Category: business ethics

Fukushima Gov. Slams TEPCO, Govt for ‘Betrayal’ (via TheResistance)

On By southwerkIn business ethics2 Comments

Betrayed.

Exactly right. The people of Fukushima were told those plants were perfectly safe. They were told they were the way to economic success. They were told that the power plants would bring prosperity and jobs for decades.

And what they got was a nuclear dead zone. Most will never be able to return to their homes.

They were lied to. If the nuclear industry were honest and stopped telling us how many chest x-rays their latest disaster was equivalent to, we might have an idea of how much nuclear power we want to use and where. But they are not. They are wretched lying propagandists, readily assisted by hack writers beguiled by the opportunity of turning the nuclear industry’s talking points into quick gotcha articles to persecute the tree huggers.

It gets old after a while. You get tired of seeing the same old talking points over and over again while new radiation plagues the earth.

James Pilant

InfoWars The Yomiuri Shimbun April 10, 2011 Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato has expressed anger at the central government and Tokyo Electric Power Co., saying both “betrayed” the people of Fukushima Prefecture with repeated assurances about the safety of nuclear power plants. “We feel we were betrayed [by the central government and TEPCO,” Sato said during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun on Thursday, nearly a month after the March 11 earthquake a … Read More

via TheResistance

The anguish people in Fukushima prefecture have to face (via Aoumigamera)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

This guy is measuring his radiation and deciding on the level of risk he finds acceptable. This is from someone on the ground in the area. I’m sure if you read Japanese, you can find hundreds, probably thousands of blogs from the area, but I only speak English. I imagine more than a few of you are in the same situation.

So, get a view from near the disaster from an independent soul with his own ideas.

James Pilant

I have often had nappa cabbage and lettuce harvested in Ibaraki prefecture, which is just next to Fukushima prefecture, in the last few weeks. Some of my friends knew this and they told me I was a reckless guy. I don’t care about that. They are quite cheap now, hehe. I’m not a vegetarian but I eat a lot of veges because I love them. If there’s no meat or fish for a couple of days, it’s no problem to me. If, however, there’s no veges in one meal, … Read More

via Aoumigamera

Japan Earthquake Tragedy and its Message (via A Fool’s Wish)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I’m more convinced of the toughness and resilience of humanity than this author. Nevertheless he has an interesting point of view. It is always possible to look at humans at the top of the food chain or at the very bottom. It’s a matter of perspective.

Is the glass half empty or half full? (Is that the champion cliche or what?)

James Pilant

Having no access to outside world for a month due to the mandatory military training, it’s joyous to be back in front of my laptop and catch up what I’ve missed. Facebook, Gmail and ESPN are my natural stops every morning, but I surfed away from those sites rather quickly and sought for articles on Japan Earthquake. It is extremely surreal that I still do not realize to my senses how serious of a tragedy this natural phenomenon has been. As final … Read More

via A Fool’s Wish

Hanford evacuates … (via Homeless on the High Desert)

On By southwerkIn business ethics
Courtesy of Nuclearinfo.net

There appear to be regular problems like this at nuclear plants all over the United States. But since they are considered local news, they attract only limited attention. While the difficulties associated with nuclear power are in the news in a major way, we see the small incidents.

Could a regular airing of these continual problems make a person more uncomfortable choosing nuclear power over other choices?

Is the media doing its job of informing the public? Are we being properly informed about these critical issues or shall we look at more critical subjects like Fashion friendly sunglasses for all types of faces? Is that the kind of media we deserve?

James Pilant

Washington State Nuclear Plant Briefly Evacuated (Reuters) – Washington state’s only nuclear power plant briefly evacuated about 25 workers after a small amount of hydrogen sprang from a pipe and ignited in a six-inch (15.5 cm) flash, plant officials said on Friday. The incident at the Columbia Generating Station late on Thursday afternoon resulted in no injuries or equipment damage, they said. Workers are now back. “It was like a little flash, l … Read More

via Homeless on the High Desert

Satellite Tour of America’s Foreclosures (via Short Sale and Foreclosure Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

The foreclosure crisis continues. This is a nice piece of writing highlighted by intelligent illustration. The author has my admiration.

Often, when we have been dealing with a crisis for a long time, we want it to end, to find closure. I promise you my delight in another days’ fukushima crisis is very small. I want that thing to be fixed and stop hurting people every single day. I want to write about other stuff but the nuclear industry has conspired to create a disaster that will run at least ten years. So, I continue writing about it.

I am more than a little afraid this one, the foreclosure crisis, may come to a sudden end. Let me tell you why. There is talk of a settlement of 20 billion dollars by the states attorney generals. Many of our more loathsome congressman are complaining that this is too punitive. It takes a very comfortable distance from the situation and the facts to find compassion for the financial industry. They have in many cases either directly committed crimes, assisted in illegal activity or parsed the law so closely as to send shivers up the spine of the most casual moralist.

