Ben & Jerry’s Becomes 1st High-Profile Company to Support Wall Street Occupation

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by David Miller Oct 10, 2011
“The inequity that exists between classes in our country is simply immoral.”

IN WHAT COULD BE A WATERSHED MOMENT for this movement, a high-profile company has now stepped forward to formally support Occupy Wall Street. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream has posted on their website:

We, the Ben & Jerry’s Board of Directors, compelled by our personal convictions and our Company’s mission and values, wish to express our deepest admiration to all of you who have initiated the non-violent Occupy Wall Street Movement and to those around the country who have joined in solidarity. The issues raised are of fundamental importance to all of us. These include:

  • The inequity that exists between classes in our country is simply immoral.
  • We are in an unemployment crisis. Almost 14 million people are unemployed. Nearly 20% of African American men are unemployed. Over 25% of our nation’s youth are unemployed.
  • Many workers who have jobs have to work 2 or 3 of them just to scrape by.
  • Higher education is almost impossible to obtain without going deeply in debt.
  • Corporations are permitted to spend unlimited resources to influence elections while stockpiling a trillion dollars rather than hiring people.

Up until now, formal support of the movement has included political leaders and unions, however, private companies have stayed out of it.

Ben & Jerry’s endorsement is accompanied by a transparent list of what they’ve spent money lobbying for (and against). Opposition to FDA support of genetically modified foods / food from cloned animals, support for United Nations Millennium Development goals: it’s pretty righteous.

Who will be the next company to support the 99%?

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