mexicans. That's what you said.
I really find Americans who belittle the rest of us a PITA, but whatever.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 26 2017, @02:42AM
Most of the community is American. That's not me shitting on other nationalities, just traffic statistics. Strangely though, a larger percentage of the staff are from/living elsewhere than in the community as a whole.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @06:04AM
I haven't heard anything about TPP or whatever its next incarnation is meant to be. I know that with Mexico we have the upper hand in negotiations by far, and that the same goes for Canada.
That's some trumpian zero-sum delusionalism.
The "upper hand" doesn't mean jackshit when you can't walk away because walking away means losing hundreds of billions of dollars.
If trump tries that brinksmanship his bluff will be called. He can't afford to fuck over the farmers in the heartland, but they are the ones who will immediately lose out because they depend on exporting their crops. [agfax.com]
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by jmorris on Wednesday April 26 2017, @12:40AM (5 children)
and two non-establishment party presidential candidates go head to head in France.
Really? Yall going with that story of how to frame the French elections too? The guy is a Communist but already has the full throated backing of -every- establishment figure in France. Which isn't a shock or anything, how many Socialists has France elected already? And even Le Pen works hard to earn the Fascist label by being both Nationalist (mostly good) and Socialist (bad, echoes of that guy who must not be named when Socialism is paired with Nationalism). Face it, France is probably just too pozzed to live much longer.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @01:04AM
Maybe you, or the "two non-establishment party presidential candidates", are talking about (Le Pen and) Melonchon, who ended 4th and so doesn't goes to the final round (Le Pen does)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Macron [wikipedia.org] is soooooooooooooo socialist. Yeah, worked for Rothschild & Cie Banque as investment banker, that makes him a commie. No doubt. /s
Wake up! Another pro status quo guy, the guy of "business-friendly reforms" and "law package through a reluctant parliament using the special 49.3 procedure". Europe's Socialdemocrats, Socialists, Laborists and many others for the past decades are "INO", as USA's DINO/RINO. Socialists privaticing things, socialists lowering taxes for the rich, socialists looking to the other side when companies do as they want... yeah, "socialists". That explains why people is getting pissed. Changing the boss to keep the things as they are, kicking the general people and fattening the top people (remember, big companies are people too), is not a recipe for a happy wage slave. In 2008 there were many promises about recreating capitalism, cleaning up the banks and other shit. It was just shit for the newspapers and TV.
BTW, Melonchon hasn't backed him yet.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @01:46AM (3 children)
The guy is a Communist
So he supports welfare programs?
I haven't looked at that election at all personally because it's obvious Le Pen will win.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by jmorris on Wednesday April 26 2017, @03:20AM (2 children)
No chance, Le Pen will get close to what she just got, might even manage to crack 1/3 of the vote if things really get whacky. I'd put money she doesn't get to half with all of the other candidates already having or soon to endorse the Communist. Her only hope is to get close enough to frighten the system into adopting a few of her positions to cut her future support. And no that won't happen so eventually she, or somebody far worse, will get elected. Just not this year.
Yes the same forces that got BrExit and Trump a majority are at work in France, but they are so much more pozzed. They have been electing outright Socialists for decades already. Heck, by U.S. standards Le Pen herself is to the left of Bernie if you discount her one good idea of wanting to close the borders to the fricking head choppers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @06:12AM
> Le Pen herself is to the left of Bernie if you discount her one good idea of wanting to close the borders
And her denial of France's complicity in the holocaust. That's another great idea!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @08:09AM
Don't bother, jmorris and tmb are either total whack job idiot savants, massive trolls (non exclusive), or paid shills. Don't waste your typing unless it is for the benefit of the readers. Nearly every "fact based" comment they make gets rebutted with better info.
They ways have the wrong idea about people places or things, and those wrong ideas are almost always rooted in their hatred for socialism or anything minutely resembling it. Point out all the socialism already in place and you usually just hear crickets.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday April 26 2017, @02:30AM (1 child)
If/when a number of nations elect "populist" presidents/PM's/members of parliament/congress critters/senators, then laws may well be enacted to curb some of the corporate abuses.
There will always be corruption, even in the best of governments. Corporate leaders probably believe that they can continue to buy the votes they need. But, they can't be sure of that. Right here in the US, several corporations need to be dismantled, in a manner similar to AT&T. Break them up into several smaller, competing corporations. Globally, there's about a metric butt load that need to be broken up. Populists may well take that mission on, one day soon.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @03:19AM
I wouldn't count on it. If you want a vision of the future, imagine a violently imposed monopoly stamping on a human face - forever.
(Score: 1) by idetuxs on Wednesday April 26 2017, @03:59AM (1 child)
I suggest to look at South American countries, the incubators of populism (of this decade at least)
QUoting the first paragraph of wikipedia's definition:
"Its goal is uniting the uncorrupt and the unsophisticated "little man" *against* the corrupt dominant elites (usually established politicians) and their camp of followers (usually the rich and influential)."
I highlited "against" because this is populism 101, make an enemy. The more powerful the enemy looks (thus _is_ (populist logic)) the more empowers the populist. In Trumps case is China stealing jobs? and several others topics I would guess. This will unify the masses against a common enemy.
This concept of the enemy is strictly related to "the media" situation or the categorization of news entities that are aligned with the reality that the populist tells and the more objective reality.
Wikipedia's definition is followed by this:
"It is guided by the belief that political and social goals are best achieved by the direct actions of the masses."
This is also very important, as is the reason why populism doesn't like institutions. If Institutions cease to exist, then more power to the people (according to their theory). Take a look at Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, etc.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @06:09AM
The word populism covers a lot of territory. Trump's populism - anti-establishment authoritarianism, essentially replacing complex institutions with a simplistic concentration of corruption in a man and his family - is a common form. But it isn't the only kind. Sanders has also has an enemy, the 1%, but he's still an institutionalist.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @06:23AM (1 child)
Of course the deals will continue. Didn't you watch Trump's campaign? At his rallies, working class voters would chant "cut taxes on corporations and limited liability partnerships" with enormous enthusiasm.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 26 2017, @06:42AM
"Prevent those inheriting over $10m from being taxed" - another crowd favorite.