Why Staying Silent on Politics Isn’t Neutral, It’s Dangerous.

Especially on LinkedIn and every other business platform where your voice could actually help save democracy.

Telling business owners and leaders not to talk politics is like telling a pilot not to look at the weather forecast because turbulence makes people uncomfortable. That’s not professionalism, it’s denial, and it puts everyone at risk.

Introduction

I never imagined I’d be talking politics on LinkedIn, or anywhere in my professional life, until 2015 forced my hand. Like many of you, I used to think “no politics at work” was a smart boundary. It kept things polite, productive, and focused. But let’s be real: that world doesn’t exist anymore. And pretending it does? That’s not something I can do in good conscience.

Every single day, I see how political decisions made in Washington, and in state capitols across the country, drop like bricks onto the desks of entrepreneurs, business owners, managers, and employees. I see it in my legal practice. One new tariff, tax rule, or federal policy hits, and boom, my inbox explodes with messages: “What now? What does this mean for us?”

I see it in my neighborhood when a government shutdown freezes loans for small businesses. I see it when a trade war sends material costs through the roof, or when immigration policy flips overnight and entire industries are thrown into chaos. Politics isn’t creeping into our work lives, it’s crashing right through the front door.

So yes, I’m talking politics on LinkedIn and everywhere else I show up. Not to stir the pot, but because pretending business and politics aren’t connected is delusional. And in this moment, delusion is dangerous.

I’m raising my voice because I care, about my country, my clients, my company, my family, and everyone’s future. I’m raising it because silence is complicity, and too many good people have been sitting on the sidelines while chaos takes the wheel. If you run a business or lead a team, your voice matters. Our leadership doesn’t end at the boardroom door, it belongs in the conversation that’s shaping everything.

Business and Politics: Inseparable Realities

For those who insist “keep politics out of business,” let’s get something straight: politics affects literally every facet of business. Taxes, finance, trade, labor, regulations, climate policy, civil rights, education, healthcare, infrastructure, you name it, there’s a law or policy shaping it. Our companies do not operate in a vacuum; they operate under rules and conditions set by political decisions. Ignoring that fact won’t make it go away.

Think about the taxes your business pays, and the deductions or incentives you count on to stay afloat. Those aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re political decisions. Interest rates? Market fluctuations? They don’t happen in a vacuum. They’re shaped by lobbyist, government budgets and the people appointed to the Federal Reserve.

If you import or export anything, your costs and your ability to compete depend on trade agreements and tariffs, also political. I know factory owners who had to lay off employees overnight because the parts they relied on suddenly spiked in cost thanks to one or more new tariffs. That wasn’t “the market.” That was a political wrecking ball. If you're in retail, your entire supply chain hinges on global stability and smart trade policy.

So let’s stop pretending politics isn’t part of business. It’s in the business. Every day.

Now think about the real engine of every business: people, our teams and our customers. Labor laws shape how we hire, what we pay, and the standards we’re held to as employers. Immigration policy determines whether we can access the talent we need or fill essential roles when there just aren’t enough hands to get the job done.

I’ve watched tech startups spiral when visa restrictions tightened and they lost key engineers. I’ve spoken with farmers in my own state who had crops rot in the field because longtime immigrant workers, scared by new crackdowns, left overnight. These aren’t random disruptions. They’re political decisions that hit our businesses where it hurts.

Regulations, sure, they can feel like red tape, but they set the boundaries for how we play the game. Environmental rules, financial oversight, product safety standards, antitrust laws, workplace protections, they’re all the result of political decisions.

And when those rules shift dramatically every time a new administration takes over, it’s chaos for business owners. I’ve seen factories spend years investing to meet new emissions standards, only to watch those standards vanish overnight… then hang in limbo, waiting to see if Congress will bring them back. That kind of policy whiplash doesn’t just frustrate, it paralyzes progress.

