Donald Trump ordered the Rose Garden, Jackie Kennedy’s addition to the White House Grounds bulldozed. If you go to the link below you can see pictures of this atrocity as it happens.
If it is good, or kind, or responsible, or beautiful, Trump wants it dead.
I don’t see how this kind of nonsense can go on for three and half more years.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/photos-show-latest-white-house-162703251.html
James Alan Pilant
I was only going to pose a link but WordPress allowed me to post the video itself. This 13 minute video is full of useful business ethics issues.
Anyone teaching a business ethics class, could use this as a tale of ethics failure or a failure of government oversight. It could even be a test. You just run the video and ask the students to write down each business ethics issue they see. There are a good number here.
And to all you teaching business ethics, “Keep up the good fight!” These are terrible times for those trying to do right and teaching people to do right. God bless us all.
Investments in the President’s meme coin reached almost 148 million dollars with 220 getting to have dinner with the leader of the current regime.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-crypto-dinner-auction-massively-203501465.html
From the article linked to above:
The contest to dine with the president resulted in the top 220 holdings amounting to $147,586,796.41. The holders of Trump’s coin include companies based in places such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
This is wrong.
You should not be able to buy access to the President.
You should especially not be able to buy access to the President for buying his imaginary currency.
I could write up a business ethics analysis but could this be any clearer. This is a grift paid for by people who want and are willing to pay the money for access. Our current “leader” could have been selling leaves of grass from his resort, used napkins or gold plated tennis shoes. It is still wrong.
James Alan Pilant
Embrace Your Rage!
You have decided to resist the current regime.
One of the strangest things that I continually encounter is that we must be civil, kind and forgiving of our opponents.
Not only that, but we must also be careful not to exaggerate the threat. We are told over and over again that such “exaggerations” play into the hands of our enemies.
And so instead of saying that a man who tried to violently overthrow the government was a threat to democracy, we should admit that there are two sides to the argument and spend endless hours on television news shows interviewing his devoted followers in the hope of understanding their grievances.
No more. I’m not interested in their point of view. They are violent, foolish and a threat to American democracy. That is all the analysis I need. It is all the analysis you need.
And yet I look on my internet feed and I see people who voted for the new regime who lost their jobs or their homes and their businesses and now they are sorry. They are on podcasts and network news and many other places. I don’t care and no one should.
It took a massive amount of moral and ethical indifference to vote for the current president. They wanted to “shake up” the system. They wanted to “own the libs.” They did this to themselves with their indolence and stupidity. Victims of this regime deserve sympathy, not the enablers and cheerleaders of the regime. Their just reward is what is happening and what will happen.
Our intelligentsia, our ruling class and business executives across America have walked us into the hands of a lunatic and his barely rational associates. The intelligentsia assured us that at all times our words must be measured and academic. Our ruling class is almost completely absent even the tiniest shred of moral authority or for that matter any interest in any form of morality of any kind as long as they are protected from the great unwashed masses. And above all, you have to admire the complete absence of intelligence and judgment in our business class who signed on with a madman in the hope of a crypto profit bonanza and a juicy tax cut.
If you feel that the nation that you love is being devoured by a deranged lumpen pile of carnivorous maggots, you are not alone. And it is not surprising that you feel enraged about it.
You are entitled to your anger.
Be enraged. Every day a band of foolish narcissistic clowns is making policy for the United States. What has been called the “Cradle of Liberty,” a great powerful and respected nation now appears as international source of humor, ridicule and satire. Everywhere we are pitied and the absence of what we were is lamented.
Any good, God fearing, patriot would be angry.
Our enemies are rejoicing and our friends planning on a world without us.
Yes, you are entitled to your rage.
We must act.
We must resolve to never allow these neo-fascist goons access to our government and its powers.
We must resolve never to allow the foreign nations that hate and fear us access to our elections.
We must resolve to end the corrosive influence of money in our elections and restore the power of the American voter.
We must resolve to end forever the revolting, rotting sewer pit of social media that poisons every aspect of our lives.
We must resolve to live our lives with wisdom, resolve and righteousness while facing the incoherent ravings of madmen and fools, knowing that this will be hardest of all.
God bless you for your willingness to join the cause of freedom and liberty. God bless you for courage and bravery. And God bless you for continuing the creation of democracy for our generation and all generations that follow.
Taking Care of Yourself!
If you have been rugged and read the first three of this series, I hope you have decided to resist the current regime.
But if you do that there can be little doubt that the road will be long and difficult. You will have to be strong and possessed of great courage. As in most important tasks, dogged persistence will be a necessity.
Self-care over this long haul will have to be a priority.
Obviously, you know to eat right, get good rest and practice good health habits like exercise. But there are some additional things this situation makes appropriate.
I recommend you change your reading habits. Read American History, especially books about the Revolutionary War. (I am planning a series called “What a Patriot Reads,” that will be later.)
