Delta Airlines opened Pandora's Box when it caved in to a wave of complaints – likely the result of a sophisticated operation to turn a handful of activists into what looks like tens of thousands of individual emails, tweets, Instagram messages, and Facebook posts – and ended its program of discounts for NRA members.
Angry Georgia legislators worried about their constituents being dissed passed a bill stripping a $40 million a year in sales tax exemption on aviation fuel, a move that will directly impact the airline's bottom line if the governor signs the bill (update: he signed it) and it becomes law.
According to USA Today, only 13 passengers have ever used the NRA discount, which reveals how trivial it was. Airlines, car rental companies, and other firms in competitive industries hand out discount offers like Halloween candy to groups with large memberships. But the well organized gun-grabbers saw an opportunity to embarrass the NRA by pressuring companies to shun the discount arrangements they have made with it.
In other words, this is entirely a symbolic battle, but one with real-world consequences.
In the end, I think that that by weaponizing these affiliate discount programs, the Progressives have done themselves harm. First of all, the nonprofit sector is dominated by Progressives. O'Sullivan's Law, first formulated almost three decades ago, has proven accurate: "All organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing." So, as affiliate discounts end, it will hit the coffers of progressive-dominated groups that take the heaviest damage.
The second level of damage could be even more of a hit against Progressives, because one of the core techniques for intimidating its enemies – the use of bots and other technology to make a small group of activists appear to be a mass movement – is being exposed.
More here
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
8 comments:
Surprising what fighting back can accomplish.
Darn legislature, no sense whatsoever. Trying to use their heavy stick by sticking it to Delta...all Delta will do is stick any additional cost to the consumer.
City/State/Fed politicians just don't get it in today's environment! This aint the 80's or 90's anymore. You hit a business, they hit the customer!
Look for no more free beverage service.
Stand up, because they are coming to take guns to make you all SHEEP...
Delta was one of the best air carriers. Past tense.
IIRC their NRA discount was actually a temporary discount for those flying to the NRA convention in Dallas this year. Might gin up a couple more bucks in the register, and create some future patronage.
Instead they royally pissed off 5 million, and growing, NRA members (and most of them have family members). Brace for bumpy PR flight Delta as I and others go out of our way to avoid you.
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Unfortunately the legislature could not care less about the consumer.
No one is going to pay $2-300 more for a flight to fly another airline on a route that Delta dominates.
They will. If Delta stays in Atlanta.
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