Climate policy is a big one for me, and no, you don’t have to run a clean energy startup to feel its impact. You could run a restaurant, a construction company, or a family-owned shop, you’ll still feel the ripple effects. When our leaders ignore climate change, we get hit with more extreme weather, broken supply chains, failed crops, and skyrocketing insurance premiums. That’s not just bad luck. That’s bad policy.

But when we invest in smart infrastructure and clean energy? New jobs, new technology, and new opportunities follow. That benefits all of us, entrepreneurs, employees, and communities alike. The question isn’t if climate decisions affect the economy. It’s how much, and whether we lead or fall behind. That’s political.

And while we’re at it, let’s talk about civil rights, education, and healthcare, because businesses run on people. If employees feel unsafe, unwelcome, or unseen, they leave. If communities are under attack, morale tanks, loyalty disappears, and you lose the very people who power your company. But when we protect civil rights and build inclusive workplaces, we unlock innovation, creativity, and trust. That’s how companies thrive.

Education policy? It shapes your next generation of hires. Healthcare policy? It decides whether your team shows up ready to work, or misses days because they couldn’t afford a doctor. Infrastructure? It’s what gets your people to work and your products to customers. Roads, bridges, broadband, it all matters.

I could go on, but the truth is simple: everything about running a business is shaped by politics. You can’t separate “business issues” from “political issues.” They’re the same damn thing. Telling business leaders not to talk politics is like telling a pilot not to look at the weather forecast because turbulence makes people uncomfortable. That’s not professionalism. That’s denial.

And denial won’t steer you through a storm. Awareness will. Conversation will. Leadership will. So let’s talk about it.

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When Silence Becomes Dangerous

Yet, many of us in the business world have been reluctant to speak up. We’ve been conditioned to avoid public political discussion, especially in professional settings. I understand why. No one wants to alienate customers, employees, or partners. No one wants a digital mob on any social platform coming after them or their company. We’re taught to be neutral, not ruffle feathers, “stick to business.” There’s a comforting idea that if we just keep our heads down and work hard, the political craziness will pass us by.

But that idea is a fantasy, and a dangerous one at that. Silence is not neutrality; it’s surrender. In turbulent times, staying silent isn’t staying above the fray, it’s ceding the field to whoever is loudest, even if they’re dead wrong. And right now, some of those loud voices are steering our country in a direction that puts both our democracy and our economic future at risk. If we don’t speak up, we acquiesce to whatever comes.

As a lawyer, I’m particularly sensitive to the rule of law and the health of our democratic institutions. I’ve always believed that a stable democracy, where laws are respected, rights are protected, and government is accountable, is the bedrock for a thriving economy. You simply can’t have long-term business prosperity in a country that lurches into authoritarianism or chaos. Why? Because without rule of law, contracts become meaningless, investments become too risky, and talent and capital flee to safer shores.

If you’ve done business in countries where corruption is rampant or leadership is arbitrary, you know how impossible it can be. You spend more time navigating graft and political risk than actually innovating or serving customers. The United States has long been a place where, despite our heated politics, the underlying system was stable, you could generally count on courts, contracts, and continuity. But I’m watching that stability get eroded by hyper-partisanship, norm-breaking, and outright attacks on our democratic processes.

Staying silent in the face of those threats isn’t just cowardly, it’s perilous. When business leaders and owners say, “That’s not my fight, I’m just here to make widgets or meet Q3 targets,” they ignore that if the system fails, those widgets won’t save them. If democracy crumbles, if our alliances fracture beyond repair, if our society spirals into conflict, our businesses will be among the casualties.

Let me be specific: I am deeply concerned about President Trump and his administration moving forward. I’m concerned that their actions are actively harming the country I love, the democracy that has enabled our businesses to flourish, and the economic well-being of all Americans. I’m not saying this as a partisan attack; I’m saying it as an American, a parent, a lawyer who took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and yes, as a businessperson who sees storm clouds gathering.

Consider some of what we’ve witnessed recently. We’ve seen an administration enact chaotic trade policies, tariffs slapped on long-time allies and adversaries alike, often via midnight tweets, with little warning or strategy. Those tariffs were touted as “tough negotiating tactics,” but what have they actually done?