And, of course, there are those great patriots, the “muckrakers,” Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, Sinclair Lewis, Lincoln Steffens, Ray Stannard Baker, Nellie Bly and Julius Chambers. All of their works are available for free on Project Gutenberg (almost my favorite web site in the world – that is Wikipedia).
But above all read the stories of the American sagas, those terrible times in American history like this one where everything was at stake and yet victory came to those who believed in the future and promise of democracy. There were times like the Civil War where everything was at stake. The Great Depression called into question whether democracy was fit for the economics of the 20th Century. Read the stories of those Americans who faced the test and succeeded in continuing the dream, the quest of representative government.
What will be most difficult will be dealing with the “followers” of our current regime. They are inclined to violence, insults and trolling.
If they are members of your extended family, I am very sorry. But it is necessary to remove them from your social media and your life for your wellbeing in particular your mental health. They are continuously updating their propaganda commands from the various web sites they find compelling. Their childlike, cultish devotion to the latest internet outrage is pitiful and a sure sign of their lack of judgment.
Don’t let them afflict you with their nonsense. Protect your mind from those who tell you that lies are truth and above all that free speech means allowing people the freedom to spread lies and slander. Defend yourself at all times from these people. Cut them off and move on. There are American patriots willing to be your friends. You have only to seek them out.
Find web sites and news sources you can trust, friends you can count on and causes that impress you with their morality and righteousness. Remember that the Christian message found in the New Testament is the basis of much that is good and compelling in our lives, and that the distorted teachings of many evangelicals are just nonsense. Read the book your self and delight in the nobility and kindness of Christ and notice how little of what is claimed by so many to be part and parcel of Christian belief simply isn’t there.
It speaks well of you and your character, that you are willing to act on behalf of democracy, your nation and like-minded patriots all over the world. God bless you.
If you are a Democrat.
I would like to write something eloquent and persuasive for those who are Republicans and opposed to the current regime. Alas, I don’t think I have a clear or convincing set of views about that party and its members. I apologize.
I registered as a Democrat at 20 and have worked in a number of campaigns and have a great deal of experience. So, what can I say?
We are in a national crisis and most of the current leadership of the Democratic Party is useless. I am delighted to report that there are a small number of Democrats who are out there right now putting themselves on the line to fight to save democracy. It is very sad that there are so few.
When I did my research for this essay, I looked up the word, chicken, in its use as a synonym for a fleeing coward. There were around twenty-five words they said were similar and I really liked the word, “poltroon.” I think it gives the right sense as someone who you would expect to fight but instead runs away.
I would implore you as a good American citizen and patriot not to give one thin dime to anybody in the party who is not actively opposing what is happening in Washington right now. What do I mean by active opposition? I mean appearing in town halls, issuing press releases, doing podcasts, television interviews and showing up at demonstrations. Actions are what we want and we want them now.
I was looking at the news today and was surprised to see an article wondering if the Democrats should help keep the government funded apparently because the Republicans don’t have the votes and it would be a nice thing to do. This is the time to be an opposition party. This is the time to fight. This is the time to make your power felt. And above all, this is the time to stop what the current regime is doing.
Cooperating with would be dictators and crazy people is wrong and evil. And right now, the Democrats in Congress are worried about looking bad. Really?? The Constitution is being hollowed out, disregarded and destroyed and they’re worried about their reputation instead of their duty and their place in history.
As citizens we must act to reinforce the warriors and dedicated patriots of the Democratic Party. We absolutely must disregard the fund-raising letters and e-mails of the current leadership who are sitting at home doing nothing while asking for money. These do-nothing Democrats are completely useless. We are in danger of losing our democracy and our sacred rights and all they see is an opportunity for fundraising. Is there anything more cowardly and pathetic?
This is the time for a new leadership to emerge. We must find new Democrats who are willing to live and work as patriots.
And that is why I’m talking to you, those of us determined to resist. Probably, it has never occurred to you to seek elective office or even to participate in a precinct meeting. But these are not normal times. In American history, there have been movements like the Abolitionists, the Suffragettes, the Progressives and New Dealers that propelled average Americans into action and, thus, leadership.
This crisis is quite likely the worst in American History. We must take action to preserve our nation’s legacy of democracy, the people’s rule.
I know I am asking a lot. Running for office is a vale of suffering. A pathway of indignities and cruelty. The people on the other side have no compunction about lies, sabotage and violence. It will be dangerous.
You must be very courageous, very brave and very committed. But if you have that steel in your backbone, this is the time.
I believe firmly that that most of the current crop of Democrats are on their way out. They will avoid conflict, compromise their values and surrender if pushed enough. We in the party have no further use for these people. The future of the nation is at stake.
What should you stand for? Once we have achieved our first and primary goal of stopping the immediate destruction of this nation’s government, we can think of the future. Once we have won, I recommend Franklin Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” and Lyndon Johnson’s “The Great Society.” There are plenty of great ideas and American values encapsulated in those two sets of ideas.
The current think tank focused party must cease to exist and instead be replaced by a genuine people’s party that will fight for the poor and middle class.