Well, these financial industry zealots are likely to ride like some debauched cavalry to the assistance of these banks. They intend to cut the amount and it is quite likely they will gut any proposals to rein in the illegal practices of foreclosure industry. The reform they will aim at with great intensity will be the one ending the abuses of foreclosing without a proper title. Allowing the banks to foreclose with a paper trail will greatly cheapen their costs and make it extremely difficult to police the industry.

So, I want stretched out court battles to reveal to millions of Americans how cruel and unfair this process has been. I want charges filed for false affidavits, penalties assessed for failing to pay state and county fees, and I want justice for those who have suffered fraud during the housing bubble.

James Pilant

Satellite Tour of America's Foreclosures A Frightening Satellite Tour Of America’s Foreclosure Wastelands From Business Insider Gus Lubin | Jan. 30, 2011, 3:42 PM | 693,239 RealtyTrac is out with the total foreclosure numbers for 2010. On the whole things are getting worse. 72 percent of major metro areas saw an increase in foreclosure volume. Although some of the worst hit areas in Nevada, California and Florida improved from 2009, the foreclosure rate in these areas remains shockingly … Read More

via Short Sale and Foreclosure Blog

New York Finally Investigating its Horrid Foreclosure Mills (via The Law Office of Avram E. Frisch LLC Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

This is a succinct account of what passes for the practice of law in one of those machine shop like law firms that the banks find so enticing. They save the banks literally billions of dollars by avoiding doing any but the most basic requirements of the law.

I appreciate this gentleman’s willingness to share his frustration online. Thanks!

James Pilant

According to today’s New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/business/09foreclose.html?_r=1, the New York attorney general is now investigating the worst foreclosure mill firm in the state, The Law Office of Steven J. Baum. I have had the privilege of facing Mr. Baum’s “law firm” on quite a few occasions, and it is some experience. The firm files 40% of all foreclosures in New York, but has only 70 lawyers on staff. They send per dorm la … Read More

via The Law Office of Avram E. Frisch LLC Blog

A note on the future value of Human productivity and worth (via Egostratum)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

What does the future hold?

This is a speculative article that tries to come with some answers as to what is important in the development of humanity.

I like speculation and I like thinking. Good article.

James Pilant

I wrote this response to an article over at IEET.org concerning the future of human productivity and of growing redundancy and unemployment.   You can read the thought provoking article at IEET.org here > Ethical Problems From Technology Efficiency   When I was in my teens many, many years ago I contemplated a future where all productivity and human social needs were met by super technology, and contemplated what humans would actually do wit … Read More

via Egostratum

Moral Worth and Inclinations in Kantian Ethics (via manwithoutqualities)

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

Few understand the importance of Kant in business ethics. I appreciate any enlightenment offered.

By the way, this is a beautiful web site. There is also a strong implication of heavy intellectual lifting going on, so be ready for a challenge.

James Pilant

Moral Worth and Inclinations in Kantian Ethics Check out my chum and occasional collaborator Chris Onof’s paper Moral Worth and Inclinations in Kantian Ethics just published at Kant Studies Online. There are few philosophers around today that write with such exacting precision, such intimacy with their topic and with such philosophical breadth that Chris Onof does. … Read More

via manwithoutqualities

Open Letter Re: Withdrawal of Proposed Consent Orders Regarding Mortgage Servicing Illegalities (via Foreclosure Fraud – Fighting Foreclosure Fraud by Sharing the Knowledge)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I strongly support this. The proposed consent orders fall far short of any fair settlement of the crimes committed by mortgage industry. I hope you are willing to join in this effort to find justice for millions of Americans whose property rights have been violated by a rogue industry that directly violated the law hundreds of thousands of times.

James Pilant

Open Letter Re: Withdrawal of Proposed Consent Orders Regarding Mortgage Servicing Illegalities April 6, 2011 Ben Bernanke, Chairman Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System John Walsh, Acting Comptroller Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Sheila Bair, Chairman Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation John Bowman, Acting Director Office of Thrift Supervision Re: Withdrawal of Proposed Consent Orders Regarding Mortgage Servicing Illegalities Dear Federal Regulators of the Financial Institutions of the United States: The undersign … Read More

via Foreclosure Fraud – Fighting Foreclosure Fraud by Sharing the Knowledge

Fukushima Cleanup: 30 Years, $12 Billion (via Mostly Tech)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

How much alternative energy can you buy with 12 billion dollars over thirty years?

James Pilant

Fukushima Cleanup: 30 Years, $12 Billion “Damaged reactors at the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant may take three decades to decommission and cost operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. more than 1 trillion yen ($12 billion), engineers and analysts said. Four of the plant’s six reactors became useless when sea water was used to cool them after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami knocked out generators running its cooling systems. The reactors need to be decommissioned, Tepco Chairma … Read More

via Mostly Tech