These policies have driven up costs for U.S. manufacturers and retailers, triggered retaliation that hit our farmers and exporters, and flooded global markets with uncertainty. Businesses, from startups to multinationals, have been forced to delay investments or scramble for new suppliers, because no one knows which country will face the next tariff. One month it’s Canadian steel, hurting U.S. auto plants, the next it’s threats against Europe or China. This kind of chaos isn’t strategy, it’s sabotage. It destroys the predictable, rules-based trade system that businesses rely on to grow, hire, and deliver.

We’ve watched the highest office undermine our global standing by insulting allies, embracing dictators, and pushing an “America Alone” approach that isolates us. When U.S. leaders cozy up to people like Vladimir Putin, pick fights with Europe, or threaten to leave NATO, it sends a dangerous signal: America can’t be trusted. That erodes global cooperation and weakens trade. If other countries stop counting on us, they’ll cut deals elsewhere, and American businesses will pay the price. Trust is currency in global markets. Lose it, and companies are left wondering: will my supply chain hold? Will treaties mean anything tomorrow? America’s word used to be gold. Now it feels more like quicksand.

Then there’s the economic whiplash caused by reckless domestic policy. Take the all-out rush to deregulate. Sure, some red tape needed trimming, but not the rules that protect us from financial collapse, toxic air and water, or monopolies that crush fair competition. Regulations exist because we’ve lived the consequences of ignoring them. 2008 taught us what happens when Wall Street runs wild. Neglected infrastructure leads to bridges literally falling down. But this administration’s mindset seems to be: cut every safeguard, floor the gas, and hope for the best. In business, we know better. When the brakes are ripped out, we’re the ones left cleaning up the crash.

What worries me most, as a citizen and a business owner, is the ongoing assault on democratic norms. We watched a sitting president dispute a legitimate election and incite an attack on the U.S. Capitol. That wasn’t just political chaos, it was a direct hit on the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power that our entire economy depends on. Some business leaders spoke out then. Some paused donations. But much of that outrage faded.

Now we face an administration that’s learned nothing from that dark day. It’s doubling down on power grabs, targeting “unfriendly” companies, and chipping away at the independent institutions we all rely on—courts, regulators, and a stable civil service. This should alarm every entrepreneur, business owner, and CEO in America. In autocracies, honest businesses don’t flourish, they get punished. The winners are the cronies, the corrupt, and the connected. The rest of us get pushed out or crushed.

Silence in moments like this isn’t neutrality, it’s complicity. I don’t say that to guilt anyone, but to underscore the stakes. I’ve had quiet conversations with CEOs, clients, and colleagues who admit they’re deeply worried about where we’re headed. In private, they agree something’s wrong. But in the next breath, they say, “What can we do? Better to stay quiet.” I understand that fear, this administration has shown it’s willing to retaliate. Speak up, and you risk being targeted, losing contracts, facing scrutiny, or upsetting customers.

But here’s the truth: staying silent is starting to feel far more dangerous than speaking out. If we keep our heads down now, we may look up later and not recognize the country or economy we’re standing in. The cost of caution could be a broken democracy, and no business thrives in that environment. History doesn’t remember those who played it safe, it remembers those who stood up when it counted.

Real leadership means doing the right thing when it’s hard. And right now, the right thing is using our voices, for our values, our economy, and our future.

Why Business Voices Matter for Democracy and Prosperity

Some might ask: Why should business owners or CEOs speak up about politics? Why should anyone care what an executive, accountant, or entrepreneur thinks about democracy?

Because in America, business leaders carry weight. We influence our employees, customers, partners, and communities. Fair or not, people listen. In 2021, when hundreds of business leaders joined forces to defend voting rights, it sent a message that cut across political lines: democracy isn’t just a political issue, it’s a foundational value that fuels our economy. When companies paused donations to lawmakers who undermined the election, it sent a signal in the language those lawmakers understand: financial consequences. When the business world pushed back on the travel ban, it showed how cruel and short-sighted policies don’t just harm people, they harm innovation, talent, and global standing.