We must march together to preserve American Freedoms and American Values. It is our duty and our privilege.
We must act now.
(Part 4 follows in a few days.)
You’ve made the decision to fight, to not take what is happening in Washington in silence.
And so we come to the second part of the equation, Politics.
The Politics.
Politics as a word is immediately unsettling and disturbing. And it should be. We have a system of election infested with dark money, secret organizations and every kind of conspiracy theory nutjob and idealogue imaginable.
And you say, “James, you want me to wade into that cesspool?”
“Yes, I do.”
I understand. I, myself, would rather curl up with a good book or get busy writing an essay about the golden age of television. But when faced with a national crisis, you can choose to act or decide that you are powerless and helpless. I want you to act in defense of democracy. I want you to embrace your role as citizens and activists. It won’t be easy and it won’t be nice.
What we must have is action against the current regime. What we have from the Republicans is public praise and private concern. They are not going to be very useful in the fight. What we have from the Democrats is some action on the part of some Democrats. Some Democrats in the Senate, in the House, some Governors and a few others. It is easy to look at the news and see who these people are. Those willing to fight have identified themselves. Most elected Democrats are sitting on the fence waiting to see how events break. I have no kind words for them just pure contempt. Now is the time to fight and those who are waiting to see what happens are cowards and fools.
It is vital that action take place now. We can’t wait for the mid-terms. In two years, the power grab may be impossible to reverse.
So, we have to act now and in the awful terrain of politics.
RULE 1. The greater your numbers, the better. I was watching some clips from CPAC today and I realized that these fools and losers are only powerful because of billionaire money and the fact that they organize. If groups of the stupid can be important, how much more we, patriots and citizens, be effective. We stand high over these people just as the righteous throughout history have stood above the greedy and the foolish.
Find allies. Find friends. Find leaders you can trust, not just individuals wearing a label that says Democrat but people whose hearts and souls are devoted to the causes of alleviating human suffering, defending the weak and the poor and above all fighting for our American democracy.
These next two years will be the acid test of leadership in America. Whether Republican or Democrat, the test is simple. Is this individual willing to stand up daily, hourly – truly committed to defending democracy against this savage takeover? Fence sitters are as much traitors to the cause as any member of this regime’s cabinet. “We shall know them by their works” must be our rule. It doesn’t matter what they say in the fund-raising letters or their happy e-mails. What have they done? Have they spoken out? Where are the press releases, the speeches of defiance, the public announcement that are committed to the cause?
Once committed you must act. Send e-mails, text messages, letters, to your representatives. Let them know how you feel. Cultivate a friendly supportive base of friends on social media.
If possible, attend public meetings, political party precinct meetings and any other public meeting where the continuing crisis is going to be discussed or you want to bring it up.
Set up a network of publications you can trust. Write up a list of positive contacts. When you go to a meeting, get names and addresses, suggest exchanging e-mails – You are building a coalition of fellow patriots. Don’t be shy! The nation is at stake.
(I’ll be writing a third essay about what to do in the next few days. Thank you.
This is a terrible time to live in America. What is happening now in Washington infuriates any decent citizen.
The horrible people doing these things are counting on you to not take action, to not stand up, and to not be counted. They want you to go quietly away while they perform their neo-fascist fantasies.
Each one of us is powerful in our own right. Yes, that is a fact. We are not atoms flowing about helplessly in society as one famous right-wing loon claimed. We are human beings with the rights and privileges associated with self-government.
Each of us is powerful but in association our power multiplies. And you are not alone. All over the United States, there are million of citizens equally appalled, equally angry and desperate to take action.
Now, here’s the rub. This isn’t a problem that can be solved in a week, a month or a year. Are you willing to commit to laboring for justice and right for years on end? Is it important enough to you? If you have doubts, maybe your desire to fight for your country and its future is not enough to sustain you for the long haul?
I know it is awful to have to fight for what is obviously right against outright nut jobs and fools. And I know that we as a people and as a nation go over the same ground and the same issues, year after year after year. And it gets exhausting.
If you are going to commit to repair the damage done and live in a working democracy, understand that it is a major decision and it will affect a great deal of many other things in your life. There will be pain. There will be obstacles. There will be friends and family who don’t get why you care and worse, there will be friends and family that actively oppose you. Many, many families are cursed with members whose devotion to the neo-fascist cause is more important than other family members, their friends or their duty as patriots or citizens or as Christians. Consider them lost, casualties in a war for the soul of our democracy.
The first step in struggling against what is happening, against the threat of a burgeoning fascist state is to decide to act.
If you have the heart of a warrior, fight! If you believe in the visions of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, fight! If you have seen the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of Americans in the struggles against dictatorships and evil, and you don’t want them to have suffered and died in vain, then fight.
Welcome aboard. You’re going to make a lot of new friends and you are joining a just cause for representative democracy. God bless you!
(That is essay one. This is the first of a set. I will write the next one very soon.)
Pilant's Business Ethics Blog 
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