Business voices can cut through abstract policy talk with real-world consequences. It’s one thing to debate tariffs on TV. It’s another to hear a manufacturer say, “This policy just cost me six figures and ten jobs.” Or a founder explain, “My lead engineer is leaving the country because of this new law.” These stories stick. They bring the stakes into focus.

And let’s be clear: defending democracy isn’t a side project for business. It’s self-preservation. Stable democracies provide the rule of law, transparency, and predictability that markets thrive on. Investors trust fair courts. Entrepreneurs take risks when contracts are enforced. Employees work better when their rights are respected. When democracy crumbles, the economy follows.

That’s why business leaders speaking out for voting rights, anti-corruption, and peaceful power transfers isn’t about being political, it’s about protecting the system we all depend on.

And we can’t ignore the expectations of employees and customers. People want to work for and buy from companies that stand for something. That doesn’t mean jumping into every culture war or taking sides on every issue. But on fundamental matters, like human rights, rule of law, and democracy, silence feels like surrender. Leadership means having the courage to speak when it counts.

Today’s employees, especially younger ones, want to be proud of where they work. They expect their company to stand for something, especially when core principles are at stake. Customers are watching too. People notice where brands speak up, and where they stay silent. In my view, using your voice isn’t just a responsibility, it’s also an opportunity. It’s a chance to earn trust by being honest about your values. We all say we believe in integrity, but real integrity means backing your words with action, even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular.

And here’s the ripple effect: when business leaders speak up with clarity and conviction, it gives others permission to do the same. Courage is contagious. I’ve been inspired by those who led the way, the small business owner who wrote an op-ed against family separation because she knew it would devastate her community, or the CEO who publicly opposed an anti-LGBT law because it was wrong and bad for business. Their example helped me push past my own hesitation.

Every time someone steps forward, it becomes easier for the next person to do the same. And before long, that lone voice becomes a chorus. That’s how public opinion shifts. That’s how pressure builds. And that’s how change starts.

Why LinkedIn and Other Business Platforms are the Places for This Conversation

We’ve all heard it before: “Keep politics off LinkedIn. This is a professional space!” It’s the same for other platforms. And look—I get it. Nobody wants their feed turned into a shouting match.

Take LinkedIn for example, for years, it was the land of humblebrags, promotions, leadership tips, and networking wins. So yeah, when a post about voting rights or economic policy pops up between a job anniversary and a sales funnel breakdown, it can feel jarring.

But here’s the thing: LinkedIn is exactly where political conversations should be happening, especially the thoughtful ones. Why? Because this is where the decision-makers are. This is where the people who hire teams, grow companies, manage crises, and drive innovation show up. If politics is messing with our workforce, our margins, or our missions (and it is), why would we not talk about it here?

And let’s be honest, if we don’t have these conversations in places like this, where do they go? Back to anonymous forums and hyper-partisan echo chambers where mutual respect goes to die? No thanks. On LinkedIn, our names and reputations are on the line. That makes us pause, reflect, and respond with more care. This is one of the last platforms where you can have a real conversation with someone you disagree with, and still shake hands afterward.

I’ve had more productive, nuanced discussions about policy on LinkedIn and similar business platforms than anywhere else. Why? Because, we bring our work-life perspective. Not just our partisan beliefs, but real-world insight. “Professional” doesn’t have to mean “apolitical.” We can be ambitious entrepreneurs and informed citizens. We can build strong teams and speak up when something threatens their well-being.

In 2025, leadership requires more than hitting revenue goals, it means being willing to use your voice when it counts. If a policy threatens your team’s livelihood, your clients’ access, or your industry’s survival, saying something isn’t political, it’s responsible. And when we do speak up, we create opportunities to connect, educate, and even inspire change.

No, I’m not saying we should turn LinkedIn and other business platforms into a political brawl. We’ve got enough of that on X and Facebook. What I am saying is: we can raise the bar. We can bring facts, experiences, and practical solutions to the table. We can model what civil disagreement looks like and actually learn from each other.

And here’s the kicker: if we don’t do it, who will? Are we really going to sit back and let politicians and pundits, most of whom haven’t hired a single person or built a single thing, decide what’s “good for business”? Or do we step in, share our perspective, and help steer the conversation toward reality?

I’m choosing the second option. I believe business leaders, creators, and everyday professionals have an important role to play in shaping our future, and it starts with using our voice. So yes, I’m going to keep posting about politics here and on my other business related platforms. Not to fight. Not to grandstand. But to engage. To educate. To build bridges where others are burning them down.

If a new law is about to hurt your employees, speak up. If a regulation will wreck your margins, say something. If you see leadership that actually works, highlight it. The point isn’t to scream louder. The point is to stop whispering and start leading.

Because silence? That’s not neutral. That’s a choice. And the stakes are too damn high.

Time to Speak Up – Our Democracy and Economy Depend on It

The intertwining of business and politics is not a problem; it’s a reality. The problem is when we pretend the intertwining isn’t there, or when we see the danger and say nothing. What we face now as a country is a moment of testing, a test of whether our democratic institutions will hold and whether our economy will work for the many, not just the few. In moments like this, every voice counts.

I’m using mine, loudly and unapologetically. As a lawyer, I’ll invoke a courtroom analogy: consider this my closing argument. My case is that silence is no longer acceptable. Not for me, not for you, not for anyone who cares about the future of our nation’s democracy or its economy.

We, the business community, must step out of the comfort zone of neutrality and take a stand for the values and conditions that allow us to succeed in the first place. That means calling out policies that are destructive, even if the person pushing them is someone you once supported. It means defending the principles – like rule of law, fair play, inclusion, and truth – without which the market cannot function and liberty cannot flourish.

Will there be backlash? Possibly. Some colleagues might whisper that you should “stick to selling” or “leave politics to the politicians.” Some online followers might drift away if they disagree. And certainly, when you speak truth to power, power may not appreciate it. But leadership isn’t about winning a popularity contest every day, it’s about doing what’s right and trusting that, in the long run, courage earns respect. In fact, taking principled stands can strengthen your credibility. People know authenticity when they see it. Even those who don’t fully agree may respect that you’re willing to put principles above the path of least resistance.

If we remain silent, however, we give up the very agency that leadership is supposed to embody. We allow others, including those who may not have everyone’s best interests at heart, to shape the future without our input. And then we will have to live (and do business) in whatever future they create. I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to gamble my children’s future, my company’s future, and my country’s future on the hope that “it’ll all work out” if I just mind my own business.

Our voices are needed – now. Needed to protect the democratic system that undergirds our economic well-being. Needed to advocate for policies that promote broad prosperity rather than short-sighted gains. Needed to push back against misinformation and division with facts and unity. Each of us has more power than we think, especially when we speak out together. We saw glimpses of it when industries jointly opposed harmful tariffs, or when businesses rallied to support public health during crises. When unified, our message carries weight.

So, to my fellow professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, and yes, everyday American voters who might be reading this: I urge you to find your voice. Talk about the issues that matter to you and your work. Ask questions of your elected officials. Vote with not just your personal interests, but with the long-term health of our democracy and economy in mind. Encourage your company to stand on the right side of history when it truly counts. And don’t let anyone tell you that you’re out of line for doing so. Discussing politics here isn’t unprofessional; it’s essential.

We can no longer afford the luxury of apathy or the pretense of neutrality. Too much is at stake, for our businesses, for our communities, and for the country that has given us so many opportunities to succeed. The intersection of business and politics is where our future will be decided. Will we step into that arena and fight for a future we believe in, or will we hide behind the comfort of silence as things fall apart?

I’ve made my choice. I hope you’ll join me. Let’s use our voices, our expertise, and our platforms to protect both democracy and economic well-being. In the end, silence is far more dangerous to our prospects than speaking out ever could be. It’s time to speak up, loudly, clearly, and with unwavering conviction. Our democracy and our businesses depend on it.

Mitch Jackson, Esq. | links

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